"Die Höhle der Löwen Schweiz": The energetic 3rd episode

The 3rd episode of "Die Höhle der Löwen Schweiz" kicked off with a fascinating mix of divorce and technology. This unusual combination provided the lions and lionesses with plenty to talk about and excitement. Because "unvernehmliche-scheidung.ch" is a company that focuses on divorce. The company offers an innovative approach to divorce services that aims to make the process faster and more cost-effective. With a focus on peace and mediation, they help couples manage their divorces in the most conflict-free way possible.

The founder of the company, Pascal Gemperli from Morges (VD), has the vision of revolutionizing the divorce process in Switzerland and helping to develop digitalization in his company. In particular, the use of technology, especially AI, to speed up and simplify the process. When pitching to investors, the founder offered 10% of the company's shares and wanted 80,000 Swiss francs as an investment. Although the startup was founded in 2020 and went online in 2021, it had already achieved a turnover of 41,000 Swiss francs in its first year and the founder's plan is to grow the company further.

The investors had mixed reactions to the pitch. Some expressed concerns about the company's potential for investment, such as Lukas Speiser and Jürg Schwarzenbach, while others had personal reasons for not investing. Nevertheless, the idea of digitizing the divorce process and helping people in difficult times was generally well received by Nicole Büttner.

Overall, no investment agreement resulted in the end, but einvernehmliche-scheidung.ch remains committed to advancing its approach to digitizing the divorce process in Switzerland and supporting people in difficult life situations.

Coriander oil and "matcha", the magic ingredients for an investment

"Skincosmedic": Sandra Henseler and Gabriele Engelbrecht from Lucerne, the brains behind the company, have impressive experience in the field of medical cosmetics. Gabriele has been working as a medical beautician since 2006 and runs her own institute, while Sandra has been with the company for 11 years and has over 20 years of professional experience in total.

Last year, they were confronted with an increasing number of customers suffering from skin blemishes. Despite the large cosmetics market, Gabriele decided to create her own skincare line. Her own vegan brand, Skincosmedic, has the motto "less is more" and avoids ingredients that have no place in skincare products, such as plastic, kerosene and silicone. Instead, they rely exclusively on plant-based ingredients and scientifically proven active ingredients.

A particular highlight of their line is the coriander oil, which has an antibacterial effect and targets viruses, fungi and bacteria on and in the skin. This unique ingredient cannot be found in any other skincare product on the market. They have developed a gel with coriander oil that reduces even severe blemishes and redness by up to 60-70% within 4 weeks. Their range has been dermatologically tested and received excellent reviews. The company needs support to utilize the coriander oil on a large scale, develop new unique products and create marketing for Skincosmedic. In their pitch, they offered the investors 75,000 Swiss francs as well as their ideas and collaboration, and they were willing to give up 10% of the company shares. Although the company was only founded in February 2022 and has sold 400 units so far, they achieved a total turnover of 60,000 francs in 2022.

Lukas Speiser asked about the origin of the coriander oil, and it turned out that it comes from Ukraine or Russia. Gabriele and Sandra send the recipe and the money, while the production is carried out by other companies. The lion Felix Bertram said that the product had good market opportunities and could stand out from others. Although some investors showed interest, there was no final deal. Felix Bertram advised them to stand out from the crowd and suggested adding the name "Koriander" to their brand. Roland Brack did not invest, but offered to add the product to the Brack.ch range. Although there was no deal in the end, Skincosmedic remains motivated to establish their unique products on the market and help customers with skin problems.

"Chew up" - Ljam Oehninger, Leon Bossard and Ennio Kubli from Zurich are the youngest founders to have ever appeared on "Die Höhle der Löwen Schweiz" in five years. Despite their young age, they have ambitious expansion plans for their start-up "Chew Up", which offers energy chewing gum. In their pitch, they offered the investors 20,000 Swiss francs for 10% of the company shares.

The idea behind Chew Up is simple: to provide a natural and caffeine-free way to combat fatigue and lack of concentration. The secret lies in the use of Japanese green tea, also known as "matcha", as the main ingredient. Matcha is known to energize and increase concentration without the drawbacks of caffeine. Chew Up is said to boost energy and concentration throughout the day, while the antioxidants it contains are said to boost the immune system and reduce stress. The chewing gum can be consumed practically anywhere and fits in any trouser pocket. The first batch of 500 packs of Chew Up sold out very quickly as it was well received by customers. The founders plan to further develop their product, create a new design and increase production to 4,000 packs. They are also working on producing their own matcha extract. They are looking for know-how and support to scale their business.

During the pitch, the investors showed interest and asked questions about the product. They emphasized that their focus is on the energy effect, not the taste, although matcha-flavored chewing gum is already available in Switzerland. The production costs for a pack of Chew Up are 50 centimes, while the retail price in their own online store is 2.50 francs for 10 chewing gums. Chew Up is more expensive than other chewing gums, but the founders argue that it can also be more expensive because it is not just a chewing gum but also has an effect.

At the end of the pitch, Roland Brack offered the founders 20,000 Swiss francs for 20% of the company shares and they accepted the offer, which led to a successful investment. Chew Up is an up-and-coming startup that has attracted the attention of investors with innovative ideas and a unique product and wants to gain a foothold in the market for energy and concentration products.

How start-ups make a statement

"Yolinga AG" - Founder Antje Schenker and her colleague Julia Egloff are behind "Yolinga", a newly launched platform that positions itself as the first booking platform for yoga with unique search functions. Antje, the founder of the company, explained to the investors why she believes such a platform is necessary. Antje emphasized that the search for suitable yoga classes can often be nerve-wracking and time-consuming. The Yolinga platform aims to minimize this process and enable users to find and book yoga classes and events online and without complications. The offer is easily accessible, available to everyone and can be used around the clock.

Although the company is still young, Julia and Antje have already managed to attract 30 yoga teachers to their platform in the first four months without any targeted marketing. They are the only platform that covers the entire spectrum of the yoga world vertically. In their pitch, they offered investors 8% of the company shares for CHF 100,000. To emphasize the importance of yoga in their platform, they even brought along a yoga teacher to practice yoga together with the lions and lionesses.

Monetization takes place through a booking fee of 15%. Users can search by region, style, day and time to find the right yoga class. As there are over 100 different styles of yoga, Yolinga helps people find their own style. Classes can only be purchased by subscription, giving users maximum flexibility. Prices vary depending on the region, with Zurich having the highest demand. A weekly course costs around 30 francs, and the platform offers a money-back guarantee for dissatisfied customers.

Julia and Antje emphasized the importance of digital marketing for their business and plan to reach the break-even point in three years. Despite the interesting concept and the rapid attraction of yoga teachers, Felix Bertram could not see a clear business case for the company and therefore decided not to invest. At the end of the pitch, the other lionesses and lions did not invest in Yolinga either.

"Statement AG" - Mirco Fehr from Siebnen (SZ), the founder of "Statement AG", presented his company to the investors and offered them 200,000 Swiss francs for 10% of the company shares. His passion for protein-rich nutrition led him to the idea of developing tasty plant-based protein products. He emphasizes that a high-protein diet is extremely relevant in today's world and that vegan diets are becoming increasingly popular on social media, especially among young people. This has made eating plant-based foods a lifestyle that he wants to support with his products.

Statement AG's products are tasty drinks and snacks that not only taste good, but are also nutritionally valuable. Product development is carried out in collaboration with two natural/nutritional scientists (Dr. ETH), who hold 15 percent of the company. There is also cooperation with distributors. In 2022, the company generated a turnover of 80,000 francs, but Mirco has ambitious plans and is aiming to achieve a turnover of one million by 2024. He emphasizes that his ambition is not to replace traditional meals, but for his products to serve as protein-rich snacks. Statement AG's product range includes protein bites and protein water with and without sugar. These products are ideal after training or as part of a balanced diet.

Roland Brack offered a collaboration with Brack.ch. During the pitch, Lukas Speiser and Felix Bertram proposed investing CHF 200,000 for 15% of the company shares, with Mirco also acting as managing director. This would mean a change in the company's shareholder structure. Mirco agreed to this offer and a successful deal was struck. Overall, Statement AG's pitch was successful as two lions showed interest and a deal was struck. This shows that Mirco and his company are making a strong statement for plant-based proteins.

Does the "happy dog leash" also make the lions and lionesses happy?

"happydogleash" - The founder of "happydogleash", a dog leash with a poop bag, Machiel Rujiterkamp from the Netherlands, presented his innovative idea to the investors: A "happydogleash" that is designed to make life easier for dog owners. The idea behind happydogleash is to create a dog leash that is not only practical, but also environmentally friendly. This leash allows dog owners to dispose of their pet's excrement quickly and easily without having to carry extra plastic bags.

Machiel and his colleague, who is also a co-founder of the company, not only developed the idea, but also the design and technology behind the dog leash itself. They have been granted a patent for their product in both America and Europe. The happydogleash has a bag in which the dog excrement can be stored. This bag can be easily attached to the dog leash and disposed of when needed. The technology behind this simple but ingenious concept impressed the investors. The leash is lightweight and comparable to conventional dog leashes. The battery needs to be changed approximately every three months. The company also offers a monthly subscription for 39 francs and a purchase price of 225 francs.

Machiel emphasized that the market for his product is huge, not only in Switzerland, but also in Europe and America. However, the investors expressed concerns about the price point and the practical feasibility of the product. At the end of the pitch, there was unfortunately no investment for happydogleash. Despite the interesting idea and impressive technology, the investors could not be convinced to invest in the company. Nevertheless, Machiel presented his product and his idea and is on the way to further developing his innovation.

More information on upcoming shows: www.oneplus.ch