Harry Kane als Investor: 3Bears-Gründerin Caroline Nichols (#818)

13 Jul 2025 · 60 min
OMR Podcast

13 Jul 2025 · 60 min

0:00

In this OMR Podcast episode, host Philipp Westermeyer interviews Caroline Nichols, co‑founder of Three Bears, a German brand that sells ready‑to‑eat porridge, overnight oats and cereal products. Caroline recounts her personal journey from studying cultural studies in Passau, through a market‑research role at Tesco in London, to spotting a rapid growth trend in "hot cereals" and deciding to launch a premium, fruit‑sweetened porridge in Germany. She describes the early bootstrapping phase with a €10,000 personal investment, DIY product development, and leveraging press coverage to gain the first retail listings. The conversation covers the branding process (initially "Mottkorn" then "Three Bears"), the first production partnership with a small baker, and the launch of an online shop on Shopify/Squarespace. Caroline explains the strategic appearance on the TV show "Die Höhle der Löwen", where the company sold 30 % equity for €150,000 to Frank Thelen and Juliette Williams, gaining massive media exposure. She details subsequent growth to €15‑16 million annual revenue, a roughly 30 % year‑on‑year increase, and a balanced 50/50 online‑offline sales mix. The interview delves into the recent minority equity investment by football star Harry Kane (≈5 % stake) and co‑branded cereal launch, as well as other football‑player investors. Caroline outlines the current distribution network (Edeka, Albert Heijn in the Netherlands, other German chains) and the importance of influencer marketing, press, and Meta ads. She discusses product differentiation (Nutri‑Score A/B, fruit‑based sweetening, overnight oats), the couple’s internal role split (Caroline on brand, sales, product; Tim on finance, logistics), and the decision to stay bootstrapped while considering a future funding round. Future plans include deeper internationalisation, new product categories, a subscription model, and scaling the team. The episode also contains sponsor reads for Qonto, Hiscox, eGym, and Scalable Capital.

Chapters

More from Mario

1:10:52
Podcast

Ihr Essay kennt sogar der Kanzler: Langdock-CEO Judith Dada (#949)

2d ago
1:09:34
Podcast

Haben Business-Hemden eine Zukunft, Frank Seidensticker? (#948)

5d ago
1:15:15
Podcast

Er baut ein deutsches Roboter-Unicorn: RobCo-Gründer Roman Hölzl (#947)

1w ago
1:16:34
Podcast

Fitnessgeräte für Denzel Washington und Co.: Gym80-CEO Simal Yilmaz (#946)

1w ago
9:18
Podcast

Special: "Dein Ernst" mit Benjamin von Stuckrad-Barre

1w ago
1:14:00
Podcast

Vom Hafenarbeiter zum Milliarden-Textilimperium: Tom-Tailor-Gründer Uwe Schröder (#945)

2w ago
44:09
Podcast

"Plötzlich saß ich neben Peter Thiel": Philipps Recap (#944)

2w ago
1:16:59
Podcast

OMR Classic: Wiesn-Wirt Michael Käfer

3w ago
1:11:30
Podcast

Der Mann, der Krebs heilen will: Qiagen-Gründer Karsten Henco (#942)

3w ago
1:02:18
Podcast

Vom Buchclub zum KI-Investor: Bertelsmann-Vorstand Carsten Coesfeld (#939)

1mo ago
1:18:05
Podcast

600 km Wüste & 8-stelliger Umsatz: Extremsportler Arda Saatci (#937)

1mo ago
See all content