The pitch
What walked into the Den
Markham's Battle Sports arrived on Dragons' Den Canada in season 11 with a pitch built around padded-weapon combat and live-action battle games.
Tim Cheung, Steve Shew and Jimmy Cheung put a number on the table: $150,000 for a 10 percent slice, which implied a $1.5 million valuation for a business still finding its footing.
After the show
What happened next
The brand itself is very much alive. Independent listings on TripAdvisor and Yelp show Battle Sports running rage rooms across Toronto, Markham and Richmond Hill with reviews continuing into 2025 and 2026, so the concept clearly outlasted the taping.
Our read
The Hub verdict
Battle Sports walked in offering 10 percent for $150,000, a $1.5 million tag on what was then mostly an idea about padded weapons, and walked out having sold no equity at all. Michele Romanow and Michael Wekerle split the cheque as a royalty instead, 5 percent of top line until the $150,000 comes back and 2 percent after that. Dragons reach for royalties when they like the cash flow more than the company, and the sequel proves the instinct: the business today runs rage rooms in three Ontario cities, a pivot the original pitch never hinted at.
Royalty deal with Romanow and Wekerle; now rage rooms
