$1Mfor 10%
Protein Candy
Valued at $10M
The pitch
Julien Brault from Montreal, QC, pitched Hardbacon in Season 15, Episode 4, asking the Dragons for $100K for 10% of the company.
- Asked for$100K for 10%
- Valuation$1Mimplied by the ask
- OutcomeNo deal
Offers in the Den
| Dragon | Offer | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Manjit Minhas | No offer, concerned about lack of dedicated security staff for sensitive financial data | Out |
| Lane Merrifield | No offer, concerned about data security architecture | Out |
| Arlene Dickinson | No offer, concerned about the messy cap table with 900 shareholders | Out |
| Michele Romanow | No offer, said investors would not back a founder with this cap table structure | Out |
| Vincenzo Guzzo | No offer, disliked the equity structure and lack of founder investment | Out |
Julien Brault, founder and CEO of Hardbacon in Montreal, QC, pitched a personal finance app that helps users budget, track investments, and analyze whether their bank or advisor fees are competitive, asking for $100,000 for 10% of the company. The app has 30,000 downloads and 5,000 active users after two years, generating revenue through lead generation fees of $50 to $150 per referred account and subscriptions priced at $99 per year or $12.99 per month. The company raised $1.1 million through two equity crowdfunding campaigns from about 900 shareholders, and Julien Brault controls 56% of voting shares while owning 36% of the company, with six full-time employees and none dedicated to security.
All five Dragons declined to invest, citing concerns including the lack of a dedicated security team for sensitive financial and banking data, the disorganized cap table with hundreds of small shareholders, and doubts about Julien Brault's experience running a tech company and raising capital in a structured way. No deal was made.
Pitch details from CBC’s Dragons’ Den pitch page.
Hardbacon today
- StatusIn businessLast checked September 2026
Hardbacon is still operating and sells through its website.