$1Mfor 10%
Protein Candy
Valued at $10M
The pitch
Bjorn Dawson and Chris Thiele from Kitchener, ON, pitched Grobo in Season 14, Episode 1, asking the Dragons for $400K for 4% of the company.
- Asked for$400K for 4%
- Valuation$10Mimplied by the ask
- OutcomeDealwith Manjit Minhas and Lane Merrifield
- Final deal$400K for 5%valued at $8M
Offers in the Den
| Dragon | Offer | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Michele Romanow | No offer made, unclear on hardware complexity fit | Out |
| Jim Treliving | No offer made, not his space | Out |
| Arlene Dickinson | No offer made, too much competition in the space | Out |
| Vincenzo Guzzo | No offer made, personal discomfort with cannabis | Out |
| Manjit Minhas and Lane Merrifield | $400,000 for 5% | Accepted |
Bjorn Dawson and Chris Thiele, from Kitchener, Ontario, asked for $400,000 for 4% of Grobo, a fully automated cannabis growing system that uses an app with over 200 grow recipes to control lighting, water and nutrients, requiring the user only to add a seed and water. The premium unit retails for $2,199 and the Grobo Solid for $1,999, with a manufacturing cost of just over $1,000 Canadian per unit. The company had shipped $1.1 million in product, about 400 units, since launching last April, with another $300,000 on back order, and had done about $7,000 in nutrient consumable sales the prior month at an 83% margin, sold only direct to consumers.
Michele Romanow, Jim Treliving, Arlene Dickinson and Vincenzo Guzzo all went out, citing fit outside their space, competition, and personal discomfort with cannabis. Manjit Minhas and Lane Merrifield jointly offered $400,000 for 5%, citing expertise in retail, data monetization and the cannabis beverage space, which Bjorn Dawson and Chris Thiele accepted.
Pitch details from CBC’s Dragons’ Den pitch page.
Grobo today
- StatusIn businessLast checked September 2026
Grobo is still operating and sells through its website.