9 questions for the founder of “The Lion’s Den”

In this questionnaire we ask the founders and participants of the Vox show “The Lion’s Den” questions about their products and experiences on the show. This time: Linda Koller, founder of Brilamo.

Brilamo is a polishing rodto polish and clean wine glasses – without leaving streaks. A polishing cloth is used to dry the glasses. The special feature: the shape of the Brilamo adapts to numerous glass shapes.

Meanwhile, founder Linda Koller developed her product on her own. In the VOX start-up show “Die Höhle der Löwen” she caused enthusiasm with her product and entered into a deal with investor Ralf Dümmel.

Brilamo: polishing rod for brilliant glasses

BASIC thinking: Hello Linda, you are in the thirteenth season of “The Lion’s Den”. How does that feel?

It’s super exciting and a completely new experience. Above all, appearing in front of the camera was new territory. A lot of people work in the background that you don’t even notice as a TV viewer.

Demonstrating my product in front of the lions that I usually watch myself in front of the television was a unique experience that I wouldn’t want to miss.

What makes the Brilamo polishing stick so special?

I think my product is a real problem solver for many wine drinkers. Experience has shown that polishing wine glasses by hand with a tea towel is time-consuming, tedious and complicated. The glass always has a residual moisture after draining.

This must be eliminated in order to avoid unsightly limescale residue or streaks. It is difficult to get into the narrow glass opening with a standard tea towel. In addition, there are a wide variety of wine glass shapes that make drying the inside of the glass even more difficult.

In addition, the risk of damage or glass breakage is high due to the pressure forces that are difficult to dose. The Brilamo polishing stick solves all these problems. Thanks to its design, it adapts to a wide variety of wine glass shapes and thus reaches almost every corner of the glass. The set includes a polishing cloth, which, in combination with the polishing rod, ensures a particularly beautiful shine.

Brilamo: The concept behind the poleri stick from The Lion’s Den

How did you come up with the idea and concept of Brilamo?

The idea for the product came to me at the end of 2019, after drying wheat beer glasses by hand. However, I did not see the target group for my product in beer lovers, but mainly in wine lovers, who value clean and shiny glasses.

The tiresome drying of these hard-to-reach glass shapes has often bothered me. I was hoping that there was a solution here, but I couldn’t find an adequate one in my online research. For this reason I developed my own product.

“The Lion’s Den”

And how did you end up in The Lion’s Den?

In fact, in the first step, I was asked by NOISY Pictures about a possible participation in the show. I had toyed with the idea of ​​taking part in the start-up show “Die Höhle der Löwen” beforehand, so my decision to apply was made very quickly.

Here you have the opportunity to present your product or idea to a wide audience in a short space of time. I think such an opportunity is unique and should be seized.

The pitch and the negotiations

What was on your mind just before your pitch?

I just wanted to get into the cave and showcase my product. I really enjoyed the pitch. My pitch was the last of the day of shooting, so my anticipation and, of course, excitement grew by the hour.

How did the subsequent negotiations go?

After the shoot, about a month later, we met for a strategy meeting at Ralf’s company in Stapelfeld. Here we have worked out the essential tasks and goals for further cooperation. In addition, sales opportunities, pricing strategies and the design revision of the product were discussed.

What has happened to you and your product since shooting and participating?

In the new design, we have dispensed with the wooden handle. On the one hand, the polishing stick can be cleaned as a whole, on the other hand, handling is even better. We were also able to reduce production costs and pass this price advantage on to our customers.

Brilamo Polishing Wand: Here’s how to proceed

Is it going on now? What are the next steps?

The next few weeks will remain exciting even for me. I’m curious how the product will be accepted by the customers. Depending on this, we will look at other sales opportunities and expand them to other countries if necessary.

Looking back, how would you rate your experience at The Lion’s Den?

I myself can only report positively about my participation in “The Lion’s Den”. Looking back, I can say that the level of awareness of my product increased as a result of taking part. But I was also able to develop personally.

This post contains affiliate links for which we receive a small commission. However, this has no influence on the content of our contributions.

Also interesting: