Max Fitness on DHDL: Deal with Dümmel not yet finalized

The lions were convinced by the product, but the startup's finances put everyone off – except Ralf Dümmel. Did it stay that way?

The lions are only human, after all. And so , at the beginning of the new season, they talk at length about all sorts of aches and pains. Carsten Maschmeyer has a bad back, Judith Williams often has a sore leg. And they all have a story to share about fascia training.

The expectations among the judges are correspondingly high when founder Oya Hertfelder and founder Christian Müller enter the arena, because with Max Fitness they want to present a startup that offers, no, not fascia rolls, but fascia roll holders.

Müller explains that he addressed a problem common to many users of traditional fascia rollers: The rollers slip during training, making exercises more difficult and reducing their effectiveness. The startup is therefore developing a patented holder that securely holds various fascia rollers. Three stainless steel rollers secure the roller to a curved wooden board, allowing it to move fluidly but in a controlled manner – without slipping away.

And there's even another mount for the mount. It can be attached to the wall with the so-called "LeanBoard," which also allows for standing exercises—for example, for the back and neck. The mount is modular, individually adjustable, and suitable for people of all ages and fitness levels, the founding couple pitched. And the scooter-experienced judges nodded enthusiastically.

However, they admit that their initial problem was that no one knew about their great solution. The online shop was live – but no customers came through. Only then did they realize how important online marketing is. And that's how they came up with the idea of ​​using a prominent brand ambassador. They met ski jumping legend Sven Hannawald through a mutual acquaintance. And the former competitive athlete also apparently has occasional back pain – because he, too, is a fascia roller and quickly became an enthusiastic user of the mounts, he told TV.

And then he asks the judges to simply try it out for themselves. They do so, more or less enthusiastically: While Judith Williams even tries out different positions, Carsten Maschmeyer quickly sits back in his chair and waits for the business part.

The founders are demanding €240,000 for 20 percent of the company shares to expand marketing and sales. That's OK. Maschmeyer is the first to decline, however, because as a tech investor, he sees his strengths elsewhere, similar to Dagmar Wöhrl, and even enthusiastic user Williams doesn't believe he's the right investor. Nils Glagau and Ralf Dümmel, on the other hand, are interested in getting involved and are just about to start courting when founder Christian Müller mentions a not-so-small detail: They've taken out a loan of €800,000 for tools, production, packaging materials, and so on.

For Glagau, this is an immediate dealbreaker. The valuation is no longer appropriate, and he's out as an investor. Dümmel, however, persists and makes a proposal to the founders: more shares for the requested €240,000 – which he is promised on the show. In the end, the investor and founder agree on a deal of €240,000 for 30 percent of Max Fitness' shares in front of the cameras.

Did it stay that way after that? Gründerszene contacted Ralf Dümmel's investment firm. And: Things are still looking good – even if nothing is finalized yet. "Max Fitness and Ralf Dümmel are still a match," a spokesperson said. "We're in very good communication, and we're a great fit. The deal isn't finalized yet and hasn't been notarized yet. Based on the potential and the opportunities that have arisen during the discussions, we're still exploring which deal will be best for both sides."