Ralf Dümmel Launches New Television Series 'Die Millionenidee'

Entrepreneur and investor Ralf Dümmel is launching a brand-new television program titled "Die Millionenidee" on SAT.1. Unlike traditional startup pitching shows, the new format does not require contestants to have an existing company, a detailed business plan, or a finished prototype. Instead, simple sketches or basic ideas are enough for participants to enter the competition.

More than 6,500 applications were submitted for the premiere season. In the show, Dümmel and his team work alongside the inventors to develop market-ready products. The discount supermarket chain Lidl serves as the official retail partner, stocking the newly developed items on store shelves immediately following each broadcast.

Dümmel assumes all the financial risk associated with product development. After covering expenses, any profits are split evenly on a fifty-fifty basis between the investor and the original creator. The series consists of six episodes airing Sunday evenings.

The first episode features emotionally resonant moments, including the story of 19-year-old applicant Jerimo Kochs from Waldfeucht. Kochs lives with parents who face significant sensory challenges, as his mother is deaf-blind and his father is hard of hearing and partially blind. Daily life required the family to invent practical solutions, inspiring Kochs to submit his concept to the show.

During a home visit featured in the program, Dümmel learned of an additional family hardship after Kochs's father was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor. Describing the family, Dümmel stated, "If you consider what problems you have in everyday life, what kind of problems are those? These are true heroes who have to master their lives."

Another contestant featured in the debut broadcast is 60-year-old shoemaker Matthias Ewelt from Dettingen unter Teck. Ewelt developed custom-shaping insoles made from a rubber and cork mixture called "mikroKORKI," which molds to an individual's foot shape using residual heat and body temperature.

Ewelt's wife, Katrin, secretly submitted his application as a surprise for his 60th birthday, keeping the participation a secret for months until a television crew and Dümmel arrived at their workshop. Ewelt spent decades refining the invention in his workshop, driven by a desire to provide a more comfortable alternative to standard footwear inserts.

Both contestants highlight the personal and emotional journeys behind everyday inventions as the new series gets underway. The program provides a platform for individuals without large startup capital to bring their concepts to the commercial market.