Thus, the "Die Höhle der Löwen Schweiz" Pitches Could Take Place Even During the Pandemic

Relai, Amplify, Sleepiz - as different as the products of these three start-ups are, they all have one thing in common: their compelling appearance on the popular founders' television show "Die Höhle der Löwen Schweiz". With their innovative ideas and convincing pitches, the founders were able to convince well-known investors Roland Brack, Anja Graf, Bettina Hein, and Tobias Reichmuth as well as Lukas Speiser, Patrick Mollet, and Jürg Schwarzenbach. The popular television format, which thrives on the personal presentations of the founders in front of the lions, continued to be produced successfully during the Corona pandemic. But how was it possible to maintain the TV format without restrictions?

Founders voluntarily enter the lion's den

With this question, the producers at CH Media, the largest private national TV provider in Switzerland, faced a challenge in spring 2021. Amidst the Corona pandemic and its accompanying restrictions such as mask mandates, social distancing rules, on-set personnel restrictions, and travel restrictions, the media company's operations had to continue. After all, even during this time, over 1.1 million viewers on eight national and five regional channels were to be entertained. In addition to their own TV shows, the over 2,000 employees of CH Media also wanted to ensure the continuations of TV franchises, including "Die Höhle der Löwen Schweiz".

The studio shoots usually run very regimented and uncomplicated. At "Die Höhle der Löwen Schweiz", promising founders present their business ideas and products to an entrepreneurial jury in order to get an investment for their companies. After various inquiries from the entrepreneurs about the products, the established business plan, past successes and future plans of the start-up, often tough negotiations about the amount of investment and the corresponding share in the company follow. If the founders can convince the lions with their idea, they can leave the lion's den with a deal.

This changes abruptly with the Covid-19 pandemic. Because the show is popular beyond Switzerland's borders and founders from various European countries pitch their ideas in the studio. The international popularity now turned into a challenge: "We had big problems with our entrepreneurs living abroad, because they naturally wanted to present their ideas in the lion's den", explains Miriam Martino, producer of "Die Höhle der Löwen Schweiz".

But challenges are nothing new in the TV and entertainment industry. Even in the past, creative solutions had to be created time and again to meet the changing times and meet the needs of the viewers at home screens. This is how the producers succeeded through a collaboration between CH Media and the collaboration and video conferencing software provider Webex by Cisco. In addition to Video conferencing solutions and mobile collaboration tools, which are included in the Webex Suite, the company Webex offers a large portfolio of software and hardware products. But how can Webex by Cisco, a software for online collaboration with virtual meeting rooms and screen sharing functions, help with the production of a TV show?

Remote solutions for TV recordings

The answer is: through industry-leading solutions in the field of digital technology. This includes not only the function of video conferencing and calls but also the use of appropriate video end devices. The producers of "Die Höhle der Löwen Schweiz" decided to integrate the Webex Board, a smart whiteboard with a video screen, and the Cisco Webex Desk Pro, an all-in-one collaboration and productivity device with a 27-inch 4K display, integrated sound system, and multiple microphones including noise suppression, into the show.

The challenge in integrating additional devices is that founders should not be at a disadvantage through their virtual pitch compared to the participants on site. In particular, sound and image problems can thus be prevented. The experience for the viewers in front of the TV should also not suffer a setback but continue to excite for the innovative ideas. At this point, the know-how and technical expertise of Webex came into play. With ultra-high-resolution image quality, intelligent audio features, and touchscreen capability of the devices, Webex enabled the founders to participate in the show in a modern and safe way - without affecting the broadcasting quality.

Entrepreneurs with their main place of residence outside Switzerland could be switched live into the show at the start of their pitches and present their ideas remotely. This opportunity for digital collaboration has been provided by Webex for years in companies, schools, and universities. Webex makes it its mission to support teachers and tutors in conducting their teaching units through interactive whiteboard, chat and VOIP technology that allows shared use of audio and video.

Participation in an online live pitch, across the high-quality devices of Webex, in the show was experienced by the start-up s'Fachl. In the TV show, the founders present a store concept that allows store operators to present their products flexibly in their premises. This includes the rental of fruit crates, which makes an individual and attention-grabbing product presentation possible. One of the founders could not be present live, but thanks to the hybrid format, he was still able to partake in this important moment for his start-up.

The provider Webex improves the technical quality of presentations with its video and collaboration tool Webex Suite, even when several entrepreneurs cannot be present in the Swiss studio but sit together in front of the screen. With the audio function "Optimize for all Voices", all participants can be understood as well as the person directly in front of the microphone. The new situation and integration of the Webex Board and the Webex Desk Pro initially required a rethink and the acceptance of new ways from all involved. At the same time, it embraced the core concept of the show, as the hybrid events became even easier to handle and gained a high-quality and innovative character. "Innovation is very important - it's behind everything we do at "Die Höhle der Löwen". Webex supported us in bringing this innovation in front of the cameras by their innovative solutions and thus keeping the entrepreneurial spirit alive. For this reason, I can well imagine that the use of Webex will continue to be a part of CH Media in the future", Miriam Martino expressed her thoughts on the third successful season of DHDL.

Internationality and inclusion

In the future, the innovative solutions from Webex could enable even more founders to participate in DHDL. Through real-time translation and real-time transcription, it would be possible to offer international founder teams and also entrepreneurs with hearing impairment a place in the popular TV show. This would advance the integration of Webex products to promote collaborative and barrier-free exchange and contribute to more internationality and inclusion. Also within teams that do not have their main place of residence in the same country, a video and collaboration tool can improve the exchange. The positive design of new interpersonal relationships is at the center of Webex by Cisco - from product design to internal and external engagement. This is also evident in the product functions that make pure online meetings or hybrid events possible.

Through the planned collaboration with Webex, CH Media highlights a trend that has already become increasingly apparent in recent years. The growing culture of remote work in companies is a strong driver of growth in the market for collaboration software and hardware. However, the Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated this development considerably. Because companies, like the Swiss media company CH Media, were able to recognize through pandemic-related restrictions that changes do not have to be a necessary evil but can accelerate innovations and represent a decisive competitive factor. The positive experiences that entrepreneurs collect in the form of more productive, needs-oriented work of their employees who are still networked at all times through the use of collaboration tools, this trend will continue in the coming years. The user-friendly app offers an efficient and seamless way of working together. This allows founders and employees to focus on what they do best: Ensuring smooth operation within the company, building and maintaining relationships with investors and customers. It leaves time to develop innovative ideas and thus generate growth for their company.