9 questions for the founders of Layzee
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: Christopher Vinkmann, Alexander Bocks and Jill-Catrin Vinkmann, the founders of Lazy Camping/ Layzee.
The Lazy Tent from Lazyzee is a rooftop tent that turns almost any car with a roof rack into a mini camper. It is suitable for self-assembly and also has a self-inflating air mattress. Additional accessories such as an awning are optional.
The three founders, Christopher Vinkmann, Alexander Bocks and Jill-Catrin Vinkmann, could convince in the Vox start-up show “Die Höhle der Löwen”. Investor Georg Kofler secured the deal. After the broadcast, however, no agreement was reached, so the deal fell through.
Note: Lazy Camping changed its name to Layzee after it aired.
Contents
Lazy Camping becomes Layzee
Hello, you are part of the twelfth season of “The Lion’s Den”. How does that feel?
Somehow it’s all pretty crazy to really be there now. The shooting was already at the beginning of the year and since we had to keep the participation secret the whole time it all felt like an eternity.
We’re so happy after all this secrecy to finally be able to tell our friends and family, and somehow we’re a little proud to be part of it.
What makes your product, the Lazy Tent, so special?
Our rooftop tent is extremely light and it is a DIY variant for self-assembly. It is therefore suitable for almost every vehicle with a roof rack system and can also be stored in a space-saving manner.
The Lazy Tent opens in seconds with a gas spring system and is the perfect roof tent for beginners. Whether it’s a short trip at the weekend, a camping adventure or for festivals, with our Lazy Tent you always have your sleeping space with you.
The idea and concept of Layzee
How did you come up with the idea and your concept?
Due to our passion for camping and our past in tourism, we are “on tour” in every free minute and enjoy simply breaking out of everyday life. We come from the vanlife scene ourselves and have traveled a lot in our own bus.
However, we wanted to create a way for those who already have a vehicle to also experience the freedom on four wheels that has been mentioned again and again, without having to buy a large van straight away. This is how the idea came about to develop products that transform the everyday car into a mini camper.
“The Lion’s Den”
How did you end up in The Lion’s Den?
Last year Chris had the spontaneous idea that we could apply to the lion’s den. No sooner said than done – our application was on the table even before the casting for the twelfth season 12 officially started.
What was going through your mind just before your pitch?
It was definitely a moment we won’t soon forget. You stand in front of this wooden door with the lion’s head, already hearing the comments of the lions on the loudspeakers, seeing the product for the first time, and waiting for the door to finally open.
At that moment you are already very adrenaline-charged and only concentrate on the pitch. You just want to rock the whole thing.
How did the negotiations go?
Including the pitch and negotiations, we were with the lions for almost an hour, but it felt like ten minutes. Many questions were asked and there was a lively exchange with the lions.
What has happened to you and your product since shooting and participating?
In the meantime we have carried out a brand relaunch. Lazy Camping became Layzee, and we have expanded our product portfolio with a practical kitchen box for the everyday car. We have been to a lot of trade fairs and events this year and are currently in the process of building up a dealer network.
Layzee: Here we go
What’s next? What are the next steps?
We are very excited to see what else awaits us after the broadcast in terms of feedback, contacts and new challenges. Otherwise, we are currently working hard on our trade fair and event calendar for 2023, are looking for new employees and are already developing new products to expand our portfolio.
Looking back, how do you rate your experience at The Lion’s Den?
It was definitely an enrichment for us to go through the entire application process and actually take part in the show. To look behind the scenes to see that it really isn’t just a show and you really have to be very careful with the investors.
Preparing the company for such a big media appearance after the shooting was under time pressure was also a good and, above all, instructive experience for us.
→ The Lazy Tent from Layzee exists here to buy.
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