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: Meltem Aktürk, the founder of Sproutling.

Sproutling is a breathable Baby and toddler mattress. The special thing about it: Both the core and the cover are air-permeable. Meanwhile, Sproutling founder Meltem Aktürk sparked enthusiasm with an emotional pitch on the VOX start-up show “Die Höhle der Löwen”. She secured a deal with her dream investor Ralf Dümmel.

Sproutling: This is the baby mattress from The Lion’s Den

BASIC thinkign: Hi Meltem, you are in the thirteenth season of The Lion’s Den. How does that feel?

I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to pitch my product and start-up to such a large audience. Seeing sproutling as part of the TV show makes me incredibly proud. I’ve always been a fan of the show, but never thought I’d perform there myself. That still feels surreal.

What makes your product, the Sproutling baby mattress, so special?

With sproutling I developed the first breathable baby and toddler mattress. The special thing about sproutling is that both the core and the cover are air-permeable. The core consists of a multitude of food-safe polyethylene threads that are pressed together to form a 3D material with many cavities.

Our cover contains an air layer, which we achieve by incorporating a spacer fabric. The air permeability also ensures an optimal sleeping climate.

In addition, the mattress is 100 percent washable, both the core and the cover, so babies can enjoy a hygienic sleep. All materials are OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certified and our mattresses are made in Germany.

Sproutling: The idea and concept of the mattress

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

Since many of my friends have already become moms, I have noticed that fear for the baby while it is sleeping is very common. Many parents can’t sleep soundly at night for fear the baby might roll over and suffocate. I started researching and found that the problem is often mattress related and leading suppliers often perform poorly or even fail tests. This motivated me to develop a solution that better addresses the special sleeping needs of babies.

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

I’ve always been a huge fan of the show, but the thought that I’d be there myself felt very far away. I have an innovative product with clear USPs, which also needs to be explained and is therefore particularly suitable for the show. When I received the positive feedback on my application, I was very happy and full of anticipation to be able to seize this opportunity.

The pitch and the negotiations

What was on your mind just before your pitch?

Shortly before my pitch I was so excited that I asked myself what I was actually doing and where the next door was. When the door opened, there was no turning back and I knew now I just have to deliver. In retrospect, I have to say that I really enjoyed pitching.

How did the subsequent negotiations go?

Good and uncomplicated, because my lion Ralf and I were very transparent with each other and had the same goal in mind for sproutling. We got along very well right away, which is why working together is so much fun.

What has happened to you and your product Sproutling since the shoot and the participation?

We have further optimized the product, enlarged the team and optimized our internal processes to meet the increased demand. We’ve spent the last few months getting ready for the big day.

We are also very happy that we, as the largest German baby retail chain, were able to convince BabyOne of our mattress and win them over as a retail partner.

Sproutling: This is how the mattress from “The Lion’s Den” continues

And what happens now? What are your next steps?

In order to be able to serve the enormous demand for our products, we must above all enlarge our team and optimize our internal processes and professionalize them. In the near future, however, new, exciting sprouting products will be launched.

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

Participation in “The Lion’s Den” was a great success and a great pleasure for us. It not only brought sproutling a huge step forward, but was also extremely valuable for my personal development as a founder. Most importantly, it was a lot of fun to be a part of the show and have that experience.

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