Key takeaways:
Charmy Pet is a young pet nutrition company that appeared in the 17th season of Dragons Den Canada. We make single-ingredient, natural treats and chews for dogs and Charmy products are available in over 100 stores all over Canada.

On the show, the company’s founders Zach and Senia struck a deal with Manjit Minhas, the “beer baroness” Dragon from Alberta. Now, Charmy is focused on using the funds to introduce a one-of-a-kind pet food powered by Eastern superherbs - “When East Meets West”.

Find out more about Charmy Pet’s experience in the Den 

1. Why did Charmy want to go on Dragons Den?

2. What was the process like from application to filming?

3. What hurdles did you face when preparing for this pitch?

4. What did we do to prepare?

5. How was the experience filming in front of Canadians and multimillionaires? 

6. Did we secure a deal?

It All Starts with a Dream...

Every Canadian entrepreneur dreams of pitching on Dragons’ Den Canada. Wanna know what our experience was like being featured on Season 17 of this hit business TV show?

Why did Charmy want to go on Dragons Den?

As a young Canadian entrepreneur, Zach had been a big fan of the show ever since his highschool days in Richmond Hill, Ontario. Zach would stay up to watch reruns of the show playing on CBC with late Kimi (his dog) every night. His black leather notebook (one just like the Dragons) always came handy for jotting down free business advice from Canada’s top entrepreneurs. 


His passion for business and anything business-related made him fall in love with the show. The dream to go to Dragons’ Den started very early on for Zach and us (Charmy team). As early as 2020. 


But we waited until the company gained more traction before applying to be in the den. By 2021, we felt like we were ready to apply. Zach wanted a chance to talk with the Dragons about an incredible opportunity for the sake of better pet lives. He wanted to know if any of the Dragons would share in his vision. 

Also, it was a great chance to let millions of Canadian dog owners know that we can help them in the nutritional journey with their pets.

What was the process like from application to filming?

The application process was one that felt long and nerve-wrecking. Just like 2000+ other companies we handed our application in October  2021. Zach and Senia filmed a short video pitch to accompany our written pitch, so that the producers could get a feel for the personality of the company’s founders and their ultimate mission. 

After a few months of not hearing anything back, we were convinced they weren’t interested in our company. But turns out due to COVID, the invitations for a live interview were being handed out later than usual. Zach and Senia met with a producer from the show who listened to their pitch and gave them her best Dragon impression by asking the tough questions.

Thankfully, the producer shared in the enthusiasm that Zach and Senia brought and Charmy was accepted to tape a live episode in May 2022. But even after we filmed, we weren’t guaranteed to be aired on live TV. So the whole process has been a waiting game that has finally come to a wonderful finale!

What hurdles did you face when preparing for this pitch?

Both Zach and Senia immigrated to Canada to pursue higher education and start their dream pet business. A big challenge they faced when preparing was the language barrier. As English is their second language, pitching to a room full of investors in that language was going to be a hurdle. 

However with determination, the team practiced their pitch day-in and day-out leading up to the auditions and refined it even more for the taping date. Every evening after Charmy work, Zach and Senia would watch past episodes of Dragons Den to make a list of questions the Dragons could possibly ask. All this hard work surely paid off at the end as the team went into the Den feeling highly prepared for anything that the Dragons would throw at them!

What did we do to prepare?

Zach and Senia knew the importance of preparing for this show. This was their chance and they couldn’t afford to mess up on live TV in front of millions.

So they practiced. A lot.

Here’s what they did;

1. Practice their opening pitch every day leading up to the audition and taping.
2. Recording and rewatching videos to fine tune their mistakes 
3. Pitch in front of Zach and Senia’s parents (not sure if they fully understood what’s going on)
4. Present in front of the DMZ staff and answer their fiery questions

How was the experience filming in front of Canadians and multimillionaires?

As we expected, CBC did a great job of organizing the show. Up until it was our time to film, many of the staff supported us in getting all the materials for the pitch ready. Zach and Senia entered the Den right after the Dragons had lunch, so they were hoping they would be in a good mood.

The taping began and they presented Charmy and why they started on this mission. A quick hour went by and the Charmy team exited the Den to be met by a camera crew asking for their post-pitch thoughts.

Zach and Senia admitted that although the bright lights and cameras can be intimidating, they felt fine once the pitch got started. The Dragons were just regular smart people who knew business well. And just like on TV they are super energetic and always willing to have fun. All of them were squealing with joy when they saw cute dogs make an entrance into the Den.

Did we secure a deal?

The answer to this has been ordered to be kept under wraps for a while now. Are you interested in knowing about this? 

Find out if Zach and Senia’s trip to the Den was successful by watching the full pitch here.