BAIE VERTE, N.L. — Baie Verte physiotherapist Michael Shelley is taking the fire he has for a foam roller he co-invented to the Dragon’s Den.
After Ross O’Keefe of St. John’s proposed the concept to him last year, the owner of Body Works Fitness and Physiotherapy went to work with his business partner to create what would eventually be known and produced as Nexxbar.
Nexxbar is a new take on the foam self-massagers people use for muscle recovery following a workout.
The product has undergone a soft launch in Newfoundland and Labrador to test it prior to mass production the inventors hope is forthcoming. Shelley says all indications are the unique foam roller prototype is, and will continue to be, a success.
Previous coverage:
Baie Verte physiotherapist partners on new invention called Nexxbar
St. John's man invents Nexxbar, a self-therapy took for neck, shoulder, back, hip and leg pain
Despite garnering attention from companies worldwide on its progress toward mass production, when Dragons’ Den — a CBC television show in which aspiring entrepreneurs in need of investment pitch their ideas to venture capitalists (dragons) — auditions came to St. John’s in March, Shelley thought it was too good an opportunity to pass up.
“Along the way, right from the very beginning when this started to get developed and we had talked to people about it, I have been asked — no lie — every day when I would be going on Dragons’ Den or that I should go on Dragons’ Den,” Shelley said. “There was no plan, but it was always, you never know.”
After auditioning, they were chosen to go to the den. They will be filming their episode for Season 13 on May 14 in Toronto. Shelley is confident and excited about the opportunity to get in front of the six dragons.
“We are certainly very optimistic going into the den that we will get a deal,” he said.
Making their pitch will be Canadian Olympic gymnast Ellie Black. She has signed on as an ambassador of Nexxbar, and will be going to the den with the team.
Shelley says it will be important to them to get a deal in which they maintain most of the control and profitability of the product.
“We are going in with an actual dollar value of what we are worth, and our ask is going to be based exactly on what we are worth,” he said. "We are certainly trying to get a deal, but if we don’t, it won’t be detrimental to us. We are not going to be too upset if we don’t get a deal because we are getting national exposure here with Canada’s best female gymnast by our side.”
The physiotherapist does recognize the opportunity now before them to potentially gain the knowledge and contacts of one of the dragons to lead them to the next level toward mass production of Nexxbar.
