TRSM startup wins big on Dragons’ Den

The founders of GIMME360 walked into Dragons’ Den with one goal in mind: Close a deal on national television.

What they walked out with was four Dragons on their side.

In the televised pitch session, GIMME360 wowed the panel by demonstrating how customized augmented reality (AR) – using a cellphone pointed at a surface – could be used to give customers and clients a realistic and multi-faceted view at a product before purchase, an application that could be used for everything from menus to textbooks.

The Ryerson startup pitched their AR company to the six celebrity investors on CBC’s popular entrepreneurism show. They managed to land a deal with four Dragons for $125,000 for 20 per cent of their company, with an option of the Dragons putting in another $125,000 for 10 per cent of the company in the next 12 months.

“The deal couldn’t have been better for the branding and legitimacy of our company,” said Daniel Bokun, founder and chief strategy officer of GIMME360 and graduate of the Ted Rogers MBA program (2015).

After a preliminary interview and pitch with one of the show producers, they were partnered with a project manager to help them refine their presentation. The team pitched their idea to the Dragons in the summer of 2017 although the episode aired on March 15, 2018.

“To some it would have been a nerve-racking experience,” said Bokun, “but we were fortunate enough to be in conferences where we met the Dragons one-on-one, which helped with the presentation of our company.”

Bokun said his time at TRSM helped him develop his passion for entrepreneurship, expand on his skills as a founder and better understand how to convey his company.

GIMME360 has evolved from its humanitarian roots to become a technology company that helps clients transform the way they communicate with employees and customers.

Bokun and his partners started GIMME360 as a clothing business that utilized virtual reality to help show buyers how their product was made from beginning to end. Now, they are using their technology to help people learn and process information differently.

“It was a great opportunity to learn and develop ourselves as entrepreneurs,” said Bokun of their experience on Dragons’ Den. “Ultimately we had a fun time and I’m blessed to have a team that works well together.”