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20 Most Successful Pitches From Dragon’s Den of All Time (Updated 2022)

20 most successful pitches and businesses from dragon’s den of all time.

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best business ideas dragons den

Dragon’s Den is a British television series which allows several entrepreneurs to pitch their varying business ideas to a panel of five wealthy investors or Dragons, in the hopes of securing a financial investment while offering a stake in their business in return. The show is presented by Evan Davis.

If you have ever watched an episode of Dragon’s Den, you can understand why the series is so popular. Watching the different entrepreneurs give their pitches can be so exciting, nail-biting even, leaving you wondering whether a Dragon will invest with them or not! It’s no wonder that there have been a total of 17 seasons of the show.

Let’s take a look at the 20 most successful pitches and businesses from Dragon’s Den.

1.    levi roots — reggae reggae sauce.

best business ideas dragons den

Singing his Reggae Reggae Sauce song as he was walking into the Den, Levi Roots secured investment from Peter Jones and Richard Farleigh. This was by far, one of the most successful stories to date.

Reggae Reggae Sauces is stocked at all the leading UK supermarkets, expanding his range to cover chilled ready meals, pastries, and Caribbean-flavored soft drinks.

Watch The Pitch:

2. Look After My Bills

best business ideas dragons den

The co-founders of Look After My Bills walked away with the best deal in the history of Dragon’s Den. Both Jenny Campbell and Tej Lalvani were interested and offered £130 000 for only a 3% stake in the business.

The company has since grown in the upwards of 200 000 members and is worth more than £12.5 million after it was purchased by GoCompare.

3. Mainstage Travel

best business ideas dragons den

When Mainstage Travel appeared on Dragon’s Den, the business was already hitting revenue figures of £1.6 million and £257 000 profit. It is no wonder that Meaden, Jones, Bannatyne, and Linney all made investment offers.

Now, Mainstage Travel has expanded, offering additional youth packages and their revenue figures are now well above those pitched in the Den in 2014.

4. ReviveAPhone

best business ideas dragons den

In 2014, the product was launched in Spain, North America, Switzerland, Scandinavia, and Japan with revenues of £250 000.

In May 2015, Murphy had big plans to deal with mobile giant Carphone Warehouse to make the brand available for anyone to purchase, alongside a launch of a new product line, water-resistant invisible coatings for smartphones.

5. A pproved Food

best business ideas dragons den

Approved Food helps families save some 70% on their shopping by selling food and drink that is approaching or past its sell-by date.

Despite not getting an investment on Dragon’s Den, Approved Food was able to secure funding and eventually had a turnover of £4 million and over 3000 orders per week by 2015. The company has expanded, specializing in pet products, sweets, and natural foods.

6. Skinny Tan

best business ideas dragons den

After appearing on Dragon’s Den in 2013, the company secured a deal with Boots and launched Skinny Tan in Spain, Canada, South Africa, and Dubai.

In June 2015, Skinny Tan had been acquired by InnovaDerma for an 80% stake in the business. Within the next year, it is said that the revenue figures are to reach a staggering £2.2 million.

7. Umbrolly

best business ideas dragons den

Despite Umbrolly receiving investments from both Duncan Bannatyne and Peter Jones, the deal collapsed 7 months later. The founder, Charles Ejogo, set up a new business without his original business partners.

Between 2008 and 2010, Ejogo grew this new business nationally and internationally. The business still operates to this day, offering its products to new and existing customers.

Click On The Link To Watch This Pitch!

best business ideas dragons den

The founder of iGlove is Rajan Jerath. At the same time as demonstrating the iGlove, he demonstrated another invention, Bluetooth gloves. These gloves have an in-built speaker and microphone so users don’t have to take their phone out of their pocket, perfect for runners, cyclists, and mothers pushing prams.

best business ideas dragons den

Both Jones and Jenkins offered £75 000 for a 20% stake in the business whereas, Touker Suleyman offered the same amount for 15%.

The co-founders turned the offers down, saying that the business was worth so much more.

TickX attracted more than 1 million users and they were able to raise £750 000 in funding. The successful business launched the world’s first Facebook Messenger chatbot, which can rapidly find results from TickX’s search engine.

10. TEC-Angel

best business ideas dragons den

The biggest problem that the Dragons had with his pitch, was a name that was used on his packaging. The name he used was Arc Angel, and this he said was soon to change to TEC-Angel as they didn’t own the rights to trade with Arc Angel.

TEC-Angel is currently doing well and won the Integrated Home Award at the 2019 Smart Home Expo at the National Exhibition Center in Birmingham.

11. Pedaldish

The owner of Petvictus, Pete Hill, started his company in 2018 with two flagship products, Pedaldish: The Lunchbox for Pets and Katfone: The Ultrasonic Whistle for Cats. When using these products together, they help to ensure that pet food is eaten and doesn’t spoil.

Deborah Meaden is obsessed with all things cats and offered an investment of £30 000 for a 33.3% stake in the business. However, the deal fell through after the show.

Currently, Pete is improving his design of Pedaldish and promoting his inventions.

12. Tickle Tots

best business ideas dragons den

Sophia Ferguson, the founder of Tickle Tots, offers environmentally-friendly nappies and accessories. Dragon Touker Suleyman offered an investment of £50 000 for a 50% stake in the business and agreed to drop to 40% after Touker made his money back.

Sadly, the investment didn’t go through after Tickle Tots appeared on the show.

13. Aquatina Bottle

best business ideas dragons den

Owner of Aquatina, Guy Jeremiah, walked into the Den looking for £100 000 for a 10% stake in the business. It was an intense pitch, as Duncan Bannatyne threw one of the water bottles at Guy.

Despite not getting an offer from any one of the Dragons, Aquatina is available in over 300 stores in the UK with an international distribution that covers over a dozen countries.

After the appearance on Dragon’s Den, Pouch gained 60 000 new users and, as of May 2018, had hot 100 000 downloads.

Despite getting no offers while on the show, Trunki secured a £4 million funding from the Business Growth Fund in 2013.

The Trunki brand is continuing its growth with a revenue of £8.13 million!

16. Hungryhouse

best business ideas dragons den

Raiding £150 000 from alternative businesses led them to increase their restaurant partners to 2500 partners in 2010.

In February 2013, Hungryhouse was acquired by Delivery Hero, a Berlin-based competitor.

17. Swing Patrol

best business ideas dragons den

Scott Cupit, the founder of Swing Patrol, released a book after appearing on Dragon’s Den called Swing Dance. The book sold over 5000 copies.

Swing Patrol will be launching a charleston fitness program and is organizing a swing initiative for senior citizens.

18. Gripit Fixings

best business ideas dragons den

The owner and founder of Gripit Fixings claim the business is now worth £14 million. He is expanding the range of products such as a kit designed specially to hang flat-screen TV’s on the wall.

Watch an interview with Jordan and Deborah: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-Pmk22uvkY

19. Enclothed

best business ideas dragons den

Enclothed continued to flourish even though the investment didn’t go through after the show. They are ranked Top 100 UK Startups for 2014.

The clothing business is signed with over 30 top UK brands such as Ted Baker and Hackett.

best business ideas dragons den

Bannatyne’s equity stake proved to be excessive for the founders of Linkee, Tristan Williams, Ben Drummond, and Deon Tempest and they rejected the offer.

Today the quiz game is stocked with leading retail stores Argos, Hamley’s, and Toys R Us. It is also available as a free download for mobiles and tablets. There is even a children’s version of the game called Dinkee, designed with the help of school children.

In Conclusion

When looking at the 20 most successful businesses that appeared on Dragon’s Den , most of these businesses were not invested in. In fact, some investments fell through after the show and some were scoffed at, bottles were thrown and a Dragon broke a strap of a suitcase.

Yet, despite the criticism these businesses received, the entrepreneurs pushed on. And now they are part of the world’s multi-millionaires. There is a lesson all of us can learn: never give up and believe in yourself, because who knows what you are capable of!

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best business ideas dragons den

What are the most successful businesses from Dragons’ Den?

  • Joanne Kavanagh
  • Published : 8:14, 20 Jan 2022
  • Updated : 10:50, 20 Jan 2022

DRAGONS' Den has offered a platform to thousands of budding businesspeople in the show's 17 year history.

Many have had to face the wrath of the strict judges after a failed pitch, but many have prospered under the wings of the Dragons and their investments.

Dragons' Den has been running for 17 years and has helped make many millionaires

The most successful businesses from Dragons' Den

Look after my bills.

The co-founders of Look After My Bills left the Dragons in awe and ended up leaving with the best deal in the show's history.

Dragons Jenny Campbell and Tej Lalvani BOTH invested £120,000 for just three per cent of the company.

A form of price comparison site, Look After My Bills actually does a lot of the work for you.

Customers simply sign up just once, before the service finds you a great deal every year.

If a better deal presents itself, Look After My Bills will switch you to it - all for FREE.

Since first appearing on the show, The company has gained 200,000+ members and was purchased by GoCompare in the summer of 2019.

more on dragons' den

BBC forced to warn Dragons' Den stars after they 'breach rules'  while on air

BBC forced to warn Dragons' Den stars after they 'breach rules'  while on air

Dragon’s Den fans fuming after Deborah Meaden brutally snubs pitch

Dragon’s Den fans fuming after Deborah Meaden brutally snubs pitch

Inside Dragons Den entrepreneurs Shabbir Mookhtiar and Dinesh Patil

Inside Dragons Den entrepreneurs Shabbir Mookhtiar and Dinesh Patil

Who is Dragons Den entrepreneur Joe Woolf and what is Tasty Mates?

Who is Dragons Den entrepreneur Joe Woolf and what is Tasty Mates?

Reggae reggae sauce.

Levi Roots is now worth around £30million

Levi Roots has gone a long to way to making Duncan Bannatyne's quip that there was "no future for this business" look foolish since first appearing on the show.

While Bannatyne was less than impressed, Peter Jones and Richard Farleigh were optimistic and invested £50,000 for a staggering 40 per cent equity in the company.

Roots' Reggae Reggae Sauces are now stocked in all major UK supermarkets, with an estimated net worth of £32million in 2022.

Jones once described his decision as "one of my most successful investments from the show" and remains a brand shareholder.

Magic Whiteboard

A left-field idea, portable whiteboard in a roll has proved to be a huge success.

Dragons Deborah Meaden and Theo Paphitis most successful investment, Magic Whiteboard was founded by husband-and-wife Neil and Laura Westwood.

The stationary equipment is currently stocked in all major office supply stores with a customer base all over the world.

In September 2014, the Westwood’s bought back Meaden and Paphitis' shares, providing the Dragons' with an £800,000 return on their £100,000 investment.

Skin-care company Skinny Tan launched in 2012 and recorded incredible profits of £600,000 in its first year.

Co-founders Kate Cotton and Louise Ferguson certainly caught the attention of the Dragons with those kinds of figures, so much so that all five of the Dragons showed interest before Kelly Hoppen and Piers Linney made the successful offer of £60,000 for a 10% stake in the company.

Skinny Tan was sold for an undisclosed sum in June 2015, but both co-founders as well as Hoppen and Linney remain shareholders.

Mainstage Festivals

Mainstage Festivals pride themselves on offering “once in a lifetime” low-cost clubbing holidays for the 18-24 market.

Founded in 2011, when creators Rob Tominey and Aden Levin pitched the Dragons Mainstage Festivals, the company already had revenues of £1.6 million.

The duo received multiple bids before accepting Piers Linney’s offer of £100,000 in return for 15 per cent of their company. 

Created by Peter Moule, the Chocbox is an aplastic cable device that allows you to store electrical wires safely. 

Pitched back in 2007, dragons Duncan Bannatyne and James Caan invested £150,000 with a 36% stake. 

Three months after the pitch the product made its first million and has since made over £25million in global sales and ships to 152 countries. 

The Trunki is a ride-on hand luggage suitcase for children that although didn't receive investment has become a multi-million business. 

Created by Rob Law the children's trunk was turned down after Theo Paphitis broke a strap of the suitcase leading to Dragons questioning the quality. 

However, Theo has since regretted the remarks as Trunki is the most successful product never to be invested by the Dragons, making revenue of £8.13 million. 

When is Dragon's Den series 19 on TV and how can I watch it?

Dragons' Den season 19 continues TONIGHT (January 20, 2022), on BBC One at 8pm.

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Dragons’ Den’s most successful businesses

best business ideas dragons den

Our experts

Written and reviewed by:.

It’s now over 10 years since the first episode of Dragons’ Den aired on British TV screens and in that time we’ve seen some brilliant, and not so brilliant, businesses pass through the Den.

While many of the start-ups which have appeared on the BBC show have since floundered or failed to gain traction, a number have gone on to achieve huge success – with and without the Dragons’ investments.

We’ve delved into the Den archives to find out what has happened to 16 of the brightest businesses to have pitched to the Dragons and where they are now.

From the popular Levi Roots to the £65m-valued Tangle Teezer dubbed “hair-brained” by Peter Jones, click the red button to find out just what happened once the Den’s cameras stopped rolling, and discover a few highlights below…

In this article, we will be covering:

Tangle teezer (£70 million).

  • Levi Roots (£30 million)

Wonderbly (£30 million)

Gripit (£14 million), trunki (£12 million), pouch (£10 million).

  • Worthenshaw's (£4 million)

Skinny Tan (£2.2 million)

best business ideas dragons den

The creation of former hair colourist Shaun Pulfrey, Tangle Teezer – a hair comb with 400 teeth which can glide through wet or dry hair – failed to muster interest in the Den with Pulfrey’s pitch dubbed “hair-brained” and a “waste of time” by the Dragons.

When he appeared on the show, Pulfrey was unable to evidence any sales as he had only began manufacturing the brush, had no deals lined up with distributors, and had inadvertently insulted Meaden’s hair colour; factors which led all five Dragons to negate from investing.

Poor pitching aside , Pulfrey’s plans to take the business UK-wide have been achieved and then some.

Recently valued at a hair-raising £70m , Tangle Teezer now boasts a roster of celebrity fans including Kate Moss, Victoria Beckham, Nicole Scherzinger, Cara Delevingne, and even Princess Kate Middleton, and is now stocked in Boots stores across the country.

Levi Roots Reggae Reggae Sauce (£30 million)

One of the biggest success stories of the Den to date , Levi Roots has become a household name with his popular hot BBQ sauces that tell you to “put some music in your food”.

Having serenaded the Dragons in his pitch with the song that he would later become widely famous for, Roots (real name Keith Graham) won investment from Jones and Farleigh on a “punt” and was told by Duncan Bannatyne that there was “ no future for his business ”. Fast forward eight years and Roots has undoubtedly proved Bannatyne wrong.

Reggae Reggae sauces are now stocked in all the major UK supermarkets and Roots has expanded his range to cover chilled ready meals, pasties and even Caribbean-flavoured soft drinks – taking his worth to an estimated £30m according to the Sunday Times Rich List.

best business ideas dragons den

Founded in 2012 by ‘dadpreneurs’ Asi Sharabi, David Cadji-Newby, Tal Oron and Pedro Serapicos, Wonderbly (then known as Lost My Name) took to the Den in 2014 in search of a £100,000 funding boost.

During the pitch, the Dragons were impressed by the rapid growth that the business had experienced so far, having scaled by an eye-watering 2,000% between the October and November of 2013.

But it was tech-lover and fellow father Piers Linney who was won over by the business – so much so that he broke records by investing all of the requested money for just 4% equity ; the best equity deal in the history of Dragons’ Den.

And it seems that this bold move paid off. Known for its beautiful illustrations, fun stories and intricate personalisation, Wonderbly has now sold over two million books in countries all over the world.

best business ideas dragons den

GripIt Fixing founder Jordan Daykin made  Dragons' Den  history when, at 18 years-old, he became the youngest entrepreneur to ever secure investment on the show .

Having created a patented solution for firmly fixing screws into plasterboard with the ability to hold 180kg in weight, Daykin's confident pitch won over Deborah Meaden who invested £80,000 for a 25% equity stake in the business. And her decision to invest was a sensible one.

While still only 20 years-old, Daykin's start-up venture is already profitable and he claims that the business is now worth £14m ; which means Meaden is set to make a good return. In fact, Daykin has gone so far as to say that his business is the Den's “biggest ever success story”.

best business ideas dragons den

“ No-one in their right mind would think that business was worth £1m ” – was the comment made by Paphitis following Trunki’s exit from the Den in 2006; an appearance which had seen founder Rob Law fail to win investment from the Dragons.

17 years later, Paphitis’ remark couldn’t be further from the truth.

Widely known to be one of the Den’s most successful ‘rejects’, Law’s sit-on, ride-along children’s suitcases have become a familiar sight at airports all over the world, secured £4m backing from the government-backed Business Growth Fund in 2013, and Trunki, the well-known children's suitcase brand, has recently been sold in a deal thought to be worth over £12 million.

best business ideas dragons den

Pouch, a free browser extension launched by Jonny Plein, Ben Corrigan and Vikram Simha in 2016, automatically finds and presents users with the best legitimate discount codes available as they shop online.

“Post- Dragons’ Den filming, we were offered nearly triple the investment amount for an equity amount we felt much more comfortable with, putting Pouch at a deserved multi-million-pound value. ”

Not to mention the PR boost afforded by the episode. After it went live, Pouch gained a whopping 60,000 new users and, as of May 2018, had hit 100,000 downloads .

The breadth of its offering, too, has grown – the extension now shows codes for more than 3,500 retailers, including ASOS, Amazon, Argos, Currys, Debenhams, Gap and John Lewis.

Furthermore, in May 2018 Pouch was rightly recognised as one of the UK’s top 100 most exciting start-ups in our  2018 Startups 100 index .

Worthenshaw’s (£4 million)

best business ideas dragons den

Now 29, Worthenshaw’s founder Kirsty Henshaw was the youngest entrepreneur to receive funding from the Dragons when she appeared on the show in 2010 with her range of free-from, frozen ice cream alternatives.

Bannatyne and Jones were keen to take a stake in the business and help the budding female entrepreneur to launch nationally in major supermarkets . However, it would appear that Henshaw was unable to gain the traction needed for the ice cream business and, in July 2012, it was announced that Worthenshaw’s had rebranded to Kirsty’s with a focus on chilled adult-ready meals.

Henshaw's decision to pivot the business appears to have paid off and her gluten-free, dairy-free meals are now stocked in Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, Ocado and Asda with sales reported to have grown 75% in the last 12 months.

Now valued at £4m, the Kirsty’s brand is rapidly taking off and on her blog Henshaw has commented that “while the business has evolved and moved on from desserts to concentrate on savoury meals, the aim and vision of the company remains unchanged ”.

best business ideas dragons den

Any business which boasts profit figures of £600,000 for its first year is always going to turn heads in the Den and Skinny Tan did just that – attracting offers from all five Dragon investors .

Launched in Australia in 2012 by Kate Cotton and Louise Ferguson, Skinny Tan is a naturally-deriving fake tanning lotion which claims to reduce the appearance of cellulite.

With revenues of £1m for 2014 and turnover set to double to £2.2m over the next 12 months , it’s no wonder that Skinny Tan was a winner in the Den.

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best business ideas dragons den

Dragons' Den: 5 of the most successful rejected businesses

The dragons have missed out on millions.

dragons den

Dragons' Den has been a launching pad for some incredibly successful businesses in recent years. 

MORE:  Meet the partners of Peter Jones, Deborah Meaden and more

However, while the multi-millionaire dragons can often sniff out a lucrative business opportunity miles away, they don't always get it right and over the years have let many winning business ideas walk out of the den without a deal.

Keep reading for the most profitable businesses we bet they're still kicking themselves for missing out on...

dragons den s16

The Dragons have missed out on millions from these businesses

Pasta Evangelists

When Alex Savelli and Finn Lagun entered the den in 2018, their business Pasta Evangelists was brushed off by the dragons as nothing special and their request for  £75,000 in exchange for a 2.5% equity stake was rejected.

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However, the fresh pasta delivery service got the last laugh as after the episode aired, sales almost doubled and they managed to acquire £3.5million in funding from investors. Since then, the brand has continued to grow and counts many famous faces such as Bake Off's Prue Leith, Giles Coren and more among their customers.

Tangle Teezer

Shaun Pulfrey appeared on the show back in 2007 with his is genius invention, the Tangle Teezer , hoping for an £80,000 investment for a 15 per cent stake in the company. Sadly for him, his pitch went south after he struggled to demonstrate the product's painless detangling abilities on a severely knotted head of hair. The idea was branded "hair-brained" by the dragons and he ended up walking away empty-handed.

Flash forward more than a decade, and Tangle Teezer is not only a household name but the company is now worth an astonishing £65million and has been endorsed by many celebrities such as Cara Delevigne and Victoria Beckham.

It might have been a while since we've been in an airport, but we've bet you've all seen these colourful ride-on children's suitcase that make travelling with young kids a breeze.

Founder Rob Law pitched the business to the dragons in 2006 but was sent packing after Theo Paphitis broke a strap on one of the cases, suggesting that the design still needed more work. Even though he didn't get the £100,000 investment he needed, Trunki has gone on to make millions , won over 100 design awards and is now believed to be worth an estimated £8million.

Hungry House

While online takeaway order and delivery services hardly seem revolutionary these days, back in 2007 when Shane Lake and Tony Charles pitched their idea of Hungry House, they were definitely on to something new.

MORE:  Dragons' Den: 5 of most successful businesses from the show

The pair managed to secure an offer of £100,000 from James Caan and Ducan Bannatyne in return for a whopping 50 per cent stake in the business, but the deal later fell through during post-show negotiations. Luckily, they managed to raise £150,000 from other investors and in just three years increased their number of restaurant partners from 150 to 2,500. In 2016, the company was bought by Just Eat for an impressive £200million.

Skinny Dip may sell everything from clothing to lifestyle products now, but when they launched in 2011, they were primarily focused on creating fashionable and quirky phone cases, headphones and tech accessories.

Seeking a £120,000 investment for a 20 per cent share of their burgeoning business, founders Lewis Blitz and James and Richard Gold, appeared on the show and managed to Peter Jones, but sadly the deal never went through.

It didn't hamper their success, however, and Skinny Dip now has more than eight brick-and-mortar stores and can also be found in retail concessions at fashion giants such as River Island, Harvey Nichols and ASOS.

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How to face the Dragons and win: Six questions every business owner should be able to answer

The concept is tried and tested: Budding entrepreneurs pitch business ideas to multimillionaires. Series 13 of Dragons’ Den is currently airing on the BBC and has even more entrepreneurs jostling for investment from the Dragon investors. There may be three new Dragons in the Den joining stalwarts Peter Jones and Deborah Meaden, but they’re still looking for the same information from those pitching for investment. Taking a look at the questions Dragons’ fired at the applicants in the opening episodes, it’s clear that whatever your dream, whatever your project, you need to understand the mechanics of your business before anything else, whether you want investment or simply want your business to succeed. Time and again the same questions are asked by the Dragons to those looking for investment. Get them right and you are on a much firmer footing to securing investment.

What are your key financial figures?

In episode one, when digging deeper after an impressive opening pitch, Deborah Meaden focused on the very basic figures every business person needs to know – revenue and profit. The inability of Farnaz Khan to provide these on her ‘big knickers’ brand led to her pitch falling apart.

Understanding the difference between gross profit and net profit is essential if you want to be taken seriously in business, but you also need to know the figures that go with them. Annual figures for the past three years, if you have been going that long, immediately give you credibility – even if they are not massive figures. Indeed, even if the initial figures show a loss, that’s fine (see later). Investors understand it can take time to make things profitable. Even your loss, its value and the timescale for it are important when it comes to understanding the viability of a business. Your burn rate,  the rate at which a new company spends its initial capital, shows how long a company can survive before it must turn a profit, which is important to know for any investor.

Know what your turnover is, has been and is projected to be. Know the same for your cost of sales and be realistic about the potential higher costs for new equipment, increase in staff numbers, etc. You should also know your margin. All of these are figures that are simple to memorise, which will give you initial house points with potential investors. Make sure you understand them, how they are arrived at and what they mean too. You need to be able to answer questions from investors and not be found floundering like Farnaz in the clip above, which ultimately led to her becoming un-investable.

Having these basic numbers to hand, doesn’t necessarily show you are the best company to invest in, but it does show you are a business person worthy of investment. Without them, most investors won’t take you seriously and will doubt your business acumen. Somebody who clearly cares about the figures within their business and knows them off the top of their head understands their business and where it is heading. Without solid figures to give to would-be investors, everything else will be difficult to believe.

What is your cashflow projection?

Some would argue this is wrapped up in your other financials above but its importance can’t be overemphasised and it deals with financials on an ongoing basis and not just a moment in time. Once your business is up and running this is the figure you need to pay most attention to. A negative cashflow means the end of many businesses every week because they simply can’t pay their bills. Projections won’t be certain but should be based on expected income and also expected investment if that is a possibility. However, the need to borrow money to pay bills you have already racked up should ring alarm bells as the health of your business.

New Dragon Nick Jenkins built his fortune with an online greeting card brand and understood the burn rate quoted by Oliver Tezcan for his online men’s clothing retailer, the Idleman.com, wasn’t as bad as some of the other Dragons thought. Even a cashflow loss thus far seemed to have a healthy outlook over time in Nick’s eyes @ 21:21 :

Everything else stems from cashflow. Knowing your revenue and your outgoings means that you can plan a budget and build your business. Don’t over estimate your cashflow either – you’ll get found out, either by a curious investor or in the long term by a lack of cash! Unlike your other financials which tend to be annual snapshots, your cashflow is ever changing and needs to be looked at regularly. Estimates should be made on monthly or weekly cycles. The other financials can often hide cashflow issues because over an annual cycle things work themselves out. Unfortunately, a strangled cashflow can mean you don’t even make it to the end of the annual cycle.

What is the advantage of your product over things already on the market?

In the opening episode this was Peter Jones’s first question to Ben Fridger who was clearly prepared. His response was quick, informed and engaging as to why his clothes steamer is better than a traditional steam iron.

Knowing your market is important before you enter it. There may be reasons those already out there haven’t tried the slight variation you are planning. Know what your unique selling points are. How do you differ? Why would somebody buy yours when they already own something very similar already? Is your price point right? Understand not only the market but also your product and the products of your rivals too. You can’t do too much research before you move into a new business sector.

What’s the longevity of your product/brand?

In episode two, new Dragon Sarah Willingham immediately showed her passion for food and drink with an obvious interest in the West Africa inspired snacks from Chika Russell. However, she was keen to make sure the business had a long-term future.

Whilst some may mock, having a vision for your company is not a bad thing. You need to have a dream to aim for if you are to be successful and a vision is only that – one potential outcome – so it can be flexible and change as need and circumstance dictate. However, without a vision your proposition will lack depth and long-term appeal to potential investors.

Longevity is a concern to most investors. For many, it is not the desire to build long-lived brands, but the desire to build a company that makes sufficient profit over a long enough time to give them a return on their investment. If anybody can copy your product quickly and easily, your life cycle could be short-lived with potential competitors able to use technology to have a rival on the shelves within weeks. New models, new ranges and new markets are all things you should be considering as you embark on your first launch. You are thinking about building a business not just selling a single product.

What do you want from an investment by a Dragon?

Global fashion tycoon Touker Suleyman liked Ben Fridger’s steam cleaner in episode one but, having seen a product that clearly worked and was clearly selling, he wanted to know how his investment was going to make a difference.

This is a common concern from investors. Some like to be hands on and heavily involved in projects – especially those they can see will be fun to join in with. However, many are simply looking for an investment vehicle, perhaps with the odd bit of hand-holding and maybe some introductions to their contacts. It’s important that you are clear in your mind what you are looking for in your own dragon. Do you simply want money and to be left alone to move things forward once you have that investment, or are you looking for a business partner who can share the load and share the pain of strategizing? Once you have decided on that, be honest with the investor too. They can make a business decision if you have the right financials but they also need to look at the bigger business picture. How much time will it need from them and how much are they prepared to give? Time is money so it all affects the true value of their investment. In Ben’s situation he actually turned down the offer from Touker to take investment from two Dragons (Deborah and Nick instead) which fitted with what he needed from his investors.

How did you come to the valuation you’ve put on your company?

A £20 million valuation was a shock to Peter Jones when he asked this question of Fraser Fernhead of property crowdfunding platform The House Crowd in episode two of the current series.

The valuation of your company is probably the most important figure for your investor as it tells them what they’ll be getting for their money. If they are investing for a percentage share of your company, the valuation will tell them how much they need to pay to get their desired share. Getting your valuation right is vital. If it’s too high would-be investors will just see you as a joke. Too low and investors may worry that you don’t fully understand your business, or perhaps that you lack ambition. If your company is not trading, or is trading without a profit at the moment, giving it a multi-million pound valuation is unlikely to be realistic. If it means a lower valuation and a higher percentage given away to an investor so that your business can survive and take the next steps in growing then seriously consider that. Retaining a smaller percentage in something that becomes profitable quicker and more securely is far better than a large percentage in something that trades at a loss or struggles to make a serious profit.

Watch the remaining episodes of Dragons Den. These six questions will come up time and time again. They form the fundamental core of assessing a business’s health, wealth and potential. If you want your business to succeed you need to consider them all and understand how you would answer whether you are looking for investment or not. If a proven successful business person wouldn’t think your business is worth their time and investment, then why should you?

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The 8 most ingenious products ever on Dragons' Den

We're very much "in" for these goodies.

Headshot of Tom Eames

While some products have gone on to become huge successes after appearing on the show (whether they got an investment from the Dragons or not), we feel that there are other underrated and somewhat forgotten inventions that deserve another airing. And not just because we want some freebies sent our way, honest.

Here are just a handful of the best products shown to the Dragons, along with what happened next.

1. The Magic Whiteboard (Series 6, episode 5)

Deal: £100,000 for 40%

Investors: Theo Paphitis and Deborah Meaden

An item so simple we're surprised it didn't exist before. Neil and Laura Westwood's Magic Whiteboard allows people to rip whiteboards off a roll, then stick them to any hard surface and use them like a regular whiteboard.

The company is still active, and you can purchase all kinds of versions of the product via its official website . It has also reached over 20 countries and is in over 500 stores worldwide.

2. Umbrolly (series 1, episode 1)

Deal: £150,000 for 40%

Investors: Duncan Bannatyne and Peter Jones

How many times have you been out and about and suddenly it starts pissing it down with rain, and you don't have an umbrella? The Umbrolly would have provided simple vending machines containing cheap but sturdy umbrellas at most underground and rail stations across the UK. Imagine how awesome that would have been.

Sadly, Charles Ejogo's deal with the Dragons collapsed after the show, but he took Peter Jones's advice to set up a new company without his original business partners. After working with other investors and partners, a smaller vending machine was launched in late 2007, and it gradually grew across Europe and the US over the next few years.

By 2010, the UK arm of the business folded, but Charles's business still provides consultative services, and overseas sales of its products to new and existing customers, so he's doing pretty well for himself. But we're still wet.

3. Eggxactly (series 3, episode 1)

Deal: £75,000 for 40%

Investors: Richard Farleigh and Peter Jones

We all love a boiled egg from time to time. But it can sometimes be quite a faff, what with the boiling of the water, then the making sure the egg doesn't break, then the mucky washing up business. All for a bloody egg. Okay, this is the ultimate first-world problem, but still.

James Seddon came up with a great little product that removed water altogether and managed to perfectly boil an egg with minimal mess. However, despite securing a decent deal from the Dragons, the Eggxactly STILL hasn't reached the shops after 11 years.

It does has an attractive website where you can sign up for updates, but this looks like the kitchen equivalent of Superman Lives or the Sandman movie, languishing in development hell for all time.

4. Autosafe (series 3, episode 7)

Deal: £100,000 for 50%

Investors: Peter Jones and Duncan Bannatyne

Here's one that actually provides a service and potentially saves lives, rather than offering us a water-free boiled egg.

This simple device allows kids' seatbelts to be easily adjusted by height, so that the seatbelt doesn't irritate the child, and it also stops them from placing the belt under their arm (we all did that).

After selling well in various retail outlets for a number of years, the business dissolved in 2011. Sadly, inventor Peter Sesay later died from cancer.

5. Rapstrap (series 6, episode 4)

Deal: £150,000

Investors: Duncan Bannatyne and James Caan

Not exactly the most sexy product to write about, but this simple little invention not only allows you to tie together all your loose wires, but it cuts out the waste of regular cable ties, thus helping take care of the environment while also making your desk area tidy. Win-win.

Shortly after the deal, one of the world's leading plastics distributors, Hitachi-Maxell, secured a £36m contract for the Rapstrap, making it one of the biggest success stories from the show.

You can now buy these clever little straps all over the place, including the official website .

6. Magic Pizza (series 6, episode 6)

Deal: £50,000

Investors: Theo Paphitis and Peter Jones

Peter Jones / Magic Pizza

This 'magic' device (a bit of aluminium) looked silly at first, but it turns out that it totally eliminates the dreaded 'soggy middle' when cooking a pizza in the oven.

Despite Raymond Smith's pitch being described as "one of the worst ever", Theo Paphitis and Peter Jones took a punt. And judging from Amazon reviews, customers loved it while it was on sale.

Sadly, it seems that the Magic Pizza cannot currently be purchased online, as both its website and Amazon are currently out of stock. We'll have to make do with soggy pizzas for the time being.

7. BarMaid (series 9, episode 7)

Investors: Deborah Meaden and Theo Paphitis

This neat little invention allows bartenders to pour a perfect pint without having to actually hold the glass, allowing them to sort out other customers and saving a lot of time in the process.

While we kinda like the experience of a human being pouring a proper pint and not an emotionless robot, this would at least solve long waiting times at the bar.

Despite securing a deal with two of the Dragons, we've still not seen a single one at any bar or pub, but their website is still taking enquiries so there's a chance it will begin popping up one day.

8. Bobo Buddies (series 11, episode 12)

Deal: £50,000 for 40%

Investors: Peter Jones and Deborah Meaden

This clever and cute product has probably made its way into homes of many parents across the UK. James Roupell's invention is a four-in-one product for kids: a soft toy, a backpack, a travel pillow, and it also contains a blanket inside.

Bobo Buddies are still going strong, with various animals on offer from lions to monkeys to giraffes. We wish they made adult versions. Just us?

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Are you preparing a Dragons’ Den pitch? Here are 10 top tips!

Reading time 14 mins

  • Dragons’ Den is a TV program where inventors/entrepreneurs pitch their product or concept to multimillionaires – aka Dragons
  • In return for their investment, Dragons receive equity in the business
  • Unsuccessful pitches are usually the result of a lack of research, products that won’t make money and poor business financials
  • Successful pitches are the result of well-prepared presentations, products with a substantial market value, and entrepreneurs/investors who are passionate and committed to their product
  • It has been known for products rejected on Dragons’ Den to go on to become a big success
  • The key is to ensure you do your market research, competitor analysis, and feasibility studies from early on in your product/service design process

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Last updated Aug 8, 2023

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A re you an inventor or entrepreneur looking to get your product off the ground or expand into different markets? Dragons’ Den is a reality television business program where aspiring inventors or entrepreneurs get to pitch their business concept or prototype to five multimillionaire investors. A typical pitch consists of you introducing yourself, presenting your concept/product, stating how much investment you need, and the percentage of your business/equity you’ll give in return. Appearing on the show is an incredible opportunity but also a nerve-wracking one. If you’re preparing for your Dragons’ Den pitch, here are our top tips:

  • Research the Dragons: What are the investors looking for?
  • Know your product inside out: Who are your competitors, and what makes you different?
  • Understand your market: Who are your customers, and is there room for growth?
  • Bring something tangible: Do you have a prototype or visual you can show?
  • Know your numbers: What’s the difference between your gross and net profit?
  • Practice your pitch: Have you done a trial run and implemented feedback others gave?
  • Be honest and transparent: Do you have any debts, other investors, or associated risks?
  • Demonstrate your passion and commitment: Don’t be rude or argumentative
  • Be prepared to negotiate: What is the most equity percentage you’ll give for investment?
  • Swallow your pride: What are your weaknesses, and where do you need help?

Regardless of whether you’re preparing a Dragons’ Den pitch or not, following these tips will help you in any scenario where you’re presenting a proposal for investment, funding, or financing.

Preparing a Dragons’ Den pitch tip #1: Research the Dragons

Unlike with a bank or grant, when you go onto Dragons’ Den, you’re asking people to invest their time, money, and business acumen in your idea. Researching who they are, and the kinds of investments they’ve made in the past is essential. Each of the five Dragons has a different area of expertise (e.g. technology, sustainability, fashion, DIY and crafts, and social media), so ensure that you craft a pitch that will resonate or appeal to at least two of them.

‘Serial investor’ and former dragon, Deborah Meden, says that nearly all unsuccessful applicants make the same mistake [1] : they don’t think about what the investor wants and how they will make a return on their investment. What investors want to know:

  • What in particular can I bring to the table – besides money – that will make your business succeed?
  • Am I the right fit for your company?
  • Is there an exit strategy? Investors want to get 3-4 times their money back within 5 years – how do you plan on making that happen?
  • Do I have a potential conflict of interest with another business I’ve invested in?

Know the dragons, but be careful of blatantly targeting anyone in particular. Remember that dragons have egos, too: making one feel that their offer isn’t good enough for you’re holding out for an offer from someone else – is almost guaranteed to have them withdraw and potentially leave you with no offers on the table.

Dragons’ Den pitch tip #2: Know your product inside out

The Dragons will ask probing questions about every aspect of your product or service, so ensure you know every detail inside out: failing to answer questions accurately could decrease their interest significantly, so preparation is essential here.

Retail and fashion mogul Touker Suleyman is well known for putting prototypes and product samples to the test – and breaking them! The last thing you want is to present a prototype for a backpack for children, and the strap falls off as soon as he pulls it.

Dragons’ Den pitch tip #3: Understand your market

It is crucial to thoroughly understand your target market, including who your customers are and how much they are willing to pay for your product or service. The Dragons will want to know if there is enough demand for your product or service to make it profitable.

  • Who is your competition? What makes your product better?
  • Does your idea or product have the capacity for growth?
  • If your product is already on the market, who has been buying it, and how much have you sold?
  • If you have stockists or substantial buyers interested in buying your product once completed, do you have a letter of intent?
  • If you have invented a new product or element, do you own the intellectual property rights? Is it patentable? If so, have you applied for one, and where are you with the process?

Dragons’ Den pitch tip #4: Bring something tangible

Visuals such as prototypes or mockups bring pitches alive while also giving dragons something tangible they can interact with. Also, adding stories or anecdotes about products or services adds emotional appeal, encouraging dragons to invest more willingly.

Besides the product or idea you’re presenting, don’t forget that a key ingredient you’re putting on the table is yourself! Tech tycoon Peter Jones , the longest-serving Dragon on the show, “never invests in scruffy people”. Thinking that your product speaks for itself and that you don’t have to look the part would be a mistake.

Dragons’ Den pitch tip #5: Know your numbers

Watch some of the least successful pitches on Dragons’ Den , and you’ll notice another thing they all had in common: applicants didn’t know or understand the financials and couldn’t give answers to make the business figures add up. Dragons want precise and accurate figures regarding the market size, manufacturing costs, retail prices, turnover, margins, gross and net profits, etc. Not knowing any of these answers never goes down well, and it will cause you to fumble and lose confidence – making it difficult to bounce back.

Another issue that many unsuccessful pitches need to improve is over-inflating their valuations and having year-on-year turnovers that are hugely optimistic [2] . When preparing a Dragons’ Den pitch, remember that overly ambitious turnover figures are off-putting and will be spotted – potentially resulting in you losing out and not receiving any offers.

Dragons’ Den tip #6: Practice your pitch

Once you have all of this information ready, it is time to practice your pitch. Make sure that it concisely explains why you believe in your product or service and why potential investors should too. Remember that each Dragon has limited time to decide whether they want to invest so make sure every second counts. Former Dragon Jenny Cambell adds that there are specific pitfalls to avoid falling into [3] :

  • Avoid jargon. Don’t feel the need to fill your pitch with industry buzzwords that don’t mean anything
  • Don’t be patronising, but don’t assume that they will know all the terminology about your area of business
  • Don’t over-explain yourself or include details that aren’t significant or relevant
  • Pitch yourself with confidence – but don’t get cocky. Investors invest in people they believe in, so make sure you sound confident, enthusiastic, and genuine.

Dragons’ Den pitch tip #7: Be honest and transparent

You will establish that you are reliable and trustworthy if you’re honest. Nobody will invest tens of thousands in you without scrutiny. Be upfront, from the beginning, about any debts, other investors, or any associated risks that need to be disclosed.

Dragons’ Den pitch tip #8: Demonstrate your passion and commitment

While being passionate appeals to potential investors, avoid being rude or argumentative if/when you’re critiqued: remain objective and professional at all times, even if you disagree. This will ensure everyone stays focused on reaching an agreement rather than getting put off by a disagreeable attitude.

Dragons’ Den pitch tip #9: Be prepared to negotiate

Go into negotiations with an idea of what percentage stake in your business you are willing to give away and how much money needs to be injected into your business model for it to succeed. Having these figures ready when you’re preparing for your Dragons’ Den pitch will help ensure a successful outcome for everyone involved. Understand that the higher the risk investors are being asked to take, the higher the equity percentage they’ll want in return.

The Dragons admire strong negotiators , so don’t be too scared to give them counter-offers – provided it’s justified. Remember that there’s more than money on the table when negotiating. Dragons are also bringing in their distribution networks, business contacts, and market expertise – which is often well worth the extra 20-30% more equity you were prepared to give.

If you did your research on the Dragons, this is where that information also comes in handy. For example, you’ve developed a potentially lucrative dogs’ clothing line and are asking for a £100,000 investment in return for 10% equity. All the Dragons have put in offers, but they all want 30% equity because it will take much more work than you estimated. By seeing if two Dragons (e.g. the retail and social media experts) would be willing to split the investment and equity 50-50, you would effectively get two Dragons for the price of one – even if you’ve given away more equity than you initially wanted to.

Dragons’ Den pitch tip #10: Swallow your pride

Have a clear idea of your weaknesses, where to improve, and what you need help with. By acknowledging the gaps in your skillset, you’ll demonstrate your maturity and ability to fill those gaps with a Dragon who has what you lack.

Pride has also cost many a potentially successful applicant to walk away empty-handed (e.g. not wanting to accept a higher equity percentage)- leaving Dragon’s baffled as to how they couldn’t have seen how good the offer was.

Is your proposal pitch-perfect?

Appearing on TV is intimidating enough, and presenting an idea or product that you personally have a lot invested in makes it even harder. Preparing for your Dragons’ Den pitch takes time, practice, and confidence in yourself and your product. Being well-prepared, business savvy, confident, and enthusiastic has seen many inventors and entrepreneurs lay a solid foundation for success.

That said, even if preparing a Dragons’ Den pitch doesn’t go the way you planned, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the end of the road. Dragons have been known to get it wrong, and there are many unsuccessful applicants who went on to be hugely successful after being turned down [4] .

Either way, doing your research before getting heavily invested in a product, idea, or concept and conducting proper feasibility studies is an essential starting point. Look at a recent article we published on common product design mistakes and avoid making them yourself.

We’ll be exploring other sources for funding in our series of posts going forward, so subscribe to our newsletter if you’d like to be kept in the loop. Good luck with your Dragons’ Den pitch!

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  • Team, T. S. (2021, May 19). How to pitch to a Dragon: Deborah Meaden shares 5 quick-fire investment tips. Startups.co.uk. https://startups.co.uk/funding/investors/how-to-pitch-to-a-dragon-with-deborah-meaden/
  • Dragons’ Den series 15 episode 6 review: It might be boring but know your numbers! (n.d.). Steemit. Retrieved January 25, 2023, from https://steemit.com/investing/@vinecreatives/dragons-den-series-15-episode-6-review-it-might-be-boring-but-know-your-numbers
  • How to pitch yourself and your ideas: 6 tips from former ‘Dragon’ Jenny Campbell. (2020, March 20). BBC Bitesize. https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/zhdxqp3
  • Failory. (2023, January 23). The 13 Biggest Dragons’ Den Failures. https://www.failory.com/blog/dragons-den-failures

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Top 5 most successful businesses who pitched on Dragons’ Den

Dragons’ Den has been helping Canadian entrepreneurs grow their businesses for 13 years, and for some of them, it’s been a launching point for massive success. We talked with the Den’s most successful alumni to find out how the Den changed their business, and we get their advice for aspiring pitchers.

5. FixMeStick ($20 million in sales)

When FixMeStick co-founders Marty Algire and Corey Velan pitched in Season 8 , their business was still pretty small.

“If we sold 10 units in a day — so that’s $600 in sales — we’d be high fiving across the desk,” says Algire.

In the five and a half years since then, their business has grown massively. Their computer virus repair stick is now in every major retailer in North America, and selling in the U.K. and France via shopping channel QVC. The pair say their appearance on Dragons’ Den has been instrumental in that growth.

But it also helped in other, unexpected ways.

“When we started out, we couldn’t get the USB manufacturers to take us seriously, so we wound up buying really low quality USB sticks off [the internet,]” says Algire. “At one point we were throwing a quarter of them out.”

Having a Dragon in their corner allowed them to get meetings with big manufacturers, who agreed to give them a better price on superior sticks.

Dragons’ Den fans (aka Den Heads ) have become some of the brand’s most loyal customers.

“We operate on a subscription business, and every January, we get a wave of renewals, because that’s when the episode aired,” says Velan.

4. Essentia ($25 million in sales)

Essentia founder Jack Dell’Accio initially saw the show as a publicity opportunity.

“I was in the office, and our marketing guy popped his head in the door and said, ‘I’m gonna pitch you to be on Dragons’ Den ,’” says Dell’Accio. “And I said, ‘Sure.’ Any opportunity to talk about the brand was valuable to me.”

He says that being on the show paid immediate dividends for the business.

“For years, I got people coming in and saying, ‘I saw you on Dragons’ Den, ’” he says. “We can still tell when the episode airs as a rerun based on the spike in website traffic.”

Dell’Accio is still friends with W. Brett Wilson, who gives him advice from time to time. Wilson is also a customer.

“He keeps buying mattresses from us,” says Dell’Accio. In turn, he has donated to Wilson’s charitable fund.

Dell’Accio advises future pitchers to think about more than just money when they walk into the Den.

“Think about what else your business needs, and what the different Dragons bring as a value add,” he says. “If you get an offer from a Dragon who brings the right experience, be willing to accept a lower valuation.”

3. Knixwear ($35 million in sales)

Knixwear founder and CEO Joanna Griffiths admits she went on Dragons’ Den “really early in my entrepreneurship journey.” But she handled the Dragons like a pro, becoming one of the few pitchers to leave with more money and a higher valuation than she initially asked for.

“I counter-offered and successfully negotiated to get a larger sum,” she says. “A lot of people told me they thought that was pretty badass.”

She says that, in addition to money and exposure, going into the Den made her more confident in her skills as an entrepreneur.

“As a business owner, you second guess yourself a lot,” she says. “You wonder, ‘Do I really have what it takes to do this?’ Getting an offer from four of five Dragons and being able to answer every question they asked… it was really positive and empowering.”

Since going on the show in Season 9, she’s coached several other entrepreneurs who were looking to pitch to the Dragons. Her advice? Know your numbers.

“They’re always worried about what their presentation is gonna look like, what their opening monologue is gonna be, and I say, ‘You can wing that, but you need to know your sales, your gross revenue [and] your margins.’ They’re called Dragons for a reason.”

2. Saxx Apparel (sold for $50 million)

Even though he initially left the Den without a deal , Saxx Apparel founder Trent Kitsch says that taking his men’s underwear company on Season 2 of Dragons’ Den was one of the best decisions he ever made. For one thing, he received $50,000 as the winner of that season’s Concrete Equity’s Armchair Dragon Contest, meaning that Den Heads thought he had the best unfunded pitch of the season. For another, just being on the show gave him a massive boost in sales.

“The day after it aired, we did $30,000 or $40,000 in sales,” he says. “At that time we were usually doing $1,000 or $2,000 a day.”

Kitsch sold his majority stake in the underwear company in 2016, and has since invested in a winery and a cannabis startup, Doja. In 2018, he sold Doja to Canopy Growth. Between his various endeavours, Kitsch says he has been able to parlay his Armchair Dragon Contest winnings into close to a billion dollars in value. Not surprisingly, he encourages every entrepreneur to try their luck in the Den.

“Absolutely, everyone should try to take their company, their product or service, on the show,” he says. “If nothing else, you get to put it in front of hundreds of thousands, maybe millions of people.”

1. Endy (Company sold for $89 million)

When Mike Gettis and his business partner Aasish Nathwani brought their mattress company, Endy, to the Den in Season 12 , they did it because it seemed so on-brand.

“Our identity was a Canadian brand, and we liked the show,” says Gettis. “We liked that Dragons’ Den had been an institution of Canadian entrepreneurship for some time now.”

He says that being on the show allowed him to connect with customers in a new way.

“We still get people coming up to us and talking about how they saw us on the show,” he says. “I think the way the show’s set up, the audience is kind of on your side and rooting for you.”

Gettis has one major piece of advice for would-be pitchers: practice.

“Practice your pitch,” he says. “We went over ours about 10 times before we went on. That way, when you’re walking in the Den and the nerves hit you, you’re ready to fire.”

Watch the Next Level Special on March 7, 2019 at 8 p.m. (8:30 NT) on CBC-TV.

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best business ideas dragons den

From Reggae Reggae sauce to Skinny Tan: Seven of the most successful businesses to come out of the Dragons' Den

  • Levi Roots' Reggae Reggae sauces are now stocked in all major UK supermarkets
  • Magic Whiteboard received £100,000 investment and now makes sales of £1.2m
  • Self-tan brand Skinny Tan made profits of £600,000 in its first year

By Camilla Canocchi for Thisismoney.co.uk

Updated: 15:01 EST, 27 March 2021

View comments

The five business titans of the BBC's Dragons’ Den haven't always got it right over the past years.

Just think of when  they turned down a request for £100,000 from Brewdog 's co-founders in 2008 that would now be worth £360million.

Or when they refused to give James Nash £250,000 for his Cup-a-wine idea, which was later picked up by M&S, which used it for its award-winning Le Froglet wine.

Coming soon: The 18th series of Dragons' Den begins next week

Coming soon: The 18th series of Dragons' Den begins next week

But despite some missed opportunities, the entrepreneurs have also done some pretty good deals since the launch of the TV programme in 2005, backing companies which have become highly successful. 

As the 18th series of Dragons' Den begins next week, researchers from money.co.uk have compiled a list of the seven most successful ideas.

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Dragons : Peter Jones and Richard Farleigh.

Investment amount : £50,000 for a 40 per cent equity in the company.

Back in 2007, Reggae singer and chef Levi Roots pitched his spicy Reggae Reggae Sauce to the Dragons.

Reggae singer and chef Levi Roots pitched his Reggae Reggae Sauce to the Dragons in 2007

Reggae singer and chef Levi Roots pitched his Reggae Reggae Sauce to the Dragons in 2007

The sauce is a secret recipe from Levi's grandmother, which, despite being dismissed by Duncan Bannatyne, was backed by Peter Jones and Richard Farleigh, who invested £50,000 for an impressive 40 per cent equity in the company.  

Reggae Reggae sauces are now stocked in all major UK supermarkets, taking Roots’ worth to an estimated £30million, according to the Sunday Times Rich List.

In a recent interview , Levi revealed how he received a phone call in 2007 from Sainsbury’s then chief executive Justin King telling him his sauce was outselling Heinz Tomato Ketchup. 

Peter Jones remains a shareholder and advocate for the brand, claiming 'it’s one of my most successful investments from the show'.

Magic Whiteboard 

Dragons : Deborah Meaden and Theo Paphitis.

Investment amount: £100,000 investment for a 40 per cent share of the company.

Founded by husband-and-wife team Neil and Laura Westwood back in 2006, Magic Whiteboard is basically a roll of whiteboard sheets that sticks on anything thanks to static. It is now stocked in all major office supply stores with a global customer base. 

The couple pitched their idea to the Dragons in 2008 and secured £100,000 from Deborah Meaden and Theo Paphitis, who put the product into 237 of his Ryman office stationery stores. 

The company has since expanded, selling stationery, notebooks, sticky notes and pegboard noticeboards. They have increased sales from £45,000 to £1.2million a year.

In September 2014, the Westwoods bought back their shares from Meaden and Paphitis, giving the investors an £800,000 return on their £100,000 investment.      

On a roll! Magic Whiteboard was founded by Neil and Laura Westwood back in 2006

On a roll! Magic Whiteboard was founded by Neil and Laura Westwood back in 2006

Dragons : Kelly Hoppen and Piers Linney.

Investment amount: £60,000 for a 10 per cent stake in the company.

Self-tan brand Skinny Tan was founded by a pair of Essex-based mumpreneurs, Kate Cotton and Louise Ferguson who, in a bid to change the perception of fake tans, aimed to create one indistinguishable from the real thing.  

Launched in 2012, the brand boasted profits of £600,000 in its first year - a result which did not go unnoticed by the Dragons, with Kelly Hoppen and Piers Linney offering £600,000 for a 10 per cent stake in the company in 2013.  

Skinny Tan was sold for an undisclosed sum in June 2015 to InnovaDerma, but both co-founders and Hoppen and Linney remain shareholders.

In April 2020, Kate and Louise revealed that they plan to extend to Spain and South Africa next.

In demand: Launched in 2012, Skinny Tan boasted profits of £600,000 in its first year

In demand: Launched in 2012, Skinny Tan boasted profits of £600,000 in its first year

Dragon : Piers Linney

Investment amount : £100,000 for a 4 per cent stake in the company

Personalised children books company Wonderbly was founded by dads Asi Sharabi, David Cadji-Newby, Tal Oron and Pedro Serapicos in 2012. They pitched their idea to the Dragons in 2014.

Originally named Lost My Name, Wonderbly creates unique books based on a child’s name, birthday or location. The idea impressed Piers Linney, who invested the full £100,000 requested for a 4 per cent stake. It later raised £16.5million in three rounds, led by investors including Google Ventures.

The company has gone on to sell more than two million books across the globe, with Dragon Piers Linney reporting it as 'the most successful business to have ever passed through the Den's walls' in 2015.

Magic: Wonderbly has gone on to sell more than two million books across the globe

Magic: Wonderbly has gone on to sell more than two million books across the globe

Razzamataz Theatre Schools

Dragon : Duncan Bannatyne

Investment amount: £50,000

Founder Denise Hutton-Gosney pitched her dance schools to the Dragons back in 2007. She secured an investment of £50,000 from Duncan Bannatyne.

With the Dragon's support, the company was able to launch all over the UK and abroad.

In 2014, Hutton-Gosney was able to buy back Bannatyne's stake in the company for £70,000 and now owns 90% of the company.

Dragons : Duncan Bannatyne and James Caan

Investment amount: £150,000 in return for a 36% stake in his business

Entrepreneur Peter Moule invented a plastic cable device as a way to store electrical wires safely and pitched his idea to the Dragons in 2007, when he secured the support of Duncan Bannatyne and James Caan. 

Peter's gadget went on to net £25million in global sales since first appearing on the show.

In an interview with North East Exclusive magazine in 2013, Bannatyne described Chocbox as one of his best investments from the show.

Clever: Peter Moule's gadget went on to net £25m in sales since first appearing on the show

Clever: Peter Moule's gadget went on to net £25m in sales since first appearing on the show

Mainstage Festivals

Investment amount: £100,000 in return for 15 per cent of their company.

Founded in 2011 by Rob Tominey and Aden Levin, Mainstage Festivals offered 'once in a lifetime' low-cost clubbing holidays for 18 to 24 year olds.

When Tominey and Levin pitched to the Dragons, the business already had revenues of £1.6million.

The entrepreneurs received multiple bids and accepted Piers Linney’s offer for £100,000 in return for 15 per cent of their company.

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best business ideas dragons den

Dragon’s Den judges share their best business advice

best business ideas dragons den

Dragon’s Den judges are quick to torch bad business ideas, so what’s their advice for entrepreneurs just starting out?

Striking it out on your own and going the route of an entrepreneur can reap incredible rewards. This includes fortune, fame, being the head of huge company and the satisfaction of executing your own ideas. It’s little wonder that it’s the dream for so many people.

That said, the path to becoming a successful entrepreneur is fraught with difficulty. You risk losing the comfort and convenience of a regular paycheck, you’re faced with the challenge of generating a livelihood for yourself, and your family. It can be a tough, lonely road.

Millions of us tune in every week to watch Dragon’s Den and hopefully glean what makes a good business idea (while wincing at some of the bad ones). Here are six pieces of advice from Dragon’s Den judges both past and present.

>See also: Dragons’ Den’s most successful reject, Shaun Pulfrey celebrates 10 years of Tangle Teezer

best business ideas dragons den

‘There is no secret… work hard, be good, judge well, commit hard and enjoy’

Deborah Meaden

Deborah Meaden first acquired her fortune in the holiday park industry when her company, Westar Holidays, was bought out. She then entered the textile industry by acquiring Fox Brothers, which produces fine cloth ad materials for tailors and leading fashion houses.

As humans, we’re wired to look for shortcuts: the quickest path to a desired outcome, and it’s no different when it comes to business. Deborah’s advice is that such a path doesn’t exist – there’s no escaping hard work and commitment. Though it may not sound like it, it’s good news, as if you’re willing to put the work in, you will achieve your goals and ambitions.

best business ideas dragons den

‘Anyone can do it’

Duncan Bannatyne

Starting out with an ice cream van, Duncan Bannatyne went on to own an empire encompassing nursing homes, nurseries and the largest independent group of health clubs and spas in the UK.

Duncan’s advice pairs well with the above advice about hard work: anyone can be an entrepreneur if they’re willing to put the work in. That’s pretty encouraging, as having a strong work ethic is something which can be developed, and not a magical genetic skill.

>See also: Dragon’s Den: Gluten-free baker lands a sweet deal for B-Tempted

best business ideas dragons den

‘Do something you enjoy, be collaborative, and hire well’

Piers Linney

Piers Linney comes from a finance background and used his insider knowledge to develop and acquire a series of media, tech and comms businesses, including cloud computing service provider Outsourcery. As well as being an angel investor, he sits on the board of several businesses and charities, as well as being a renowned public speaker.

Doing something you enjoy is imperative as it’s far easier to commit to hard work, long hours and setbacks if you’re stimulated and fulfilled. However, Piers also advises that you can’t do everything by yourself, so you should look to both collaborate with like-minded people and to hire talented individual that will add value to your growing business. Have a mental blueprint of what you’re looking for in potential employees and do what it takes to get them on board.

Kelly Hoppen MBE

‘Passion, dedication, tenacity, self-belief and not being afraid of challenges. When things don’t work out, move on immediately to the next thing and have diversity in the business to keep yourself fresh and inspired’

Kelly Hoppen

Kelly Hoppen made her fortune in interior design, becoming the go-to designer for celebs and the wealthy – most notably, Victoria and David Beckham. She used her stellar reputation, unique sense of style and eye for detail to establish a successful online homeware brand.

Kelly’s advice is all about being robust yet flexible. Things are guaranteed to go awry at some point and that’s when you need self-belief and perseverance to get you through. She also advises having an array of things going on within your business to keep you motivated and on the ball.

If you feel uninspired and that things are getting stagnant, consider working on an idea you’ve been putting off for a while. It might be just the thing to inject some much-needed creativity in your business that will carry over into other aspects of your company.

best business ideas dragons den

‘Surround yourself with positive, determined and focused people. Always be caring, have fun and never forget that for your business to grow you need to make money’

Peter Jones

Peter Jones initially found success with a computer business he started in his bedroom, which he then sold to IBM – at a loss! Forced to move back in with his parents, he soon rebounded and achieved greater success when he founded telecoms company, Phone International Group, which grew rapidly and amassed Peter a fortune.

Peter’s advice is similar to Piers’ in that it homes in on the need to surround yourself with good people. As the saying goes, “iron sharpens iron”, so it’s important to associate with people whose good habits will rub off on you.

Now, you’d be forgiven for thinking that his parting words, “make money” are a little simple, as that should be the goal of every business. However, Peter’s touching on an important point that’s often forgotten by a lot of businesses: ambition is great, but make sure your plans are supported by profit.

best business ideas dragons den

‘I’ve always maintained the basic business principles of keeping it simple, doing your homework, hard work, and common sense.’

Theo Paphitis

Having left school aged 16 with no qualifications because of his dyslexia, Theo Paphitis discovered a passion for retail. Today, his Theo Paphitis Retail Group encompasses Ryman Stationery, Robert Dyas, Boux Avenue and London Graphic Centre, comprising over 330 stores and 4,000 employees who serve over 28 million customers a year.

Theo’s point is that it’s easy to overcomplicate things and think that somehow upgrading your finance team’s IT is going to sort out your cashflow problems or feeding another social media platform will transform your marketing. The truth is running a business is mostly like hitting a nail with a hammer; you have to keep doing the business basics, day in-day out, to get to where you want to go. As the truism says, there’s no substitute for hard work.

Cleo Chaisty is a copywriter for Face for Business , a leading UK telephone answering service

Further reading

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How to make a great business pitch presentation

Whether you’re trying to win new customers or looking for investment, pitching is an unavoidable element of business

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Is your elevator pitch sending you through the roof?

Researching the people you’re pitching to can make all the difference, says pitching coach David Beckett

David Beckett

Interested in getting started? Get the free info pack to find out more

Are you interested in making a Dragons’ Den pitch?

Dragon's Den

“Innovate are here to help you succeed with your Dragons’ Den pitch.”

As the leaders in the field of helping individual inventors and with our unique range of services and experience Innovate’s team can help you prepare for the Dragons.  Our services provide a range encompassing background patent searching, full design services and visualisation work, as well as physical prototyping.  We also provide integrated Intellectual Property and marketing advice and support.  Request a Free Info Pack for further advice.

Over the years we have helped a number of clients successfully prepare for the show.  As a commercial firm,  we are not associated in any way with the BBC , and we can act in your best interests alone.

“We have first-hand knowledge of our clients’ experiences in the Den; which puts us in a unique position to help you prepare.”

The show offers an excellent opportunity for inventors and entrepreneurs in the United Kingdom who are keen to follow in the footsteps of Levi Roots and Kirsty Henshaw.

Innovate will be looking forward to seeing the next generation of entrepreneurs and inventors pitting their wits against this new team of ferocious Dragons!

At Innovate we are always supporting inventors and new ideas so why not  Request  one of our free information packs and take your first steps towards the Den!

Innovate’s latest Clients Chris and Kathryn Baldrey-Chourio – Nana’s Manners to secure £50,000 investment on Dragons’ Den

best business ideas dragons den

Innovate Client Kate Castle, BoginaBag, advises you on succeeding in the Den

Kate Castle used our services, and in 2011 made her Den pitch: a lightweight and portable camping toilet, which Innovate helped her design.  A strong, confident pitch convinced Dragon Theo Paphitis to invest £50,000 in her business. The BoginaBag brand is now thriving with Theo’s support and is now on sale across the world.

“It is a big risk to go on Dragons’ Den and absolutely terrifying, but if you have a product you believe in and a business plan that can withhold some pretty tough scrutiny then the rewards are fantastic.”

Kate’s has the following top tips for the presentation itself:

  • Be honest and confident in what you say for a successful application.
  • In preparation for the Den do your research. I watched hours of episodes and took notes on where people succeeded and where they failed.
  • You are only allowed to take the product and nothing else into the Dragons’ Den. They ask for lots of detailed paperwork but you can’t take any in.
  • You need to appear confident without being arrogant.
  • Remember they want to make an investment; there are no trick questions they just want people to demonstrate that they can make a business work.

Innovate client case study

Dragons’ Den success stories: Latest update from Bog-in-a-Bag

“It is two years since I entered Dragons Den with my product BoginaBag and things have really moved on. Going on Dragons Den not only gives you an opportunity to gain the advice of a “Dragon” but you also gain a huge amount of publicity. There is a real peak after the show is aired and orders went through the roof. 2012 was a tough year for us though and with a terrible Summer, some key customers going under and a natural dip in press coverage, we struggled. It was however with the guidance of Theo and his team and the determination to move to the next level that I prepared for 2013. Deciding that I needed more products to grow the brand, an umbrella brand called Gear to Go was created. This has enabled the launch of new products and the first of these was a foldable water bottle that is now available in all Robert Dyas stores. There are also a number of new lines coming for 2014.

It isn’t just about the new products though and with a new German and Australian distributor coming on board with BoginaBag in early 2013 and a huge increase in customer awareness about the product, June 2013 saw our strongest ever sales. It is after all a product that really needs word of mouth to sell and that seems to have really happened this Summer. So with a new office, revamped website and a renewed excitement for growth, 2014 looks set to be an even bigger year for both Boginabag and Gear to Go.”

Kate Castle

Available to buy here

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Innovate clients that pitched to Dragons Den

Nana’s manner, kathryn & chris baldrey-chourio, teirnan mccorkell.

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Best Episodes

10 Best Episodes of Dragons' Den - Season 20

Budding entrepreneurs get three minutes to pitch their business ideas to five multi-millionaires willing to invest their own cash.

Written by Sophie and last updated on feb 12, 2023.

PS: The following content contains spoilers!

PPS: I will admit that parts of this page was written with the help of AI - it makes my work so much easier to not start from a blank page!

Dragons' Den - S20E1

#5 - Episode 1 (Season 20 - Episode 1)

Facing the Dragons tonight are a young cancer survivor with a stylish pillbox alternative, and two school friends who believe they’ve spotted a gap in the skincare market.

The episode was rated 6.20 from 15 votes.

Dragons' Den - S20E4

#4 - Episode 4 (Season 20 - Episode 4)

The Dragons decide whether to invest in a sparkly party-wear business or pop-up board games. A cleaning product entrepreneur aims to make a positive social impact by turning homes into mini factories.

The episode was rated 6.43 from 14 votes.

Dragons' Den - S20E3

#3 - Episode 3 (Season 20 - Episode 3)

A refillable fragrance company gets the Dragons’ creative juices flowing, and a green-fingered entrepreneur hopes to sow the seeds of success with his accessible gardening enterprise.

The episode was rated 6.62 from 13 votes.

Dragons' Den - S20E2

#2 - Episode 2 (Season 20 - Episode 2)

The Dragons listen to pitches from a couple who organise social events for four-legged friends and a 29-year-old with a larger-than-life clothing business.

The episode was rated 6.73 from 11 votes.

Dragons' Den - S20E5

#1 - Episode 5 (Season 20 - Episode 5)

Entrepreneurs pitch a selection of handbags made from fish skin, personalised bank cards, an app that shows you local shops, and an alarm system that tackles van crime.

The episode was rated 7.00 from 15 votes.

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ME patients have often been dismissed or stigmatised in the past.

Scientists find link between brain imbalance and chronic fatigue syndrome

Scientists describe small study as long overdue deep dive into biology of condition

Scientists have uncovered compelling evidence for abnormalities in the brain and immune systems of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), also known as myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME).

The findings, in one of the most rigorous investigations to date, begin to illuminate the biological basis for the illness that can cause disabling fatigue. The study is the first to demonstrate a link between imbalances in brain activity and feelings of fatigue, and suggests that these changes could be triggered by abnormalities in the immune system.

“People with ME/CFS have very real and disabling symptoms, but uncovering their biological basis has been extremely difficult,” said Walter Koroshetz, director of NIH’s National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) in the US. “This in-depth study of a small group of people found a number of factors that likely contribute to their ME/CFS.”

The study involved only 17 patients and the findings need to be confirmed in a larger group before they can be claimed as a roadmap towards new treatments. It is also not clear to what extent the findings apply to long Covid as the patients were recruited and assessed before the pandemic. But scientists have described the work as a long overdue deep dive into the biology of the condition.

“This is such an important paper and one I am so pleased to see come out,” said Prof Karl Morten, who researches ME/CFS at the John Radcliffe hospital, University of Oxford, and was not involved in the latest work. “We’ve had lots of little studies showing there might be a problem with this cell or that cell, but no one has really looked at everything in one patient before.”

Patients in the study, carefully selected from an initial pool of 300, had all experienced an infection prior to becoming ill. During the study, they stayed at an NIH clinic for a week and were given a wide range of physiological assessments.

Results from functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) brain scans showed that people with ME/CFS had lower activity in a brain region called the temporal-parietal junction (TPJ), which may cause fatigue by disrupting the way the brain decides how to exert effort. The motor cortex, a brain region that directs the body’s movements, also remained abnormally active during fatiguing tasks. However, there were no signs of muscle fatigue.

This suggests that fatigue in ME/CFS could be caused by a dysfunction of brain regions that drive the motor cortex and that changes in the brain may alter patients’ tolerance for exertion and their perception of fatigue.

“We may have identified a physiological focal point for fatigue in this population,” said Brian Walitt, associate research physician at NINDS and first author of the study, published in Nature Communications . “Rather than physical exhaustion or a lack of motivation, fatigue may arise from a mismatch between what someone thinks they can achieve and what their bodies perform.”

Morten said that the discovery of abnormalities in brain function does not suggest that patients are psychologically driving their own illness or have any control over it. “The brain can respond to stimuli and impact on the body,” he said. “The brain is physically, biochemically not functioning properly and it’s the illness that’s doing that, not the patient.”

The patients also had elevated heart rates and their blood pressure took longer to normalise after exertion. There were also changes to patients’ T cells, sampled from cerebrospinal fluid, suggesting these immune cells were trying to fight something off. This could indicate the immune system has failed to stand down after an infection has cleared or that a chronic infection is present, undetected, in the body.

The authors trace out a possible cascade of events, starting with a persistent immune response, which could cause changes in the central nervous system, leading to alterations in brain chemistry and ultimately affect the function of specific brain structures that control motor function and the perception of fatigue.

“We think that the immune activation is affecting the brain in various ways, causing biochemical changes and downstream effects like motor, autonomic, and cardiorespiratory dysfunction,” said Avindra Nath, clinical director at NINDS and senior author of the study.

The findings have been welcomed by scientists as an important step towards uncovering the underlying biological causes of the illness. Until now, the lack of any clear biological basis for the illness has led to patients being dismissed, stigmatised and having to navigate ineffective treatment options.

  • ME / Chronic fatigue syndrome
  • Medical research

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best business ideas dragons den

UK to launch world's largest genetic study into chronic fatigue syndrome

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  3. Gousto's Angel Investors Cause Difficulty In The Den

  4. There's No Barrier To Entry For This eCommerce Idea

  5. "What Is It I am Investing In"

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COMMENTS

  1. 20 Most Successful Pitches From Dragon's Den of All Time (Updated 2022

    Table of Contents Dragon's Den is a British television series which allows several entrepreneurs to pitch their varying business ideas to a panel of five wealthy investors or Dragons, in the hopes of securing a financial investment while offering a stake in their business in return. The show is presented by Evan Davis.

  2. Dragons' Den: 6 most successful businesses from the show

    Home TV and Film Dragons' Den: 6 most successful businesses from the show The Dragons have invested millions over the years 12 Jan 2023 Eve Crosbie TV & Film Writer We love sitting down to...

  3. The most successful products which got investment on Dragons' Den

    In 2007, Levi Roots' music-led pitch became one of the most memorable in the show's history. It secured a £50k investment for 40 per cent of the business from Dragons, Peter Jones and Richard ...

  4. What are the most successful businesses from Dragons' Den?

    2 Dragons' Den has been running for 17 years and has helped make many millionaires Credit: BBC The most successful businesses from Dragons' Den Look After My Bills The co-founders of Look...

  5. Dragons' Den's most successful businesses

    Written by Megan Dunsby Updated on 23 June 2022 It's now over 10 years since the first episode of Dragons' Den aired on British TV screens and in that time we've seen some brilliant, and not so brilliant, businesses pass through the Den.

  6. Dragons' Den: 5 of the most successful rejected businesses

    Dragons' Den: 5 of the most successful rejected businesses The Dragons have missed out on millions 15 Apr 2021 Eve Crosbie TV & Film Writer Dragons' Den has been a launching pad for...

  7. What are the most successful products from Dragons Den?

    Magic Whiteboard With an original investment of £100,000 from Deborah Meaden and Theo Paphitis, this portable whiteboard roll became a smash hit. The Magic Whiteboard was created by husband and...

  8. Dragons' Den: The hits, misses, and why investments fall through

    31 March 2021 By Steven McIntosh Entertainment reporter BBC The Dragons L-R: Sara Davies, Touker Suleyman, Deborah Meaden, Peter Jones, Tej Lalvani There can't be many people who bring wads of...

  9. How to face the Dragons and win: Six questions every business owner

    By Tim Fuell - July 28, 2015 The concept is tried and tested: Budding entrepreneurs pitch business ideas to multimillionaires. Series 13 of Dragons' Den is currently airing on the BBC and has even more entrepreneurs jostling for investment from the Dragon investors.

  10. Dragons' Den: The hits, misses, and why investments fall through

    But then again, most people don't work in Dragons' Den, the long-running TV series which sees hopeful entrepreneurs pitch their business ideas to industry leaders in an effort to secure investment.

  11. The 8 most ingenious products ever on Dragons' Den

    The 8 most ingenious products ever on Dragons' Den We're very much "in" for these goodies. By Tom Eames Updated: 03 April 2021 Across 17 (yes, SEVENTEEN) series of Dragons' Den, the...

  12. Seven of the biggest success stories of Dragons' Den

    Hannah Finch Levi Roots with his Caribbean inspired ice cream launched in 2020 The Dragon's Den is now in its 20th series and has made household names for the dragon investors while launching hundreds of businesses, making millionaires along the way.

  13. Are you preparing a Dragons' Den pitch? Here are 10 top tips!

    Preparing a Dragons' Den pitch tip #1: Research the Dragons Unlike with a bank or grant, when you go onto Dragons' Den, you're asking people to invest their time, money, and business acumen in your idea. Researching who they are, and the kinds of investments they've made in the past is essential.

  14. Top 5 most successful businesses who pitched on Dragons' Den

    Error 1 Retry ADVERTISEMENT Dragons' Den has been helping Canadian entrepreneurs grow their businesses for 13 years, and for some of them, it's been a launching point for massive success. We...

  15. "The Most Ridiculous Business Idea I've Ever Heard"

    A pitch so scary that it had Duncan Bannatyne in stitches. Witness a memorable moment when the Dragons are reduced to tears at Andrew's pitch.An internationa...

  16. Seven Dragons' Den success stories

    The sauce is a secret recipe from Levi's grandmother, which, despite being dismissed by Duncan Bannatyne, was backed by Peter Jones and Richard Farleigh, who invested £50,000 for an impressive 40...

  17. The Most Successful Pitch In Dragons' Den History

    Reggae singer and chef Levi Roots is seeking an investment of £50,000 to manufacture his spicy Reggae Reggae Sauce, in return, Levi is offering a 20% equity ...

  18. Dragon's Den judges share their best business advice

    Millions of us tune in every week to watch Dragon's Den and hopefully glean what makes a good business idea (while wincing at some of the bad ones). Here are six pieces of advice from Dragon's Den judges both past and present. >See also: Dragons' Den's most successful reject, Shaun Pulfrey celebrates 10 years of Tangle Teezer

  19. Dragons' Den series 20: The Dragons share their favourite ...

    Published: 1:30 pm, 9 December 2022 As Dragons' Den returns to BBC One and BBC iPlayer for its 20th series on 5 January, we sat down with the Dragons themselves to find out what's in...

  20. Dragons Den Ideas, Pitches, and Success Stories

    Innovate Client Kate Castle, BoginaBag, advises you on succeeding in the Den Kate Castle used our services, and in 2011 made her Den pitch: a lightweight and portable camping toilet, which Innovate helped her design. A strong, confident pitch convinced Dragon Theo Paphitis to invest £50,000 in her business.

  21. The most successful products from Dragons Den and where to buy them

    3 January 2024 · 3-min read Have you ever used one of the most successful Dragons Den products? (Image: BBC Studios/Simon Pantling) As Dragons Den returns for another series we've looked...

  22. 10 Best Episodes of Dragons' Den

    There are some true inventors in the Den this episode, including a returning entrepreneur with a new outdoor space saving device, a golfing duo with a new take on the traditional tee, and a designer who has flipped the conventional umbrella on its head.

  23. 'We went on Dragons' Den but didn't want offers from two dragons'

    Co-founders Michael Goulden and Ben Whitaker of Electric Vehicles charging start-up Kerbo Charge won a £50,000 investment from Deborah Meaden in Dragons' Den last week after choosing between Meaden and Touker Souleyman's offers.. They devised an idea for their charging channel to help EV owners without a driveway - that eliminates the current problems including: the cable tripping hazard as ...

  24. The Clash of Titans and Green Dreams: A Tale from Dragon's Den

    Imagine standing before a group of some of the most successful entrepreneurs in the country, your heart racing as you pitch not just a business, but a dream. This was the reality for Charlie, a bright-eyed entrepreneur from South East London, who stepped into the Dragon's Den with a vision to transform recycled plastic into high-end accessories.

  25. 10 Best Episodes of Dragons' Den

    10 Best Episodes of Dragons' Den - Season 20. Budding entrepreneurs get three minutes to pitch their business ideas to five multi-millionaires willing to invest their own cash. Written by Sophie and last updated on feb 12, 2023. PS: The following content contains spoilers!

  26. Scientists find link between brain imbalance and chronic fatigue

    Doctors complain to BBC over Dragons' Den contestant's claim 'to have cured ME' 24 Jan 2024 Women with ME tend to have more symptoms than men, study suggests