$1Mfor 10%
Protein Candy
Valued at $10M
The pitch
Taylor Shields and Sydney Shields from Loretto, ON, pitched Palmtoms in Season 18, Episode 8, asking the Dragons for $1.2M for 20% of the company.
- Asked for$1.2M for 20%
- Valuation$6Mimplied by the ask
- OutcomeNo deal
Offers in the Den
| Dragon | Offer | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Manjit Minhas | Out - felt the founder should validate demand via Kickstarter before seeking investment | Out |
| Arlene Dickinson | Out - felt the founder needed a business-minded partner, not Dragon money | Out |
| Wes Hall | Out - agreed inventors create but do not run businesses | Out |
| Vincenzo Guzzo | No offer given, implied out | Out |
| Michele Romanow | Out - said the founder needs to follow a capital-efficient formula and prove market validation first | Out |
Taylor Shields, from Loretto, Ontario, pitched with his daughter Sydney Shields, asking $1.2 million for 20% of Palmtoms, gesture-based wearable controllers that let users play virtual drums, guitar, and other instruments through a companion app. The devices are planned to sell for about $70 a pair with the app free and additional instruments available as paid downloads; the product has been in development for 12 years with about $450,000 invested, including a $200,000 line of credit, and the company has about 200,000 social media followers but has not yet pre-sold any units or launched a Kickstarter campaign.
Manjit Minhas went out, suggesting the founder validate demand via Kickstarter before seeking investment. Arlene Dickinson and Wes Hall both went out, saying the founder was an inventor rather than an entrepreneur and needed a business partner rather than Dragon money. Michele Romanow also went out, citing lack of capital efficiency and market validation. No deal was made.
Pitch details from CBC’s Dragons’ Den pitch page.
Palmtoms today
- StatusStatus unknownLast checked September 2026
We haven’t confirmed whether Palmtoms is still operating.