$1Mfor 10%
Protein Candy
Valued at $10M
The pitch
Johnny Gian from Calgary, AB, pitched Ladderail in Season 14, Episode 8, asking the Dragons for $25K for 25% of the company.
- Asked for$25K for 25%
- Valuation$100Kimplied by the ask
- OutcomeDealwith Vincenzo Guzzo
- Final deal$75K for 50%valued at $150K
Offers in the Den
| Dragon | Offer | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Jim Treliving | $25,000 for 25% as asked | Declined |
| Lane Merrifield | Out, said he would have offered less than Jim Treliving | Out |
| Arlene Dickinson | Out, liked the idea but not as an investment | Out |
| Michele Romanow | Out, said it wasn't something she could help with | Out |
| Vincenzo Guzzo | $75,000 for 50%, offering to manufacture locally | Accepted |
Johnny Gian, an unemployed piping designer from Calgary, asked for $25,000 for 25% of Ladderail, a device that clips onto A-frame stepladders to provide a knee brace and optional handrail for safety while working at height. The product was still a prototype, not yet tested for weight capacity, had cost about $7,000 to develop to date, and was patent pending. Manufacturing quotes from China were around $40 US per unit at a 500-piece minimum, dropping to about $10 at higher volumes.
Jim Treliving offered to match the ask of $25,000 for 25% but was declined, while Lane Merrifield, Arlene Dickinson, and Michele Romanow went out, citing lack of fit or the product not being investible for them. Vincenzo Guzzo offered $75,000 for 50% as a hands-on partner, proposing to manufacture the product locally using cheaper aluminum, and Johnny Gian accepted this offer over Jim Treliving's.
Pitch details from CBC’s Dragons’ Den pitch page.
Ladderail today
- StatusIn businessLast checked September 2026
Ladderail is still operating and sells through its website.