13 Fan-Fave Canadian Products That Started On "Dragon's Den," Canada's Version Of "Shark Tank" — And Totally Put American Products To Shame
With the ongoing (will they or won't they) tariffs hitting Canada, lots of us have become laser-focused on buying local. And this sounds difficult on the surface, but as it turns out, there are TONS of Canadian companies that made it big — and that are worth supporting.
More often than you'd think, a mega-successful Canadian company started on Dragon's Den — AKA our version of Shark Tank (although Dragon's Den did come first, I'll have you know).
So to spread the love for Canadian businesses, I've compiled a list of some big brands that actually started on Dragon's Den. Here we go!
1. SAXX Underwear
CBC / Via youtube.com
What is it? SAXX is an underwear brand, but they also sell swimwear and other clothes.
What episode? Season 2, Episode 7
Did they get a deal? Nope! But the episode totally transformed SAXX and made them a huge name.
2. Smart Sweets
CBC / Via youtube.com
3. Knixwear
What is it? Knix started as a leak-proof period underwear brand, but they now sell all kinds of undergarments and clothes.
What episode? Season 9, Episode 3
Did they get a deal? Indeed! The founder and president, Joanna Griffiths, left with $300,000 for 20% of the company — also from Jim Treliving.
4. Balzac's Coffee Roasters
CBC / Via cbc.ca
What is it? Balzac's is a coffee shop with locations all over Ontario. It's pretty stunning, if you ask me, and their drinks are to die for.
What episode? Season 6, Episode 1
Did they get a deal? Yes! The founder made a deal with Arlene Dickinson. She got her exact offer of $350K for 20%.
5. Endy Sleep
CBC / Via Facebook: endy
What is it? A mattress company, known to be one of the most successful companies on Dragon's Den! They're now owned by Sleep Country Canada.
What episode? Season 12, Episode 6
Did they get a deal? Yes, with three dragons! They got $1 million for 7.5%, which is the biggest deal in the show's history.
6. Hush Blankets
CBC / Via cbc.ca
What is it? Hush Blankets now sells all kinds of sleep-related products — bedding, sheets, mattresses, you name it — but the product they showcased on Dragon's Den is their weighted blanket. They're also owned by Sleep Country Canada now.
What episode? Season 14, Episode 4
Did they get a deal? All of the investors were in, and they ended up accepting $400K for 8% from Jim Treliving and Lane Merrifield. Not only did they get two investors, but they also got it for 2% less than their original offer!
7. OMG Delicious
CBC / Via cbc.ca
What is it? This one is a chocolate candy company. They make delicious loaded clusters — and they're pretty addictive, TBH.
What episode? Season 6, Episode 16
Did they get a deal? Yes! They got $250K for 50% of the company, partnering with Arlene Dickinson.
8. Holy Crap
CBC / Via cbc.ca
What is it? Holy Crap is an organic cereal brand that specializes in high-fibre options.
What episode? Season 5, Episode 7
Did they get a deal? Yes, they did! The founders accepted Jim Treliving's deal of $120K for 20% of the company.
9. FixMeStick
CBC / Via youtube.com
10. PUR Gum
CBC / Via youtube.com
What is it? Gum! But "better for you" gum, because it's aspartame-free, gluten-free, and a whole lot healthier.
What episode? Season 9, Episode 20
Did they get a deal? They got $1 million dollars from Arlene Dickinson and Jim Treliving, in exchange for 15% of the business.
11. Awake Chocolate
CBC / Via cbc.ca
What is it? Caffeinated chocolate. Every bar of chocolate is equivalent to a cup of coffee! As someone who hates the taste of coffee, this makes me feel seen.
What episode? Season 7, Episode 15
Did they get a deal? Yes, with Kevin O'Leary and David Chilton. They gave him 20% for $200K...with 7.5% royalty until the capital is returned. Don't ask me what that last part means, though.
12. Mistura Beauty
CBC / Via cbc.ca
What is it? Mistura Beauty sells a six-in-one beauty powder. It works as foundation, concealer, blush, bronzer, lipstick, and eyeshadow.
What episode? Season 4, Episode 1
Did they get a deal? The founder, Andie, got $200K for 25% from W. Brett Wilson!
13. Flytographer
CBC / Financial Post / Via youtube.com
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
3 hours ago
- USA Today
Wildfire smoke, shark pardons and lost 401(k) accounts: Your week in review
Wildfire smoke, shark pardons and lost 401(k) accounts: Your week in review Show Caption Hide Caption Smoke drifting into US from Canada wildfires could impact health Smoke from wildfires in Canada has drifted into Montana, the Dakotas, Minnesota, Midwestern and East Coast states, and as far south as Florida. Canadian wildfire smoke hangs over U.S. Skies were looking milky across much of the United States for days as smoke from wildfires raging in Canada drifted into northern and Midwestern states and dipped even as far south as Florida. The Dakotas, Iowa and most of Minnesota and Wisconsin were under air quality alerts, and the haze hung over major cities including New York, Washington, Philadelphia and Boston. More than 200 wildfires were burning in Canada as of June 3, and more than half were classified as "out of control," Canadian forest fire authorities said. More news about our planet: Sign up for USA TODAY's Climate Point newsletter. Trump pardons Florida divers who freed sharks Presidential pardons have often sparked controversy, but Donald Trump's latest gesture had some teeth to it. Trump granted full clemency to two Florida divers, John Moore Jr. and Tanner Mansell, who were convicted of theft for cutting 19 sharks free from a fisherman's longline in 2020. They had assumed the gear was illegal; it turns out it belonged to a vessel permitted by the federal government to harvest sandbar sharks for research. "Whether people believe in his politics or not, he chose to pardon me ... and only ever wanted to help," Mansell said in a text. "I can't help but feel extremely grateful." A fortune sits in 'lost' 401(k) accounts You might think it would be hard to forget almost $60,000. But at least $1.7 trillion is wasting away in forgotten 401(k) accounts, the financial firm Capitalize found, and the average lost balance is $56,616. How does that happen? People who leave a job "usually have a bunch of things going on,' said David John of the AARP Public Policy Institute, and simply lose track. (More than 47 million Americans quit their jobs in the Great Resignation of 2021.) And someone who leaves a job after only a year or two might be especially prone to overlook a modest balance − which, thanks to the magic of tax-free investment growth, eventually turns into a big balance. Loretta Swit, 'M*A*S*H's beloved 'Hot Lips,' dies Fans, friends and co-stars were remembering Loretta Swit, who starred as Major Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan through all 11 seasons of TV's hugely popular Korean War dramedy "M*A*S*H" and gave depth and strength to a character who began as an oversexed blond stereotype. Swit, 87, died May 30. "More than acting her part, she created it," star Alan Alda, 89, posted on X. Jamie Farr, 90, who played Corporal Maxwell Q. Klinger, told USA TODAY she was his "adopted sister … as close as family can get." The cast was a tight-knit group through the years, Swit once said: "We might as well be joined at the hip." Close isn't good enough for the New York Knicks Some teams just want to win NOW. Maybe that's why the New York Knicks fired coach Tom Thibodeau, stunning much of the basketball world, just days after the franchise flirted with the NBA Finals for the first time in 25 years before falling to the Indiana Pacers. Not bad for a team that had won just 21 games in the 2019-20 season before Thibodeau took over. The Knicks might be forgiven for being a little impatient after their magical run, however: They have not won a title since 1973. (The NBA Finals, with the Pacers facing the Oklahoma City Thunder, tipped off June 5). − Compiled by Robert Abitbol, USA TODAY copy chief
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Students face tough job market this summer
Statistics Canada said student unemployment was at a three-year high heading into the summer job season. CBC's Jayden Dill spoke to young people and employers about the search for work.
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
Canada's Triumph is celebrated on a 14-song tribute album
Canada's Triumph is celebrated on a 14-song tribute album originally appeared on Goldmine. Round Hill Records has released the double vinyl album Magic Power: All-Star Tribute to Triumph, with 14 songs from 14 rock vocalists, paying tribute to the Canadian band, produced by Mike Clink and mixed by John Spiker. VARIOUS ARTISTS Magic Power: All-Star Tribute to Triumph Round Hill Records (2-LP, CD, digital) Canada's Triumph began as a trio in 1975 with Rik Emmett on guitar and vocals, Mike Levine on bass and Gil Moore on drums and vocals. After four mid-to-late '70s singles in Canada, the group broke through in the U.S. with their fifth single, 1979's Top 40 debut 'Hold On.' Jeff Keith of Telsa delivers the encouraging lyrics and emotional bridge. Triumph's next single 'Lay It on the Line,' also from their third album 1979's Play the Game, charted in the Top 100 but failed to crack the Top 40. In his 2023 Goldmine interview Emmett shared, ''Hold On' received AM radio airplay, edited to make it shorter, and 'Lay It on the Line' received FM airplay, as AM wouldn't play something that heavy in those days. As a result of that, we became an FM AOR (Album Oriented Rock) band with RCA needing to promote our Just a Game album with FM AOR stations for it to become successful, and it worked, becoming our first gold album in the U.S.' Dee Snider of Twisted Sister brings his powerful voice to 'Lay It on the Line' joined by Kyle Glass and John Spiker on background vocals, electrifying guitar from Paul Gilbert, and thunderous drums from Victor Indrizzo. The title tune for this tribute album is 'Magic Power.' Emmett stated, ''Magic Power' has that pure Pete Townshend Who stuff. You can't copyright chord progressions, but in the classic rock canon, that chord progression pretty much belongs to Pete. Who's Next was a very formative album for me as a teenager in the 1970s, so I was tapping into that when coming up with 'Magic Power.'' Joey Belladonna of Tesla hits the high vocal notes, surrounded by strong guitar, bass, and drums from Justin Derrico, Todd Kerns, and Kenny Aronoff, respectively. 1981's 'Magic Power' was the first of three U.S. Top 100 singles for Triumph in the '80s, followed by 1985's 'Follow Your Heart,' performed here by Jack Blades of Night Ranger, along with a fluid lead guitar from Reb Beach of Whitesnake, Winger, and Black Swan. Triumph's highest charting U.S. hit was 'Somebody's Out There,' which reached No. 27 in 1986, the year that Rick Sanders joined Triumph on keyboards. The song is performed by keyboardist and vocalist Lawrence Gowan, who had a Canadian radio hit the following year with 'Moonlight Desires,' joined by Yes' Jon Anderson on harmony vocals. Gowan is currently on tour with Styx, who he joined in 1999. On this new recording, Dave Amato's guitar helps to propel the track. Jason Scheff, who was a key member of the band Chicago from 1985 through 2016, heard on the Top 10 hits 'Will You Still Love Me?,' 'I Don't Want to Live Without Your Love,' 'Look Away,' 'You're Not Alone,' and one he co-wrote, 'What Kind of Man Would I Be?,' sings 'Just One Night.' Scheff's recognizable voice shines, 'hold on to love just one night.' Phil X, who joined Triumph in 1992, is heard on guitar. Scheff is currently on the Lead Singers of Classic Rock tour with Tommy DeCarlo, the most recent lead singer for the band Boston, along with members of Dennis DeYoung's band. Scheff told Goldmine that there will be more dates to be added to the tour. 'Never Surrender' is performed by Deen Castronovo, the drummer for Bad English and now Journey. Castronovo enthusiastically told Goldmine, 'Never surrender was one of the coolest songs that Triumph recorded! It was totally different from the music they had previously written. Had it not been for Triumph's Gil Moore singing and drumming, there would be no singing and drumming Deen Castronovo! Also, Rik's vocals on that song are astronomically high. I was given a shot after Jason Scheff recommended me for the project. It was not an easy feat by any stretch, but I did my best and hope that the listeners will like how it came out!' Castronovo's high vocal notes and rasp recall Rod Stewart's most powerful moments, focusing on his voice while Brooks Wackerman handles drum duties on this funky number. 'Had it not been for Triumph's Gil Moore singing and drumming, there would be no singing and drumming Deen Castronovo!' – Deen Castronovo of Journey Emmett stated, ''Fight the Good Fight' started out as a folk song. I sat with an acoustic guitar to write the tune.' Heart's Nancy Wilson, who was a Canadian resident in the early days of Heart and Triumph, engagingly sings, 'I keep my magic in my heart,' joined by a haunting guitar from Mason Stoors and steady drums from Tony Braunegel. Wilson provides her own harmony vocals, recalling the warmth of Heart's 1976 debut album Dreamboat Annie. Another stellar female vocalist heard on this tribute album is Maiah Wynne performing 'Blinding Light Show' with her band Envy of None, who have the Canadian classic rock nucleus of Rush's Alex Lifeson on guitar and Coney Hatch's Andy Curran on bass, and have just released their sophomore album Stygian Waves. In the Goldmine Spring 2025 issue, Lifeson shared, 'Maiah was 19 when we started out with her, and she's what, 27 now? She's brilliant, bordering on genius at times. She's really evolved and matured a lot as a singer, lyricist, and songwriter. She's just amazing.' Related Links: Goldmine 2023 interview with Triumph's Rik Emmett on acoustic album Get related music and more in our Goldmine store (see below): Click here for the Goldmine store This story was originally reported by Goldmine on Jun 6, 2025, where it first appeared.
