A SCOTS-BASED engineer has scooped £120,000 from the Dragons’ Den for a game to tackle child obesity.
Theo Paphitis and Peter Jones invested £60,000 each for a 50 per cent stake in Ralf Klinnert’s Funky Moves firm.
They backed Ralf, who is originally from Germany, after giving him a two-hour grilling, part of which was screened on last night’s edition of the BBC2 show.
As he shook hands on the deal with his new partner, Theo heaped praise on the entrepreneur and said: “Ralf gave a really strong pitch for his innovative business. Peter and I felt like young boys in a toyshop about to choose a new game which we couldn’t wait to try.”
Funky Moves consists of cones, similar to traffic cones, packed with wireless sets which activate various games modes.
One game involves participants running between the cones following a sequence of flashing lights and sounds.
The concept stimulates memory, attention and coordination, while improving agility and fitness.
Ralf said: “I thought I had lost it a couple of times, especially after three of the Dragons had pulled out.
“Then Theo said he liked the product and Peter got out of his chair, played with the cones and said I had a fantastic product.
“They both offered £60,000 for a 25 per cent stake each in the company and I eventually agreed.
“That was an ecstatic moment. This was the breakthrough that makes all the hard work and struggle worthwhile.”
Part of the £120,000 investment will be used to develop Funky Moves, based in the Alba Innovation Centre, Livingston, West Lothian, into a mass consumer product.
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