KERKINI founder secures €150,000 on Dragons’ Den

Vasilis Tsikes, founder of the company KERKINI, secured a €150,000 investment on the television show Dragons’ Den. Originally seeking €95,000 for a 5% stake in his company, which values the business at €1.9 million, Tsikes ultimately accepted a deal for 15% equity.

The investment was provided by a group of three investors: Maria Chatzistefani, Haris Vafeas, and Eleftheria Zourou, each contributing €50,000 for a 5% share. The deal faced a last-minute challenge when investors Giannis Tsiouris and Kostas Chalkias presented a competing offer, but Tsikes chose to remain with the original trio.

Based in Serres, Greece, KERKINI specializes in laundry detergent in the form of thin sheets, offering an alternative to traditional liquid or powder detergents. Tsikes, who previously worked for multinational detergent companies in London, developed the product's composition and packaging himself.