Detailing Knights

Ryan Knight
Ajax, ON

The pitch

Ryan Knight from Ajax, ON, pitched Detailing Knights in Season 19, Episode 1, asking the Dragons for $150K for 18% of the company.

Asked for$150K for 18%
Valuation$833Kimplied by the ask
OutcomeDealwith Brian Scudamore
Final deal$150K for 25%valued at $600K

Offers in the Den

Dragon	Offer	Result
Manjit Minhas	No offer, wished him luck	Out
Michele Romanow	No offer, felt he had a stronger partner already on the panel	Out
Wes Hall	No offer, supports his community work but felt Brian was the better partner	Out
Arlene Dickinson	No offer, impressed but chose not to invest	Out
Brian Scudamore	$150,000 for 25%	Accepted

Ryan O'Neil Knight, founder from Ajax, Ontario, pitched Detailing Knights Canada, a mobile, waterless car cleaning company using plant-based eco-friendly cleaning supplies, seeking $150,000 for 18% equity. The company has worked with over 5,000 clients including Zipcar, Enterprise, AutoShare and car dealerships, operates three locations in the Greater Toronto Area, and offers packages ranging from $129 for basic detailing to $279 for a premium exterior and interior clean, using about 6 ounces of water per clean instead of 100 gallons. In 2023 the company generated over $400,000 in revenue with about 48% gross margin, is projecting $500,000 this year, and the founder is proposing franchising at a $25,000 franchise fee plus an 8% royalty on sales; he also runs the Afro-Caribbean Business Network, supporting over 6,000 Black entrepreneurs.

Manjit Minhas, Michele Romanow, Wes Hall and Arlene Dickinson all declined to invest, citing that Brian Scudamore, with his franchising experience from companies like WOW 1-Day Painting and Shack Shine, was a stronger partner for this business. Brian Scudamore offered $150,000 for 25% equity; after the founder asked to negotiate down to 22.5%, Brian Scudamore held at 25%, and the founder accepted the deal.

Pitch details from CBC’s Dragons’ Den pitch page.