$1Mfor 10%
Protein Candy
Valued at $10M
The pitch
Pete Zepetella and Cecily Zeppetella from St. Catharine's, ON, pitched Zepps Gear in Season 18, Episode 3, asking the Dragons for $80K for 40% of the company.
- Asked for$80K for 40%
- Valuation$200Kimplied by the ask
- OutcomeDealwith Wes Hall and Vincenzo Guzzo
- Final deal$80K for 50%valued at $160K
Offers in the Den
| Dragon | Offer | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Michele Romanow | $80,000 for 51%, open to Vincenzo Guzzo joining | Withdrawn |
| Vincenzo Guzzo | joined Michele Romanow's offer at 51% then reduced to 50% jointly with Wes Hall | Accepted |
| Arlene Dickinson | Not able to help the way others could | Out |
| Manjit Minhas | Admired perseverance but passed | Out |
| Robert Herjavec | Could not figure out why distributor underperformed | Out |
| Wes Hall | $80,000 for 50%, joined with Vincenzo Guzzo | Accepted |
Pete Zeppetella and Cecily Zeppetella, a father-daughter duo from St. Catharines, Ontario, asked for $80,000 for 40% of Zepps Gear, a safety jacket worn over a construction harness with a patented tear-away velcro flap that lets the D-ring release in a fall to prevent neck injury. The jackets retail for about $250 versus roughly $175 for a standard construction jacket; the company had a licensing and distribution deal for three years that generated about $160,000 in the first year and about $20,000 in each of the following two years, and the founders sought funds to lower manufacturing costs and for marketing.
Michele Romanow first offered $80,000 for 51% and invited Vincenzo Guzzo to join; Vincenzo Guzzo agreed, and together with Wes Hall (who separately offered $80,000 for 50%) they reduced the ask to 50%. Arlene Dickinson, Manjit Minhas and Robert Herjavec all went out, citing limited ability to help or confusion over past underperformance. The founders accepted the joint offer from Wes Hall and Vincenzo Guzzo of $80,000 for 50%.
Pitch details from CBC’s Dragons’ Den pitch page.
Zepps Gear today
- StatusIn businessLast checked September 2026
Zepps Gear is still operating and sells through its website.