$1Mfor 10%
Protein Candy
Valued at $10M
The pitch
Curtis Kennedy, Aaron Turner from Fredericton, NB, pitched Vertiball in Season 15, Episode 8, asking the Dragons for $420K for 12% of the company.
- Asked for$420K for 12%
- Valuation$3.5Mimplied by the ask
- OutcomeDealwith Arlene Dickinson
- Final deal$420K for 17%valued at $2.47M
Offers in the Den
| Dragon | Offer | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Lane Merrifield | Felt it was a bad deal to give up equity to fund inventory and ads | Out |
| Jim Treliving | Felt he could pursue similar hockey and college connections himself | Out |
| Vincenzo Guzzo | Followed Jim Treliving out | Out |
| Michele Romanow and Manjit Minhas | $420,000 for 25% | Declined |
| Arlene Dickinson | $420,000 for 17%, later also proposed joining Michele Romanow and Manjit Minhas at $420,000 for 20% combined then withdrew that combined offer | Accepted |
Curtis Kennedy and Aaron Turner, from Fredericton, New Brunswick, asked for $420,000 for 12% of Vertiball, a wall-mounted massage device using industrial suction technology to hold various massage attachments, including a ball roller and a percussion device planned for 2020 and early 2021 release. The current product sells for $69 with a landed cost of $11.10, sales channels are 80% website, 12.5% Amazon, and new listings on target.com and bestbuy.com, and the company did $1.4 million in revenue over 11 months, funded by about $320,000 in prize competition winnings and leveraged debt financing through BDC and ACOA, with a goal of $9 to $10 million in sales the following year including a royalty deal with an NFL wide receiver paying about $6 per unit sold.
Lane Merrifield went out over the cost of equity for inventory funding, Jim Treliving and then Vincenzo Guzzo went out feeling they could pursue similar sports connections independently. Michele Romanow and Manjit Minhas jointly offered $420,000 for 25%, and Arlene Dickinson offered $420,000 for 17%; when Michele Romanow, Manjit Minhas, and Arlene Dickinson tried to combine into one offer of $420,000 for 20%, the founders declined, prompting Arlene Dickinson to withdraw from the joint offer and stick with her solo $420,000 for 17% offer, which Curtis Kennedy and Aaron Turner accepted.
Pitch details from CBC’s Dragons’ Den pitch page.
Vertiball today
- StatusIn businessLast checked September 2026
Vertiball returned for a one-year-later update after accepting Arlene Dickinson's Season 15 offer of $420,000 for 12%. The founders reported working with Arlene Dickinson's marketing and media buying teams, bringing on a professional athlete influencer, and developing new products including a Verti-roller and a massage gun. They reported $3 million in sales for the year, on pace for $4 million, with projections of about $10 million in sales the following year with additional product offerings.