$1Mfor 10%
Protein Candy
Valued at $10M
The pitch
Lubaina Rakla and Leslie Chester from Mississauga, ON, pitched Liva in Season 18, Episode 8, asking the Dragons for $375K for 25% of the company.
- Asked for$375K for 25%
- Valuation$1.5Mimplied by the ask
- OutcomeDealwith Wes Hall
- Final deal$375K for 33%valued at $1.14M
Offers in the Den
| Dragon | Offer | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Vincenzo Guzzo | Out - felt the business would never recover the $1 million invested given the cost of educating the market | Out |
| Manjit Minhas | Out - saw it as a mission-driven rather than product-driven company | Out |
| Michele Romanow | Out - felt the business hadn't been capital efficient enough and price point too high | Out |
| Wes Hall | $375,000 for 33% | Accepted |
| Arlene Dickinson | No offer made, implied out (spoke before Wes) | Out |
Lubaina and Leslie, from Mississauga, Ontario, asked for $375,000 for 25% of LIVA, a company selling pure organic date sugar, date syrup, and date powder as natural sugar alternatives, priced around $12.99 for date syrup and sold mainly through Amazon with an 18% repeat purchase rate every ten days and an average order of $53. Lubaina has invested over $1 million of family money into the company, including about $600,000 on branding and marketing, with last year's revenue at $350,000 and margins that have improved to 45% after a pricing overhaul led by co-founder Leslie, a former Nestle executive.
Vincenzo Guzzo, Manjit Minhas, and Michele Romanow all went out, citing concerns about capital efficiency, high price point, and market education costs. Wes Hall offered $375,000 for 33%, which the founders accepted.
Pitch details from CBC’s Dragons’ Den pitch page.
Liva today
- StatusIn businessLast checked September 2026
Liva is still operating and sells through its website.