$1Mfor 10%
Protein Candy
Valued at $10M
The pitch
Neal McCarten and Omid McDonald from Almote, ON, pitched Vodkow in Season 18, Episode 8, asking the Dragons for $800K for 5% of the company.
- Asked for$800K for 5%
- Valuation$16Mimplied by the ask
- OutcomeDealwith Manjit Minhas
- Final deal$1.25M for 10%valued at $12.5M
Offers in the Den
| Dragon | Offer | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Vincenzo Guzzo | Out - said the tasting made him too happy to invest wisely | Out |
| Wes Hall | Out - felt too much capital would be needed to build market share | Out |
| Manjit Minhas | $1 million for 10%, later raised to $1.25 million for 10% | Accepted |
| Michele Romanow | $1 million for 10%, matching Manjit Minhas | Withdrawn |
| Arlene Dickinson | $1.1 million for 10%, raised to $1.25 million for 10% | Declined |
Neal McCarten and Omid McDonald, from Almonte, Ontario, asked for $800,000 for 5% of their distillery, which produces Vodkow, a vodka made from milk permeate (a skim milk byproduct) and a line of lactose-free cream liqueurs at 16% alcohol, sold for $30 to $35 in liquor stores across most provinces. Last year the company did $2.5 million in sales with 50% year-over-year growth, though it lost about $1 million and is not yet profitable; the founders have invested $400,000 personally with friends and family covering the rest of the capital needed to build a production facility capable of 100,000 cases a year.
Vincenzo Guzzo went out after being visibly affected by the tastings, and Wes Hall went out citing the capital needed to build market share. Manjit Minhas offered $1 million for 10%, Michele Romanow matched it, and Arlene Dickinson offered $1.1 million for 10%, sparking a bidding war that saw Arlene Dickinson raise to $1.25 million and Manjit Minhas match at $1.25 million for 10%; the founders accepted Manjit Minhas's offer.
Pitch details from CBC’s Dragons’ Den pitch page.
Vodkow today
- StatusIn businessLast checked September 2026
In this season 19 follow-up, Vodkow founders Neal and Omid reported growing revenue from $2.2 million to more than $3.5 million and reaching profitability, with sales up 90% in the past year. The company partnered with Dragon Manjit Minhas to co-produce cream liqueurs, expanded to over 500 liquor stores across Canada, added new fermentation equipment to double cream liqueur production, and is now working with the Michigan Milk Producers Association to develop a fuel ethanol plant that converts milk sugar into fuel.