Carsten Maschmeyer criticizes founder's appearance on ‘Die Höhle der Löwen’

During an appearance on the television show ‘Die Höhle der Löwen’, investor Carsten Maschmeyer drew criticism for making personal remarks regarding the appearance of startup founder Leonie Steinhauer. While Steinhauer and her mother, Ines Frey, intended to pitch their startup HyEx—a company offering a product designed to dissolve hyaluronic acid fillers—the discussion shifted toward Steinhauer’s cosmetic procedures.

Maschmeyer commented that Steinhauer’s aesthetic enhancements did not look natural and suggested she take a break from such procedures. He also made a sarcastic remark questioning if she should use her own product on herself.

Steinhauer later addressed the incident on TikTok, stating that the comments were hurtful and that the focus should have remained on the business and product rather than her face. She noted that her interest in the field stemmed from personal experiences with complications following lip treatments.