$1Mfor 10%
Protein Candy
Valued at $10M
The pitch
Paige Whitehead from Vancouver, BC, pitched Lux Bio in Season 19, Episode 10, asking the Dragons for $500K for 10% of the company.
- Asked for$500K for 10%
- Valuation$5Mimplied by the ask
- OutcomeNo deal
Offers in the Den
| Dragon | Offer | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Arlene Dickinson | Too early stage, still in R&D | Out |
| Manjit Minhas | Prototype, pre-revenue, still in R&D | Out |
| Wes Hall | Admired the mission but no offer made | Out |
| Brian Scudamore | Liked the innovation but it is still a prototype | Out |
| Michele Romanow | Too early and valuation too high for current stage | Out |
Paige Whitehead, a microbiologist from Vancouver, British Columbia, asked for $500,000 for 5% of Lux Bio, maker of the Lume, a home compostable, non-toxic glow stick replacement based on bioluminescent protein technology activated by adding water. The product currently lasts about 6 hours in its demo formula, with the core enzyme stable in a liquid environment for over a week; potential uses include military, aerospace, and mining emergency lighting. The company has raised $1.5 million in a pre-seed round from five venture capital firms, is valued at $10 million, and has NASA as an approved testing partner, though it has no purchase orders or revenue yet.
All five Dragons declined to invest, citing the company's early pre-revenue R&D stage relative to its high valuation. Arlene Dickinson, Manjit Minhas, Wes Hall, Brian Scudamore, and Michele Romanow all said they would be interested in investing at a later stage but felt it was too early now. There was no deal.
Pitch details from CBC’s Dragons’ Den pitch page.
Lux Bio today
- StatusIn businessLast checked September 2026
Lux Bio is still operating and sells through its website.