Franconian start-up makes deal with Dagmar Wöhrl on “Lion’s Den”

In the Vox show “Die Höhle der Löwen” (The Lion’s Den), entrepreneurs can introduce their start-ups to investors. In the latest episode of the series, a company from Central Franconia was also involved and even managed to secure a deal.

Sonja Lyer and Oliver Brehm have been operating their start-up “TJ Motion” since 2020. The company, based in Weisendorf (Erlangen-Höchstadt district), took part in the television show “Die Höhle der Löwen”. The episode was broadcast on Vox on Monday (September 9, 2024). This resulted in a deal that has never happened before in the history of the show.

With the “smallest training device in the world”, the 61-year-old and the 48-year-old wanted to convince the five investors Dagmar Wöhrl, Judith Williams, Carsten Maschmeyer, Ralph Dümmel and Tilmann Schulz of their idea. Because they believe: “It is a product that everyone needs”.

Lions’ Den: “Relaxation to go” – Weisendorf start-up presents its product to investors

“More than a third of Germans suffer from neck pain, jaw pain, and back and shoulder problems,” Lyer explains to the lions. For many, this leads to tinnitus, migraines, and headaches. According to the physiotherapist, the solution is to stretch the jaw. But how do you do this during the day and inconspicuously? Sonja Lyer asked herself this question and began to research and experiment, as she reports. The result of her work was the TJ Motion.

This is a type of bite bridge made of silicone that is to be placed on the back molars. By placing the bridges on the teeth, the jaw is stretched and the vagus nerve, also known as the relaxation nerve, is stimulated, explains the 61-year-old about her product. By triggering the vagus nerve, the neck relaxes, you sit up straight, the shoulders become loose and the diaphragm is reached, which makes deeper breathing possible. Thanks to its size, the device can be perfectly integrated into everyday life, which is why the two founders call the product “relaxation to go”.

When Lyer and Brehm give the lions a copy each to test, they actually seem to be more agile and relaxed after using it. In 2023, the two founders, who run their start-up alongside their two jobs, say they were able to generate sales of 100,000 euros, they say. Perhaps this is one reason why four lions were keenly interested in the idea.

“This has never happened to me before”: Excitement after deal with Dagmar Wöhrl

Lyer and medical product consultant Brehm are demanding 200,000 euros from the investors for 20 percent of the company shares. The first offer came from Dagmar Wöhrl, who also comes from Franconia. She offered the founders the conditions they demanded. Then the uproar began: After Carsten Maschmeyer was the first to drop out, he asked Lyer and Brehm whether they wanted to accept Wöhrl’s offer – but before Ralf Dümmel and Judith Williams, who had joined forces with Tilmann Schulz, had said anything themselves.

The Franconian founders immediately agreed, without having any potentially better offers – much to the horror of Ralf Dümmel, Judith Williams and Tilmann Schulz. “That’s never happened to me before,” said the shocked German-American. The founders later explained that they had not expected any further offers due to the brief silence. Dagmar Wöhrl, who thinks the TJ Motion is “simply particularly great”, has thus sealed a deal.

The two doctors are planning for the future with the 200,000 euros. On the one hand, the investment will be used to set up the online shop, and on the other, they want to use it to advance internationalization and marketing. “We have to get out,” says Oliver Brehm. If you want to watch the episode afterwards, you can find it in the RTL+ media library. There is more news from Erlangen-Höchstadt and the surrounding area in our local section.