$1Mfor 10%
Protein Candy
Valued at $10M
The pitch
Ash Misquith from Vancouver, BC, pitched SwiftGrade in Season 16, Episode 1, asking the Dragons for $50K for 20% of the company.
- Asked for$50K for 20%
- Valuation$250Kimplied by the ask
- OutcomeDealwith Manjit Minhas, Arlene Dickinson and Michele Romanow
- Final deal$100K for 21%valued at $476K
Offers in the Den
| Dragon | Offer | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Manjit Minhas | $100,000 for 20% | Withdrawn |
| Arlene Dickinson | $100,000 for 10% | Withdrawn |
| Vincenzo Guzzo | $100,000 for 5% plus option to buy an additional 15% over three years at $100,000 per 5% | Declined |
| Michele Romanow | $100,000 for 10% | Withdrawn |
| Wes Hall | Believed the founder wanted a different partner | Out |
Ash, a physics teacher from Vancouver, British Columbia, sought $50,000 for 20% of SwiftGrade, an AI-powered app that lets teachers scan handwritten tests with a phone camera to instantly grade them, reducing grading time for a stack of papers from over an hour to under 40 seconds. The company was pre-revenue at the time of pitching but planned to launch for the new school year, had cost about $200,000 to develop so far and would reach roughly $250,000 by launch, and planned to charge teachers $10 U.S. ($12.50 Canadian) per month, or $150 per year.
Manjit Minhas, Arlene Dickinson, and Michele Romanow each individually offered $100,000 at varying equity stakes, while Vincenzo Guzzo offered $100,000 for 5% with an option to buy more equity over time, and Wes Hall went out believing the founder wanted a different partner. Ash negotiated the three interested Dragons into a joint offer, and accepted $100,000 for 21% equity from Manjit Minhas, Arlene Dickinson, and Michele Romanow together.
Pitch details from CBC’s Dragons’ Den pitch page.
SwiftGrade today
- StatusIn businessLast checked September 2026
SwiftGrade is still operating and sells through its website.