Success stories
“The Lion’s Den”: These are the bestsellers of the founding show
With their spice mixes, the “Ankerkraut” founders Anne and Stefan Lemke in 2016 not only met the taste of the lions.
© RTL / Bernd-Michael Maurer
Since 2014, young entrepreneurs have been looking for supporters for their start-ups in the Vox founder show “Die Höhle der Löwen”. Many go away empty-handed. Some make the breakthrough. These are the top 3 deals from ten seasons of DHDL.
For more than seven years, courageous young entrepreneurs have plunged into the “lions’ den” with their product ideas. Season 10 of the Vox Founders Show has been running since September 2021. In the meantime, almost 100 founders have tried to convince the investors around Ralf Dümmel, Judith Williams and Carsten Maschmeyer of their products. Many left the studio more or less disappointed and without a deal. For some, a success story began after the show that they had hardly dared to dream of. Three start-ups have made it into the list of bestsellers in their segment at the online mail order company Amazon. You can find out what these are in this article.
1. Bitter love
In the sixth season of “Die Höhle der Löwen” a dietary supplement became a big hit. The founders Jan Stratmann and Andre Sierek declared war on the flavor enhancers in our food with their “bitter love”. They developed natural drops with no additives or sweeteners to help satisfy the cravings for sweet and salty foods. The secret of the product are the bitter substances it contains. Judith Williams grabbed the coveted deal with “Bitterliebe” in 2019 and expanded the brand together with the founders. Meanwhile there is also bitter love as herbal tea, in Powder form and as Capsules. The mixture of milk thistle, dandelion, artichoke and other wild bitter herbs is one of the best-selling herbal food supplements two years after the DHDL pitch.
Get it here BitterLiebe starter package with drops, powder and herbal tea.
2. Unicorn condoms
Without a deal, but with a lot of self-confidence, the founders of “Einhorn” came from the “Den of the Lions” in the second season. Some investors are likely to be annoyed today that they didn’t strike back then. Because the colorful and cheekily packaged contraceptives von Waldemar Zeiler and Philip Siefer celebrated a remarkable triumph. Your product should be vegan and cruelty free. According to its own information, the animal rights organization PETA has certified the sustainable condoms.
There’s one here Annual supply of colorful unicorn condoms.
3. anchor herb
One of the most successful start-ups in DHDL history comes from the heart of Hamburg. Five years after their own pitch, the founders of “Ankerkraut” appeared as guest lions in the current season and beat all the top dogs twice. In 2016 they presented their “anchor herb” in the “Den of the Lions” and thus met the taste of all investors. Dümmel took hold of it and made the “Ankerkraut” spice mixtures, some of which were labeled with the organic seal, a hit with the nation’s grillers and chefs. Of the BBQ rub “Magic Dust” is currently one of the best-selling spice blends on Amazon. All spices for grilling, baking, cooking or refining drinks are available individually or in a set.
Get it here Ankerkraut grill book with 6 spice mixtures.
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