Fragrances, family, but also slightly slippery in the lions' den

The scent of vanilla probably triggers pleasant associations in most viewers. The lionesses and lions were no different when they looked at the display of The Vanilla GmbH Manufaktur, founded by Stephan Stemminger. Stephan Stemminger has developed high-quality vanilla products: Vanilla sugar, vanilla salt, vanilla pastes and more. However, his 30-centimeter vanilla pods were a real surprise. This is because the specimens usually available on the market are much smaller. The secret behind it: Stephan imports his vanilla pods from Indonesia, where they traditionally ripen longer and also grow larger than those that usually come from Madagascar. And the pods also seem attractive in terms of price: they cost 15 francs, but offer more vanilla flavor than the competition. "I'm cheaper than the entire market," says Stephan. With 250,000 francs in return for a 15 percent stake, a lioness or lion is to join him in order to drive the branding forward and expand the manufactory across Europe. But even though the lionesses and lions praise his pitch and admire his "one-man show", they see too little potential for an investment. After all, the founder is actually doing everything right, and if it was just a question of money, bank financing would probably also be conceivable, argued Anja Graf, for example. For Tom Zimmermann, the business was also not scalable enough. So there was no deal, even if the lionesses and lions were almost a little sorry afterwards.

Natural cosmetics for men: a trend

Jungkraut AG with its products for men's skin care already has 10,000 customers in Switzerland, Germany and Austria. A record that the founders Andreas and Julia have nothing to hide behind. They seem to have successfully jumped on a big trend: Natural cosmetics for men. The range includes three facial care products and, more recently, a body lotion, a shower gel and an anti-ageing cream. Ingredients from Swiss production are used. But the products come at a price: the body lotion costs CHF 38, the shower gel costs CHF 18 and the eye serum is available for CHF 48. This caused the lions and the lioness to frown. The demand for the sales figures also meant that they were no longer happy to invest: 800,000 francs is the target for the current year. The valuation called for - 350,000 against a 10 percent stake was the bid of the two founders - was too high for Jürg Schwarzenbach, Felix Bertram and Lukas Speiser. Nevertheless, the latter made an offer: 350,000 francs in exchange for 30 percent. Andreas and Julia tried to negotiate it down to 15 percent, but to no avail. Once again, a deal failed not because of the product, branding and entrepreneurial spirit, but because of a somewhat naïve and excessive company valuation. However, the pitch probably also left most viewers with the impression that the two founders will probably make it without a lion investment.

Self-service gyms?

Can a gym do without any staff at all? Yes, with the My Gym app - at least that's what founder David Kohler promises. Behind it is a fully cloud-based ERP system for fitness centers. It allows gym operators to manage their gyms anytime and anywhere, without the need for on-site staff. In turn, customers can use the app to manage their fitness programs and even track their training progress. "This will revolutionize the industry," David is convinced. And the market potential seems to be there: One in ten people in the DACH region has a fitness subscription, and there are around 65,000 gyms across Europe. And David wants to conquer this market. To do so, he needs 150,000 francs in return for a 5 percent stake. Even though the lions had certain reservations about the current status (29 customers) and the growth prospects (Felix Bertram: "You need 1,600 studios to achieve an annual turnover of 10 million"), David was suddenly faced with a luxury problem: Roland Brack offered the 150,000 francs, but wanted a 10 percent stake. Anja Graf also entered the race with 150,000 francs, but against a 15 percent stake. The same offer was made by Lukas Speiser, who brought his market knowledge to the table. In the end, David opted for the most favorable offer in terms of price and thus awarded the contract to Roland Brack, which Anja Graf acknowledged with a shrug of the shoulders. Did the founder perhaps choose the wrong lion?

"Hard facts" for adult games

As the youngest TV viewers had probably long since been sent to bed at this late hour, nothing stood in the way of the presentation of the next company, as it offered "material" for an audience aged 18 and over. "F*** yourself and not the planet" - that was the credo of the two founders Tino and Bastian of MANU fuck TURA. They make sex toys from Swiss walnut wood, all of which are handmade. The idea came about during the lockdown, explained Tino, a carpenter by trade. He was looking for a gift for a good friend and then simply started "spintizing". "After her expertise, we thought we had to set up a company," Tino continued. There seemed to be so much potential for his product that the two have now diversified and added textiles - T-shirts, bed linen - to their range. The "bumpers", as Bastian calls them, certainly have their price: 199 to 369 depending on the model. In return, you (or your wife...) get a completely handmade unique piece with design potential. It's not for nothing that the two have already been in the final for the Swiss Design Award with their products. And Tino and Bastian also seem to be doing well in business, but they would still be happy with an investment of 75,000 Swiss francs in exchange for 20 percent of the shares - one of the first truly realistic company valuations to be heard this season. Despite all the sympathy, it didn't work out with a deal. Nicole Büttner-Thiel thought the case was well-developed, so the two founders probably didn't need an investor at all. The others - even sextoy expert Lukas Speiser and specialist in skin and sexually transmitted diseases Felix Bertram - also saw little investment potential. So the pitch didn't provide more than good entertainment and a few raunchy remarks, but it was certainly enough publicity for their own cause. Tino and Bastian will certainly go their own way.

Childcare in day care families

Afterwards, things got a little more informal again in the lions' den. Nidino AG, founded by Sarah and Christian, enables parents to look after other children for a fee. Qualified people without children are also welcome as childminders. The service is cheaper and more flexible than daycare centers and is also aimed at kindergarten and school children. The start-up takes care of training, insurance and all administrative matters. Sarah and Christian are now at the point of expanding the business. The plan is to create 200 childcare places with a 50% occupancy rate by the end of the year. As a financial injection to achieve this goal, they would like 120,000 francs in return for a 5 percent share. The need seems to be there: around half a million parents are not participating in the labor market because they cannot afford childcare in daycare centers. Despite reservations - Felix Bertram doubted that the business would become profitable within a reasonable period of time and the high valuation was also criticized - Bettina Hein and Roland Brack jointly made an offer of 120,000 francs, but in return for a 10 percent stake. Jürg Schwarzenbach and Tom Zimmermann followed suit with the same amount. The founders Sarah and Christian mentioned that they had already held other discussions with investors and had been successful with their high valuation. They therefore made a counter-offer: 120,000 Swiss francs in exchange for 7.5 percent. But the lions did not budge from the 10 percent. Bettina Hein and Roland Brack broke the deadlock by revising their offer: 140,000 francs in exchange for 10 percent of the company. Sarah and Christian accepted. Bettina Hein and Roland Brack see this business case as a real opportunity to actively tackle the issue of a shortage of skilled workers by offering Nidino AG a low-threshold service for the daycare of children.

Conclusion of the episode from September 16, 2025: Solid entertainment value and two business ideas with solutions for real problems that really deserve their deal.

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