The pitch
What walked into the Den
Saltwinds Coffee, from Fredericton, New Brunswick, makes coffee it infuses with coastal ocean air for a distinct maritime character.
Brad Rideout and Laura Richard pitched in season 20 with a bold number: $1 million for 10 percent, pricing the company at $10 million.
After the show
What happened next
The brand is live and leaning into its Den moment. A dedicated page on the company site in July 2026 promoted the appearance, with normal shop navigation running alongside it.
Our read
The Hub verdict
A $1 million ask for 10 percent is a $10 million valuation on an ocean-air coffee brand, one of the boldest numbers of the night, and Arlene Dickinson did put an offer against it. The founders turned her down and said why: they priced the technology above what the terms implied. Walking away from a Dragon on principle is a deliberate position, not a stumble, and it only pays off if the process itself carries the value they claimed for it. Saltwinds is still trading and still promotes the appearance, so the bet has not gone against them yet.
Founders turned down Dickinson, valuing the tech higher
