Steven Bartlett Breaks Cat's Teeth Cleaning 'Dental Wand' | Dragons' Den

Hi, I'm Victor Carpio.

I'm 29 years old.

I was born in Argentina, but I live in Hampshire.

And I never knew that rescuing a cat was going to turn my life around.

So that is a cat teeth cleaning toy.

It's fishing rod cat bait.

My cats wouldn't fall for that.

You think that white cat looks happy?

No, it's having a gnaw.

Cats are quite fussy.

And looking after my cat Lilo is a joy.

Until I had to get close to his mouth.

That was an experience that left me a little bit bloody.

Hi, I'm Victor Carpio, I'm founder and director of Inventa Limited. I'm here today to ask for £45,000 for 10% of my company.

We cat parents all have a self-proclaimed title of best cat parent.

And that prestigious title got destroyed by a fragile leaflet that I saw at the vets.

It read, have you ever tried to brush your cat's teeth?

I felt awful because I've never tried to do that and my cat was already five years old.

So, I immediately bought a cat toothbrush, got back home, tried to brush his teeth and it was awful.

My cat was screaming, I was crying, it's for your own good.

No cleaning was done and frustration stained the room.

So, I hated that experience and because of that, I embarked on this journey because I believe there is a better way.

So, through 30 months of research, development and testing of various prototypes, our dental wand was ready.

Dental wand is a one toy specifically designed to brush your cat's teeth.

It engages on your cat's instinctual behaviors to hunt and applies them to express the desired behaviors that we want, which is brushing of the teeth.

We began trading at the end of February this year.

We have sold 133 units so far and we have interest from large companies such as Pets at Home to work with them on their DTC offering.

There is huge demand for a solution like the dental wand.

And I believe that with the Dragon's help, we can make brushing enjoyable for the cats and the owners.

Thank you.

A device for cleaning moggy's molars as well as all their other teeth is the proposition from Inventa and cat parent Victor Carpio.

Victor is seeking £45,000 for a 10% share in his business.

You've reminded me of my cat Lilo there.

But will this toothbrush for tabbies have Stephen Bartlett purring with delight or showing his claws?

So Victor, can I, can I just check something?

Yeah.

So, I don't have a cat.

I'm trying to figure out why you need this long thing here and not just this if this is inherently tasty and compelling to my cat.

So, the reason you need the rod is because that's how you're going to reenact the movements of prey.

And that will engage your cat to go through the predatory sequence.

The predatory sequence is of observing, stalking, pouncing, chasing and biting.

And when they bite the dental wand, that's when the enzymatic cat toothpaste will be expelled.

If the cat was there, you'd think it would chase, it would chase that if you do that.

Then it'll catch it.

It'll catch it.

And then grab it and then bite on the corn on the cob dental thing and not the green.

How do you know it'll bite on the corner of the cob dental thing and not the green?

Because it just wants to hunt and.

Yeah, but why not the green thing?

Well, then it'll realize that it's a toothbrush.

Oh, so okay.

So you can use both, to be honest.

So we've had, sorry to interrupt you there.

And thank you for helping me explain.

You can use the, the worm to attach catnip to it, which will make the cat chase it, bite it and do what you want it to do.

Have I just broken it?

I don't know what happened.

Oh, okay.

Yeah, I believe so.

I'm sorry, that must have just been a faulty one.

I won't give it back, I'll just keep it here.

I'm sorry about that.

Anyways.

So, can I ask, I have got cats, I've had cats all my life.

I've got a scratch here from trying to worm the cat, let alone clean their teeth.

So, I really think it's neat.

Thank you.

So, can I ask, how much do they sell for?

£24.99.

And how much do they cost you to make?

£8.89.

And what do the alternatives to the actual teeth cleaner cost?

So toothbrushes go for around anywhere between £3 to £6.

And how much would a play wand cost?

Like a normal one?

Yeah.

Varies, £7, £9.

So what makes you think people are going to use this at £24.95?

So, the reason they'll spend money on this is because the products that they usually buy are a cat toothbrush because that's what the vet told them.

And I did the same, but it didn't work.

My cat was not engaging with it.

But I look at that and I think that's a £5 product with a cat teeth cleaner on it.

I make my own as well.

I just get a bit of stick or a bit of string to be perfect, a bit of wool.

Why do I just get a toothbrush and attach it and do the same thing?

The reason is the materials that the dental wand are made with.

It is non-toxic to cats and it is flexible enough to bend and not hurt cat's teeth which are already quite sensitive.

Because many cats already have gingivitis.

So if you make your own DIY one, you're risking the issue to actually cause damage to your cat's teeth.

I don't know that.

You'll find out because your cat's mouth is.

No, because I've bought it, because I look at it and it doesn't say here that that yellow thing is better and different than anything else that I can do.

I could buy that, tie a bit of wool around it, a bit of feather with it, dangle it a bit and for all of, you know, £5, have this amazing cat thing.

Then you bingo.

Victor, I quite like the wand though.

I think the wand is quite good.

Thank you.

Because you can still sit, I could sit in my chair.

With a piece of string, I've got to move it.

I don't got to do much just with this.

You could call it the Sonic Cat Wand.

But it doesn't make it up to a £24.95 product.

Victor, the way, the way around this is simple.

If you look at this, if you spend £2,000 or £3,000 on a mold on this, that'll cost you 30 pence.

We, we've got the tooling with.

Once you've got the tooling for that, that should be no more than 20, 30 pence.

You'll churn those out in the millions once you've got a mold.

Oh, it's love to, you know, if, if you've got the contacts then it would be amazing to work with you.

No, because that sounds really great, but at the moment I'm opening that door and I'm not seeing anything else.

No, there, there is.

You need to give me that vision.

What's the other products?

Is it all about the wand, is my question then?

No, there's another product which is about helping cats take their pills.

Okay, so another pill product.

Victor, I think personally, I'm really wanting to look at something a little bit bigger that has perhaps a wider opportunity.

So, for me, I'm going to say that I'm out.

Okay.

Victor, I've got a dog, Pablo, a little French bulldog.

And I, the problem is real.

I really want to make sure he's got good dental hygiene.

Of course.

So I've gone through a number of things.

He hates them all, but I get it done within three minutes.

On your leaflet, it says I have to do this seven play sessions with my cat to get it to brush its teeth.

For me, that means it doesn't work.

And outside of that, the design of this.

You disagree?

Yeah, you're not a cat owner.

You want to try a cat with claws and teeth coming at you when you're trying to put your finger in its mouth, you don't do it.

I'll assume that it works.

I'll assume it's the best available option in the market for dental hygiene then.

However, I think that from a product design and engineering perspective, it's got a long, long way to go.

The wand did break for me.

A lot of it feels cheap.

I think you're a little bit early for an investment.

So I'm going to say that I'm out.

Thank you.

Listen, I'll tell you where I'm at.

I haven't got a cat, but I've heard enough from Deborah.

You're going to tell me it's the best thing since sliced bread.

Her telling me it was the best thing since sliced bread is much more advocacy than you telling me.

I'm down with the product, absolutely am.

However, I can't reconcile the value of that product versus the price that you're paying for it.

And I can't, I can't see how to join the dots.

So I'm going to say it's not an investment for me today and I'm out.

That's okay.

So I, I really like it.

And I, I, there's something I like about you too.

Thank you.

You've designed a product that from, from what I can see, you know, I, that will go home and I will test that on my cats.

But I know my cat's pretty well, you know, and I, they'll engage with that and I can't get near their teeth.

But you have got a load of work to do here.

Getting the price down, getting a redesign, and actually getting you into, I know you might be having conversations with some of these big sheds, but actually getting that over the line and in store, not just online.

And I don't think you're going to be able to do any of that work without some help doing it.

So I am going to make you an offer.

Thank you.

But this is a baby business, this is a big risk.

That is going to be reflected in my evaluation.

So I'm going to offer you all of the money, but I want 40% of the business.

Okay.

Victor.

Yes.

Look, you've got elements here that could be a business.

And I have got some very good connections in the pet industry, especially one super chain.

All I'm saying really is I would match Deborah's offer, £45,000 for 40% of the business.

I think for me, I, I would be looking at this not just as this product.

The whole old care for cats or dogs eventually.

That's, that would be my thinking.

So I'm, I'm, you could say I'm backing you, your knowledge more than the product.

Okay.

Do you want to go to the wall?

Yeah, thank you.

Victor now has two rival offers on the table with Deborah Meaden and Touker Suleyman each prepared to part with £45,000 for a 40% share in his business.

Quadruple the equity he wanted to part with.

The fact that both that I got offers today is an honor.

So thank you so much.

I think I'm going to have to go with you, Deborah.

You're going to have to go with me.

I want to go, I'm so sorry.

Do you want to say that all over again?

I will, I will.

Let me, let me even walk back.

I'm here, I'm, show me that level of, go on.

Okay.

I'm so sorry.

Thank you so much for your offers.

It's honestly an honor and a privilege to just be standing here.

I want to go with you, Deborah.

Yay.

Excellent.

Well done, you.

Thank you so much.

If you hear any screaming, it's good screaming.

Victory for Victor, who leaves the den with £45,000, having secured the backing of fellow feline fan, Deborah Meaden.

Well done, Deborah.

Sometimes you just look at somebody and their product and think, you know what, that is going to be a nice business.

Well done, Deborah.

Man, that was, oh, that was insane.

I loved it.

So surreal.

I'm really thankful that I'm working with Deborah.

She is the one I wanted.