In 2016, Marc Lafleur started truLOCAL, a subscription business allowing people to buy locally-raised meats online. 

To ignite sales, Lafleur and his co-founder pitched the company on the popular Canadian TV show Dragon’s Den (similar to Shark Tank). The presentation was a hit as they received an investment of $100,000 from Dragon’s, Michele Romanow and Joe Mimran for 10% of the business. 

As a result of their new partners and the free marketing that came from the show, revenues soared. 

By 2020 truLOCAL had reached sales of eight figures when Lafleur began receiving interest from acquirers. A few months later, the company was acquired by EMERGE in a deal valued at $16.8 million.