“Goodbye Standby”: DHDL founders from Allgäu convince Dümmel with battery saver
A startup from the Allgäu region wants to put an end to battery death and energy waste. In the "Lion's Den," the founders are fighting for their market entry – and a lion bites.
The first thing we often look at in the morning is no longer our partner or our own reflection in the mirror, but rather our smartphone on the bedside table – which, freshly charged overnight with a full battery indicator, gives us the green light for the day.
A good feeling for the user, but less so for the battery: Permanently fully charging is the first nail in the coffin for the lifespan of modern batteries.
Three founders from the Allgäu region now want to put an end to the mass battery deaths. Hans-Peter Nägele, Andreas, and Christoph Tutschner present their Battery Life Guard in the latest episode of "The Lion's Den": an intermediate adapter for chargers that automatically disconnects the power supply as soon as the device is optimally charged.
The slogan at the pitch: “Goodbye Standby” – a play on words that immediately raises the corners of investor Janna Ensthaler’s mouth.
The idea: to avoid energy waste, reduce the risk of fire through automatic shutdown, and simultaneously extend the lifespan of batteries with intelligent charging. It's the all-rounder among batteries, so to speak, made in the Allgäu region.
In Germany, about 15 fires are caused by defective batteries every day, and the number is rising.
In the show, the product is still a 3D-printed prototype, but it has already cost half a million euros to develop. The prototype, which lion Nils Glagau finds "very stylish," is designed in a simple green and white color scheme. The founder trio is also dressed in green, thus looking like their own invention. Product and founder, like dog and owner. That can't be a bad sign.
The planned retail price: €59.99, with production costs between €16 and €18. Now, with the help of the lions, the company aims to successfully enter the market. They are seeking €200,000 for ten percent of the company's shares.
But not all of the lions are enthusiastic about the topic. Tijen Onaran immediately drops out. "I'm not passionate about batteries," the investor says, unintentionally fittingly. Tillman Schulz also follows her lead.
Janna Ensthaler, who is generally interested in GreenTech and enjoys being involved in close-knit teams like the Allgäuer Freunde, questioned the price: "I don't see anyone spending 60 euros on this."
Nils Glagau is different, and he feels he has been truly picked up: “You are the power outlet!” Ralf Dümmel is also enthusiastic – he wants to think of the sales strategy for the Akku Life Guard on a much larger scale, and thus directly into the hardware store and teleshopping.
Both lions are offering 200,000 euros each, but are demanding a 20 percent stake – twice as much as originally requested.
A battle of the lions ensues – and Ralf Dümmel wins the contract. However, he only gets 15 percent instead of the requested 20 percent. A bold move that only further encourages Dümmel, and he wants to reward his courage. He accepts the deal and adds, "I'm so happy." For the founding trio, this is a dream come true.
Whether the deal will finally go through remains unclear. However, it hasn't fallen through yet. Negotiations are ongoing, Dümmel told Gründerszene when asked.
businessinsider
