Nüchtern founder cries on DHDL, now nears profitability

Isabella Steiner's appearance on the German TV show "Die Höhle der Löwen" (DHDL) was a painful experience. A year later, the founder of the alcohol-free drinks startup Nüchtern says her company is on track to become profitable.

Steiner pitched individually portioned sachets that make an alcohol-free alternative to an Aperol Spritz or a Sarti Spritz. Customers simply mix the contents with tonic water. According to Steiner, the sachets take up little space, fit in any bag and keep for up to two years. At the time she had run an online shop for alcohol-free drinks for more than five years.

Mixed verdict from the investors

The tasting divided the panel. Judith Williams was fairly enthusiastic about both flavors, while Ralf Dümmel did not like them. Andreas Herb called them tasty but "miles away" from the original, and Frank Thelen has little interest in alcohol-free options. Williams also found the sachet format unappealing for restaurant use.

The biggest problem was the corporate structure: the online shop, which sells third-party brands, belongs to the same company as the own drinks, so any investor would have to back both. Thelen suspected the shop was unprofitable and called the pitch "not honest". Herb also criticized the name as lacking emotion. Steiner defended her idea until she broke down in tears.

Pivot from retailer to producer

Steiner told Gründerszene shortly before the broadcast, about ten months after filming, that the investors had been even tougher during the shoot. "They literally dismantled me," she said, but added that the edited version was the best possible outcome and one she can work with extremely well. She says she is "optimistic and grateful".

The business has since developed well, according to Steiner. Nüchtern now offers six flavors, with more planned, and expects to become sustainably profitable in the first quarter of next year. She has wound down the reseller business that the investors criticized, explaining that she was in the middle of a pivot from retailer to producer during filming but failed to explain it properly.

Next year she plans to bring Nüchtern into brick-and-mortar retail. Inquiries have already come in, but the small company has so far lacked the capacity to serve physical stores.