Frank Thelen tears apart DHDL founders: 'Do you think we're stupid?'

TVS News AI, editorially supervised, presents Frank Thelen tears apart DHDL founders: 'Do you think we're stupid?'.

In "Die Höhle der Löwen," it's usually about getting founders excited about their vision. What happens when an investor finds a pitch truly off the mark is shown in the current episode with startup Heiontec. That's where Frank Thelen lost his temper – and he made himself very clear.

When a pitch goes off the rails on the Vox show, the lions often switch into lecture mode. Not so with Frank Thelen. He did acknowledge that the Heiontec founders' company could become a "billion-dollar business." But what followed was anything but a love letter.

What happened with Heiontec?

Heiontec appeared on the show – and Frank Thelen apparently recognized the potential behind the product. Nevertheless, he became increasingly agitated during the pitch. In the end, he let his anger run free and spoke of a "botched pitch."

Do you think we're stupid?

Focus headlines with exactly this accusation. Thelen "folded up" the founders, as the magazine writes. The assessment is correspondingly harsh.

That is really weak!

Bunte picks up the scene with a different punchline – but comes to the same conclusion: Thelen "dressed down" the Heiontec founders, according to the people magazine.

Why the contradiction?

Notable: Both sources report in agreement that Thelen fundamentally sees the potential of the company. A billion-dollar market, a strong idea – so much for one side. At the same time, he tears apart the founders' actual performance in front of the cameras. This mix of appreciation and anger apparently makes the scene a talking point.

What does this mean for the show?

"Die Höhle der Löwen" lives off such moments. An investor who fundamentally likes an idea but despairs at the founders' performance – that provides fodder for discussion. Even if it remains unclear in the end whether there was a deal: Heiontec's appearance is memorable.