Our investments from the 12th season of “Die Höhle der Löwen”

Things already kicked off with a real highlight: smart founder Aaron Holzhäuer impressed the investors at just 17 years old. The young hobby programmer, 3D printing enthusiast and passionate cyclist was looking for a way to safely store his bike accessories without having to carry them with him all the time. The result: BeeMyBox – the bike box is quickly and easily attached to the bike, can be locked with an individual number combination whilst protecting the contents from damage. Small parts, valuables and bicycle accessories are securely and practically stowed away – whether sunglasses, keys, wallet, lights, speedometer and much more! This smart innovation convinced three experienced entrepreneurs. Ralf Dümmel and Dr. Georg Kofler invested in BeeMyBox together with Carsten Maschmeyer. This sealed one of the first joint "lion" deals since the merger of the Social Chain AG and DS Group!

Kathrin Alfen and Felix Strohmaier were also able to win an investor in the first episode of the 12th season on 29 August 2022. The founding couple have something against pesticide residues : lemonist! Because fresh fruit and vegetables are delicious and healthy. To make them more resistant, agriculture uses pesticides – residues of which remain on the fruit and vegetables. To reduce these residues, they have developed lemonist! The optimal blend of baking soda, citric acid and salt reduces pesticide residues on fruits, lettuces and vegetables. Vegan, non-GMO and in 100 percent compostable packaging! The application is very simple: put fruit or vegetables in a bowl or in the sink, add one teaspoon lemonist per one liter of lukewarm water and let lemonist soak for 15 minutes. Then rinse the fruit and vegetables with clear water and you're done! The pitch was convincing: Ralf Dümmel and Dr. Georg Kofler made a deal with lemonist.

The second episode on 5 September continued just as strongly – namely with Tobias Ross and Nadim Ledschbor and their smart invention socklaender. As simple as it is brilliant: socklaender is a practical functional sock with a double shank against dirt in the shoe. Simply fold down the outer shaft, pull it over the shoe, and you're done. Clever features increase the wearing comfort even more: the padding in the sock prevents pressure points on the sole of the foot and small silicone stoppers allow a firm hold without rolling over or slipping. Now there is an end to dirt in the shoe – whether while walking in the woods, hiking, horseback riding, gardening or renovation work or on the construction site! This problem solver inspired Ralf Dümmel: "A simple, ingenious idea that solves a big problem", he praised the founders' invention.

Early practice is key! At just 18 and 19 years old, students Johannes Baumgardt and Valentin Steudte founded a startup and showed their invention to an audience of millions – and were back in the classroom the following morning at seven on the dota. They were able to secure a deal with investor Ralf Dümmel – who is thrilled with the two creative students' innovative problem solver. After all, NextFolder offers greater convenience and a better overview for school, university or the office: its flexible rings ensure optimum comfort when writing – without any annoying metal getting in the way. All components can also be replaced quickly and easily, and the cover can be written on – for a good overview based on your own taste. Thanks to the exchangeable base, individual sheets or even the entire contents can be bound in no time at all. The NextFolder system is not only innovative, but also impresses with colorful, modern designs in red, blue, yellow, and gray!

Getting from A to B with an e-scooter or bicycle is fun, practical and eco-friendly. But without indicators and warning lights, there is a risk of being overlooked by other traffic participants. Now there is a smart solution: Flasher! The set of two safety bracelets serves as indicators, brake lights and additional lighting in one. A simple arm movement to the respective side triggers the indicator, while hands remain safely on the handlebars. In case of having to brake hard , Flasher automatically triggers a red emergency brake light to warn others. Flasher also provides added safety when driving in poor visibility or at night, as well as when jogging, thanks to continuous illumination in jogging or night mode. Plus: In additional alert mode, the bracelets flash red and support in emergency situations or traffic jams! With this innovation, founders Alexander Rech and Ines Wöckl secured a deal with two "lions": Carsten Maschmeyer and Ralf Dümmel invested together.

In the 5th episode on 26 September, things got sweet in the lion's den: founder Elina Hoffmann brought along her delicious Clever Cakes! With this invention, the passionate baker turns the cake upside down and simply starts "from the back": with the ready-made fondant casing for filling, turning over and decorating! This clever concept is convincing: investor Dr. Georg Kofler is enthusiastic about the passion and courage of the founder and entered a deal with Elina Hoffmann. The pre-formed Clever Cakes fondant casing already comes in the right cake mold. Thanks to the supplied disposable baking pan, the right cake base can be baked quickly – it is then placed in the fondant casing together with cream suitabe for fondantin alternating layers. Then simply cool in the refrigerator, flip over with a cake stand, remove the outer casing, decorate with Clever Cakes sugar decorations – and you're done! With many colorful designs, Clever Cakes has the right cake for every occasion: from jungle party to hearts, soccer, stars or unicorn sets and dinosaur party.

Sabine Wirz-Springe also secured a deal with Dr. Georg Kofler in the 5th episode. Her invention, the Blattgold fertilizer wipes: the moist wipes contain purely organic fertilizer and are an invigorating reviving treatment for all plants. They are easy to use, without complicated measuring: Simply wrap one or two fertilizer wipes around the root ball, depending on the size of the plant, and then place the plant back in the flowerpot or flowerbed – done. Now the plant automatically supplies itself with the necessary nutrients, vitamins and minerals. Basil and co. finally last for a long time! All amateur gardeners need to do is water the plant as usual and relax and enjoy the splendor of the flowers, harvest and growth. If necessary, they can use a new fertilizer cloth, as the old one decomposes in the soil over time. Another plus point is that the fertilizer cloths can be used universally – for houseplants, balcony plants or garden plants.

On 3 October Alexander Weese pitched on the VOX startup show: His Silkslide Pro is the world's first nose hair shaver! Instead of plucking, waxing or laboriously trimming nose hair, from now on they can be shaved easily and quickly – and complete without pain! Simply use some soap or oil in the nostrils beforehand, moisten the “nasal” shaver head, grip it underneath, insert it into the nose and turn it in the direction of the arrow. After use, simply clean the shaver with lukewarm water – and use again and again. Trimming nose hair has never been so pleasant! Plus: The Silkslide Pro requires no electricity or batteries, can be reused several times and is easy, safe and hygienic to use! Ralf Dümmel found this innovation ingenious – and invested.

Next, Ralf Dümmel welcomed Karl and Patrick Weifels to our "House of Entrepreneurs" – they, too, were able to secure a deal in the 6th episode. The father-son duo’s mission it to improvea cat trees in a way that makes both cats and their owners happy: through a simple, modern design, easy cleaning and flexible options for the four-legged friends. The result is a chic piece of furniture for everything cats love! Catrub ONE offers activity and relaxation in one: ball games, springs, sisal mats, scratching post and pillows will delight any cat and can be interchanged at will. This makes the modular piece of furniture versatile: the individual parts can be easily replaced when worn out! Depending on its mood, the four-legged friend can use Catrub ONE for scratching, as playground, for wellness, sleeping or as a retreat – and exercise, relax, sharpen its claws or look after its fur.

In the seventh episode on 10 October, a trio of founders scored with their product: Lars Meyer, Jan Winter and Bastian Hehner are the inventors behind TRIGGin – the trigger button to use in cases of tension and muscle stiffness. Placed precisely, the medical product exerts a permanent, mechanical stimulus on the pain point during everyday movements and can thus soften the tension and promote blood circulation. TRIGGin has a permanent effect and can remain on the skin for twelve hours – even up to 24 hours if well tolerated. The little button works always and everywhere and is ideal for use on the shoulder, neck, arm, elbow or leg! On "Die Höhle der Löwen", the inventors found just the right partners for their startup: Ralf Dümmel and Carsten Maschmeyer made an offer that the three happily accepted. Through their joint deal with Aktimed, the two entrepreneurs have already gained some experience around kinesio tapes – and now they want to take TRIGGin to the next level too!

The last episode of the 12th season had one more special surprise in store: For the first time in the history of the VOX founder show, the "lions" Nils Glagau and Ralf Dümmel entered into a joint deal! Ana Hansel and Melina Neumann were able to convince them. With their start-up HistaFit, the two are building a strong brand around the topic of low-histamine nutrition. HistaFood offers delicious and versatile snacks and food suitable for a low-histamine diet. Thanks to HistaNutri, there are matching dietary supplements. The two founders are experts: They are or were both affected by histamine intolerance but have found a healthy and holistic way to comfortably eat a low-histamine diet. With their knowledge, they now want to support others.