FC Bayern star Harry Kane and DHDL judge Frank Thelen both rely on porridge

Harry Kane is to pave the way for the startup 3Bears into the British market.

In the current episode of The Lion's Den, there is a reunion with a well-known startup and a surprising guest from the world of football: Bayern striker Harry Kane appears as a brand ambassador for 3Bears and meets investor Frank Thelen, who invested in the porridge startup on the show in 2017.

In Season 18, DHDL looks back on particularly successful deals of the past few years, including Caroline and Tim Nichols' startup. Kane, who has played for FC Bayern Munich since summer 2023, promotes 3Bears' oat products in the retrospective episode.

But the British international's appearance on the startup show isn't just for entertainment. The collaboration with Kane is strategic: 3Bears is planning to enter the UK market – a market that, according to Thelen, is "not easy to crack" despite shared breakfast traditions. With a superstar like Harry Kane on board, however, the chances are better, especially in marketing and brand building.

In a previous interview with Gründerszene, co-founder Caroline Nichols said: “With Harry as our brand ambassador, we are also taking on the hurdles of Brexit.”

Before his DHDL appearance, Kane was already the face of 3Bears. On his Instagram account, which has over 17.6 million followers, the striker recently published a collaborative post. In it, Kane blindly touches food and objects: a cereal bowl, a snake, and a mushroom. Anyone who purchases a 3Bears product and uploads the receipt can win a meet & greet with the footballer. The clip received over 22,000 likes – significantly fewer than Kane's usual posts, which regularly generate six-figure views. Nevertheless, for a startup like 3Bears, it's a massive reach boost.

The collaboration with the footballer was announced in September 2024 with an Instagram video . In it, Kane walks into 3Bears' Munich office unannounced, asks for his desk space, and says he hopes breakfast is included in his employment contract. The whole thing, Stromberg-style.

According to the founding couple, Kane's appointment as brand ambassador was no coincidence. Caroline and Tim Nichols moved from Great Britain to Munich – just like Kane. "My husband Tim has been a football fan since he was four years old," says Caroline Nichols. "Football has always been a part of our everyday lives." And: Athletes pay attention to their diet, so porridge fits perfectly into their concept.

3Bears was founded in late 2015. A year later, Caroline and Tim Nichols pitched on The Lion's Den and convinced Judith Williams. Frank Thelen later joined as an investor. Since then, the startup has established itself in retail, both online and in brick-and-mortar stores.

With its entry into the British market and a prominent brand ambassador like Harry Kane, 3Bears is now expanding internationally and demonstrating how far a pitch in the lion's den can take them.