This is what came out of the Dümmel deal with travel cosmetics startup Mon Courage

When nomad Eva Helmeth pitched her cosmetics startup to DHDL investors, they weren't convinced – except for Ralf Dümmel. What happened to the deal?

RTL / Bernd-Michael Maurer

Eva Helmeth hopes to impress investors on the Lion's Den with jojoba oil from Mexico, coconut oil from the Philippines, argan oil from Morocco, and sea buckthorn pulp oil from Brandenburg. Together, these ingredients make up the all-round travel cosmetics Mon Courage: two cream sticks with and without SPF that can be used on both the face and body. Helmeth developed them so that they take up little space in your bag and—thanks to their firm consistency—are leak-proof.

To achieve this, the founder herself has practically packed up her bags in Germany. For the past year and a half, she has been a nomad—that is, traveling—to learn everything she can about natural cosmetics and find the best ingredients all over the world. With her cosmetics brand Mon Courage (in English: "my courage"), she wants to encourage others—especially women—to travel . She is now offering 15 percent of her young company to fund the further development of her products and is seeking to raise €150,000.

The Lions have mixed opinions about this presentation. The sticks are practical, says Judith Williams. And they smell delicious, says Carsten Maschmeyer. But the brand is weak. "What kind of courage is this stick supposed to give me?" asks Nils Glagau, annoyed. And Judith Williams also remarks that the brand strategy has been "poorly implemented." Furthermore, the Lions are unconvinced by the remote concept of the founder, who wants to continue traveling and build a startup.

The lions believe that agreements make things far too complicated. Building a startup is already complicated enough. Furthermore, product safety could suffer if the founder isn't on-site to inspect her products before they leave the warehouse. And so, one lion after another quits – until only product king Ralf Dümmel remains, who had been suspiciously quiet until then.

And Dümmel turns out to be a fan of the cosmetic sticks. Amid all the banter, he says, the fact that the product is "totally awesome" has completely been overlooked. He sees the sticks not just for one travel destination group, but for everyone on the go. In the end, his offer is 22 percent of the asking price of €150,000. And the founder takes it.

It usually takes a year from the filming of a DHDL season to the broadcast date. What's happened at Mon Courage since then? Gründerszene learned from a spokesperson for the DS Group – Ralf Dümmel's corporate group – that they are still "in negotiations and in active communication" with the founder.

Furthermore, a joint press release reveals that Mon Courage has already made some changes: Firstly, the packaging has a more minimalistic – and thus more modern – look. Furthermore, in addition to the two cream sticks presented in the show, a third, "Pro Aging Stick," has been added – "for mature, demanding skin over 40." Cost: a whopping €54. This makes it more than twice as expensive as the UV stick (€21) and the classic cream stick (€29).

Founder Eva Helmeth had already revealed on the show that she still has many ideas for further products. Ralf Dümmel, on the other hand, is known for making products as mass-marketable as possible. If all goes well, we should hear more from Mon Courage.