Die Höhle der Löwen Switzerland 6/2: A spicy episode with a pinch of love

Two concepts, one mission

The Art of Spice - Natural spice blends - Two entrepreneurs, Tim Subbert and Josef Diethelm from Zurich, had a shared vision: to offer natural, high-quality spice blends that not only taste good, but are also sustainable. Their brand The Art of Spice was born from this idea.

Tim and Josef have known each other for 12 years. The joy of sitting around the table with the family, enjoying good food and chatting about the day was one of the main reasons why the two of them founded their own company in the food sector. They present their spice blends in completely recyclable packaging that combines elegance and sustainability - under the black cardboard lid is a cover with a small wooden knob that makes it easy to open and then the spice blend, like the 6th or one of their most popular blends called Holy Guacamoly - perfect for all avocado dishes.

The spice blend is based on Swiss Alpine salt, refined with onions, granulated garlic and black pepper. Fresh notes of orange and lemon zest and the light sweetness of sun-dried tomato flakes round off the taste, refined with a hint of Ceylon cinnamon and ginger.

Since entering the market in 2021, Tim and Josef have increased their turnover from 20,000 to an impressive 100,000 francs in 2023. Despite their success, they both continue to work full-time jobs and run their company with carefully selected partners. They are particularly proud of their collaboration with a foundation that integrates people with disabilities into the production of their spices.

Their products are successfully distributed via major Swiss retailers such as Coop, Galaxus and Jelmoli. Even though The Art of Spice is not yet listed on Brack.ch, Roland Brack, founder of Brack.ch, was interested in including their products in his range.

The two entrepreneurs were looking for a strong partner for marketing expertise in the Swiss Lion's Den and offered 5% company shares for 50,000 Swiss francs. After an intensive discussion and an offer from investor Felix Bertram, who offered 50,000 Swiss francs for 15% shares, Tim and Josef accepted the offer. With Felix Bertram, the owner of a 2-star restaurant, as a partner at their side, The Art of Spice will certainly continue to grow and bring their vision of natural, high-quality and socially responsible spices to the kitchens of Switzerland and beyond.

loopi - The rental subscription for baby products - The situation of young parents is often the same: you buy lots of baby items, most of which are only needed for a short time. This realization led Mirco Egloff and Simone Köchli from Hergiswil, together with their team, Ali Herold, Remo Mathys and Chantal Lisci, to find a solution that is not only practical but also sustainable. The result was loopi, a rental subscription for baby items such as baby carriages, slings and bike trailers that works flexibly and simply.

The loopi approach is simple: parents select exactly the items they need in the online store. If their needs change, they simply swap out the products. This keeps the cellar empty and saves the effort of buying and selling on platforms such as Ricardo or Tutti. For a monthly rental fee - between 29 and 69 francs depending on the product - parents can rent high-quality premium items for as long as they need them.

The concept has already won over 500 customers and the company expects to generate sales of 200,000 francs by the end of the year. They offered the lions and lionesses 10% of the company shares for 300,000 francs to further expand their business model. The investors showed great interest in the sustainable rental model. Simone and Mirco explain that their items are sourced directly from the manufacturers, with a revenue share model that secures between 30 and 60% for the manufacturers. To date, there is no comparable provider at this professional level in Switzerland. Internationally, too, there are only a few competitors in countries such as Germany, the Netherlands and Austria.

The investors asked numerous questions: How much does it cost to buy a baby carriage? How much does it cost to acquire customers? Simone explains that a high-quality baby carriage would cost around 1,700 to 1,800 francs, that the acquisition costs are currently 80 francs per customer and that loopi has a minimum rental period of six months to cover its costs.

In the end, two offers were made. Tom Zimmermann offered 300,000 Swiss francs for 15% of the company shares, while Felix Bertram asked for 25% of the company shares for 300,000 Swiss francs. The entrepreneurs opted for Tom Zimmermann's offer - a deal that gives them the opportunity to further expand their sustainable rental subscription and offer families in Switzerland a practical and environmentally friendly solution for baby products.

Something for the ladies and something for the gentleman

Juna Period - Innovative period underwear - Hera Zimmermann and Sebastian Dudli, the co-founders of Juna Period from Zurich, are determined to break a taboo in Switzerland with their period wellbeing brand. Their mission: to make women feel good during their period without compromising on style and comfort.

Juna Period offers modern, sustainable and healthy period products, including their bestseller: the Period Panties. These underwear contain a unique membrane system that can hold up to 6 tampons of fluid, making them ideal for heavy bleeding. Women can wear the panties for up to 12 hours, and the founders expect them to last for around two years. Hera emphasizes that periods and looking good don't have to be a contradiction - that's why the panties are also available in stylish designs, including a lace version that has become a bestseller.

In addition to period underwear, Juna Period also offers menstrual cups made of medical silicone - they are the only manufacturers of these cups in Switzerland. To help women with menstrual cramps, Hera and Sebastian have also developed a device that uses electrical impulses to relieve abdominal pain.

After three months on the market, Juna Period has already achieved sales of almost 100,000 francs. The founders attribute their success to clever marketing strategies, such as social media and Google Ads, in which they have invested a total of around 60,000 francs.

"Swiss women are ready for Juna Period's alternative period products, but are you too dear lions and lionesses?" asked Hera and, together with her co-founder Sebastian, offered 10% from her company for 200,000 francs...

However, despite its impressive progress and innovative product, Juna Period was unable to convince any investors. The lions were impressed by the technology and the vision, but in the end none of the investors decided to invest in the young company because they didn't see that much profit in the company. Hera and Sebastian are nevertheless optimistic about the future.

Ge-man Schweiz AG - Energy drink - When the founders of Ge-man Schweiz AG - Alexander Hasel, Nick Schuler and Gabriel Oldham - take to the stage, the lions and lionesses are excited to see what awaits them. Accompanied by a song composed especially for the company, it quickly becomes clear that Ge-man is an energy drink that aims to offer more than the competition. Alexander, the founder, and his team have set themselves the task of developing a product that not only provides energy, but also embodies an entire philosophy.

Co-developer Nick Schuler looks after the athletes who use Ge-man in high-performance sport, and Gabriel Oldham, the well-known face from Swiss television, is the man in charge of marketing. Gabriel emphasizes how important a strong personal brand is nowadays to successfully market a product and that they are on the right track with their marketing and philosophy.

But the lions and lionesses remain skeptical. When the team offers 5% to the company for 100,000 francs, the question quickly arises: is the product only intended for men? Gabriel explains: "Ge-man is for men and women". But the slogan "More Power for Gentleman", which Lukas Speiser later reads out, suggests the opposite.

Tasting the drink provokes mixed reactions. Bettina Hein compares the taste to lemonade, while Jürg and Felix Bertram question the promise of the active ingredient damiana. In contrast to conventional energy drinks, Ge-man is said to keep energy levels constant for two to three hours without the typical "crash" afterwards.

However, the founders respond little to the crucial questions about sales figures and market potential. There are no concrete sales figures, which makes the lions suspicious. Felix Bertram emphasizes that he has not yet heard any reliable figures, and Tom Zimmermann asks where the product is even available. Alexander explains that they do "a brutal amount" as far as Switzerland is concerned, but that doesn't convince the lions.

In the end, all investors were out. Bettina Hein explained that she was generally not interested in energy drinks and was not part of the target group. Felix Bertram and Jürg Schwarzenbach also saw no added value in an investment. Lukas Speiser appreciated the brand, but saw no potential in the structure of the company. Tom Zimmermann agreed.

Although the lions are not offering any investment, the founders accept the rejection in a "gentlemanly" manner. Their goal of establishing Ge-man as a brand remains - even without the support of the lions.

It warms the heart

Hämmerli Wärme GmbH - Smoke-free wood fire - Brothers David and Lukas Hämmerli from Glarus have used the lockdown during the coronavirus pandemic to create something special: the first CO2-neutral outdoor heat source that works without gas or electricity - the pellet radiant heater. With their innovative product, they have already sold 700 units to hotels, restaurants and private individuals, proving that sustainable heat doesn't have to be boring. Their latest product, a smokeless pellet stove, promises to solve several problems of open fires: no smoke, no smelly clothes and no need to keep adding wood.

The Hämmerli brothers focus on quality and sustainability; 95% of their raw materials come from Switzerland. But their ambitions go further: they want to further expand their business with a planned market entry in the Nordic countries and are looking for support. For 250,000 Swiss francs, they offered 15% of their company to the lions and promised an exciting future full of innovations in the field of pellet combustion.

Felix Bertram showed interest and immediately ordered a fire tower for his restaurant, but decided against investing. Tobias Reichmuth and Lukas Speiser were also impressed, but did not become investors due to the brothers' second company, a car subscription company.

In the end, Roland Brack and Jürg Schwarzenbach made offers: Roland asked for 25% for his 250,000 Swiss francs, while Jürg was prepared to settle for 20%. The Hämmerli brothers decided in favor of Jürg Schwarzenbach's offer and thus secured the support of an experienced investor.

With this deal, nothing stands in the way of their expansion into the Nordic countries. The brothers are looking forward to further advancing their vision of a sustainable and smoke-free heat source.

Your wedding proposal - engagement planning for unforgettable moments - Jessica and Thierry Thomann have discovered a gap in the market in Switzerland: While wedding planners are widely available, there are hardly any specialized engagement planners. So in December 2022, the two founded Dein Hochzeitsantrag, a service that specializes in planning unique and romantic marriage proposals. Their goal: to provide couples with stress-free, tailor-made and creative engagement experiences so that customers can concentrate fully on the proposal.

In just one year, Jessica and Thierry have already organized 17 applications - without a large advertising budget, but with consistently enthusiastic customers who have rated their service with 5 stars. For an investment of 50,000 francs, they offered 8% of their company to the lions and lionesses. They want to use this capital to expand their marketing, strengthen their presence in Switzerland and expand their services to accompany even more couples on their way to the perfect proposal.

Their engagement planning service costs between 1,500 and 2,000 francs, and customers receive a comprehensive experience with personalized decorations, photos and romantic details such as a rose heart and a "Marry Me" sign. The two founders want to offer their service not only in Switzerland, but also in international cities such as Paris and Venice.

Although they saw the potential of their idea, the investors were skeptical. Felix Bertram praised the concept as a solid family business, but did not see any scalability. Jürg Schwarzenbach and Roland Brack recognized the success of the model, but also decided against an investment. Nicole Büttner and Lukas Speiser were also out. Jessica and Thierry took the rejection with confidence. Even without an investment, they are convinced that every wedding proposal will be a success and will accompany many more couples on their way to the perfect engagement moment.

Source: www.oneplus.ch