Series 12 of Dragons’ Den has come to a close, and yet again has provided us with some more of the brilliant pitches that we love, and plenty of the classic too-far-outside-of-the-box ideas that we love even more.

We’ve seen everything from princesses to barbecue flavoured insects, and here’s a run-down of just some of the best and worst.

“I’m going to make you an offer…”

Baggers Originals

Making a comeback with a previously successful brand, episode 8 brought to us Angela and her daughter Jessica. When Jessica was a small child, Angela launched Baggers Originals, the childrenswear for wet weather with a built in pouch that allows the garment to fold into itself and reduce mess. However Angela’s business snowballed out of control quickly and soon ceased trading, and years later, again with her daughter as inspiration, Angela relaunched Baggers Originals. With their healthy finances and deals already in place with Monsoon, Angela and Jessica impressed the Dragons. Deborah offered half of the requested investment for 15 per cent equity, which Peter then matched, and the ladies left the Den in an even stronger position than when they entered.

Yee Kwan Ice Cream & Sorbet

Entering the Den in episode 10 with a new twist on a classic treat, Yee Kwan gave the Dragons a taste of something new. Whilst Duncan wasn’t so keen on the black sesame seed ice cream, or the green tea matcha or lychee flavours, Peter polished off three tubs, and the rest of the Dragons seemed to like the product. As discussion progressed around how difficult it is to get a business like this off of the ground, Yee Kwan brought up retailers already stocking her products and her plans to progress. Eventually Kelly offered the full amount of £50,000 in exchange for 35 per cent of the business – 15 per cent more than Yee Kwan intended to give up. Deborah then also offered £50,000, but asked for 30 per cent. After much backwards and forwards in which Deborah refused to explain why she would be a beneficial investor, Kelly gave straight answers. But even despite this, the difference in equity swung the deal for Yee Kwan and she chose to accept Deborah’s offer.

Mallzee

Bringing online shopping into our social media obsessed culture, Cally arrived in the Den with a creative solution. Mallzee is a shopping app that works like Tinder – suggestions are given to the user and they swipe it left or right depending on whether they like or dislike it. The software then learns the likes of the user and chooses recommendations based on this, and allows for sharing with friends via chat.

Kelly may have been right in saying that this will not replace the experience of browsing the shops, however this has been true of online shopping for years and has not diminished its success. Mallzee could trump the way we online shop as it draws from many different retailers, and users will know that they can just browse the things they like without having to look for something specific. It could be an app to use for fun, and the software’s ability to show the user what they like will more than likely lead to more purchases.

Cally asked for £75,000 in exchange for 5 per cent of the business. Peter offered this full amount, however he requested 20 per cent, dropping to 15 per cent once he made his return. Cally however had other plans, and left the Den after declining the only offer made to him.

Seabung

With one of the most niche products to be successful in the Den, John and Sam pitched their invention Seabung to the Dragons, a device that allows for valves and seacocks on boats to be repaired without taking the boat off of the water. Cutting out the most time consuming and inconvenient part of the process is an advantage for all boat owners, and the benefits of Seabung kept on coming. John and Sam also claimed that this product would be incredibly useful in emergency situations, and were attempting to have legislation changed so that all boats will have Seabung on board as a mandatory item.

With a very smart product that has the potential to make a huge profit, the Dragons climbed on board. Both Kelly and Deborah offered half of the requested money in exchange for 10 per cent equity, and their partnership was accepted by John and Sam.

Neo-Slip

Last of the best from the second half of series 12 is here not because of the stumbling and awkward pitch, not because of Neomi’s apparently minimal knowledge of business, and not because she received no offers. In fact these reasons meant that this pitch could have also been one of the worst.

However, Neo-Slip, as invented by Neomi, is a small piece of fabric that aids the use of anti-embolism stockings. As a nurse, Neomi has experience of how difficult these stockings are to wear, how this difficulty causes patients to not bother with them, and how this can be fatal. Neo-Slip is a product that really works and is a solution to a big problem, and Neomi deserves credit for this invention. We can only hope that Neo-Slip is picked up by the NHS as Neomi suggested and will help to save lives.

“I’m out.”

Male Leggings

Kicking off the second half of the series with a complete eye-sore were three young gentlemen wearing leggings. Freedom of expression may be one thing, and anyone can choose to wear whatever they like, however the biggest issue with this product is that leggings are not a replacement for trousers. This along with the fact that the designs pitched looked absolutely ridiculous, it was no surprise that the Dragons weren’t interested.

Charlie’s Cartoons

Charlie Anderson came into the Den with a novel gift idea – personalised caricatures. Whilst this isn’t a particularly new idea, the innovation within Charlie’s business was his £140 RRP. Needless to say that this is far too much for a gimmicky gift that nobody would really want to have on their wall, and considering the time and money going into creating these caricatures, the investment was simply not worth it, and no offers were made.

The Dot Range

In episode 9, Ryan walked into the Den looking for £150,000 for 11 per cent of his electric toothbrush business. With seemingly no dental background whatsoever, the only unique selling point Ryan had to offer was that these toothbrushes came in a variety of designs. It’s baffling to think that anybody would buy a toothbrush based on how it looks, and Ryan had no previous sales to show that anybody was interested in purchasing a fancy looking, £99.99 toothbrush. It’s fairly clear that this business is not going to compete with the market leaders, and none of the Dragons wanted to be a part of it.

Matrix RSS Ltd.

A man with a solution to an incredibly specific problem arrived in the Den with his piracy prevention system in episode 10. Michael showed his contraption to the Dragons, demonstrating how the radar and satellite features pinpoint potential attackers and will release drones to prevent pirate attacks out on the water. However with the existence already of even more advanced technology, and the risk of mistaking other sailors for attackers, the Dragons withdrew from investing any money, but not before Deborah told Michael that he is stubborn and would be impossible to work with.

Jackpen

The last of the worst pitches and products is Andrew and Gary’s teeny tiny pen that fits in the headphone socket of a smartphone. The fragility of the product was demonstrated by Piers, and the fact that you could lose this tiny pen extremely quickly and be back to square one again was pointed out by Kelly. When including these points alongside the fact that such a tiny pen would be so awkward to the point where it would be more convenient to find a normal pen, it’s no surprise at all that the Dragons sent Andrew and Gary away with nothing.

So this brings us to the end of series 12 of Dragons’ Den, and also to the end of an era on the show. Concluding the series on his final ever investment, Duncan Bannatyne left the Den for good. Whether the Den will be the same in the future remains to be seen, but we will be welcoming some new Dragons for series 13, and no doubt some more brilliant and ridiculous pitches.

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Dragons’ Den: Best & Worst

Into the Den first were John and Craig with their skip business ‘Herbie’. Having designed a skip that is also a trailer, John and Craig were convinced that their skips are superior, however after much discussion over parking tickets and traffic wardens, the Dragons were quick to tell them otherwise. Although their design was neat and nifty, Peter’s verdict was that it is over-engineered and too expensive, whilst Deborah had issues with its size and where to park it. None of the Dragons decided to invest, and even went so far as to say that the product was “rubbish”.

And now for something completely different! Fresh from his travels around Thailand, the next pitcher into the Den was Chris, and his edible insects. Duncan had a try of a barbecue grasshopper, whilst the ladies kept well away. Peter asked Chris to eat it himself and it was clear that he didn’t enjoy it, despite his best efforts to disguise his true feelings. The Dragons all seemed in agreement that this product would not be taken seriously, and no offers were made.

An odd pitch from Naomi Bennett came next, as she introduced ‘Neo Slip’. Despite completely stumbling over her pitch, losing her way, and arguing with the Dragons, Naomi did demonstrate a very good product. Neo Slip is a piece of slippery material that makes putting on anti-embolism stockings easier. As a nurse herself, Naomi has first-hand experience of the problem these stockings cause and the casualties that ensue, however her business knowledge seemed poor. The Dragons showed respect for the product, however none of them deemed it suitable for investment.

Bringing some style in next were Matt and Elliot, with a business designed to make shopping for suits much easier and more convenient. Their online company requires the customer to be measured, and then once their measurements are uploaded they can customise their own suit and have it made. However Matt and Elliot’s business model stems from a parent company in Australia, meaning that they do not own the business, and this was a setback in the Den. This was not the only issue; Peter was not shy in pointing out the flaws within the business. Deborah liked the idea but had to withdraw due to a conflict of interest, and with their most likely investor out, Matt and Elliot left the Den empty handed.

Moving on to a different kind of clothing, next into the Den was Miranda. Her pitch, delivered at the speed of light, left the Dragons slightly taken aback, but once they caught up with Miranda’s 7000 words-per-minute pace, they all voiced opinions on her beanie hats. Duncan thought that the hats were a fad, whilst Piers pointed out that patenting would be an issue and competitors would swarm the market if the trend caught on again. Both of these issues were enough to stop the Dragons parting with any cash, and Miranda left the Den.

The last pitch of the series was brought to us by Scotsman Ross, whose cash and carry business was pitched under the guise of energy drinks. Showing their own brand energy drinks off as a best seller of the business, Ross asked for £200,000 for 10 per cent equity of the whole business. His figures and his overall knowledge impressed the Dragons, and eventually Peter offered half of the money but asked for 15 per cent equity. Needing another Dragon to invest, it didn’t look optimistic for Ross as the other Dragons pulled away from investing, however Duncan was interested and matched Peter’s offer. After having to decide whether he wanted to give up 30 per cent of his business overall, Ross eventually concluded that it would be worth his while, and accepted the joint offer, leaving the Den with his £200,000 investment.

And so the only investment made in the series 12 finale was also Duncan’s last, and finishing the series with a light-hearted yet touching montage of his time in the Den was the perfect way to say goodbye to this series and a legendary Dragon.

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Dragons’ Den: The final pitches

Ranging from new takes on existing ideas to problem solvers proving that some people literally think of everything, we’ve got some good, and some less so, to get through this week.

First up this week was a lovely young chap named Ryan, pitching flavourly.com. Using independent suppliers, Flavourly delivers boxes of various snacks and foods to subscribers, introducing them to new products.

The Dragons were all impressed with Ryan, however an issue that Kelly in particular had was that the subscribers currently don’t get to choose what goes in their box. Amongst other snags such as a seemingly random business valuation, and the presence of other investors in the business, the Dragons still managed to see the good in Flavourly and Ryan’s commitment. Whilst currently being unable to tailor boxes for each customer was a fatal flaw for Kelly, the remaining four Dragons made offers. Duncan, Deborah and Piers all offered half of the money and requested 10 per cent equity, whilst Peter offered the full amount for 20 per cent. Considering the existence of multiple investors already, choosing Peter would simplify Ryan’s finances a little. However clearly with an idea already of who could help him, Ryan suggested Peter join forces with Piers, and both accepted.

Gliding into the Den next were Scott and Sam, creators of Turbo Wheel. Almost like a Segway but with nothing to hold onto, this device was apparently aimed at commuters. Piers had a little test drive, whilst Peter suggested that this is an inappropriate mode of transport as it could be unsafe and would cause fights. Although this may be a slight exaggeration, his point is correct. There is a reason those who commute don’t do it on roller skates, and that’s because they want to remain under control and not look silly, which also rings true for this product. This could be a fun toy for children, however its £750 RRP means that it’s unlikely any will be sold to this market. The Dragons clearly felt the same way and no offers were made.

Next in and fully prepared for nothing but sending the Dragons (and me) to sleep were David and Sean, who had created Colapz, a range of collapsible camping products. With a pitch that was stalled by Sean forgetting his lines, these guys didn’t start themselves off in the right manner, and this carried on for them. Even ignoring the fact that crumbling under pressure is not a good sign, other complexities within the business plan caused the Dragons to retreat. None of the Dragons made any offers, but this was probably because they were still trying to work out why you would pitch camping equipment but bring along a watering can for demonstration.

Growing from a family tradition, Nicky and Lindsay entered the Den to pitch Granny Marmalade. Using old recipes for an authentic product, these jars of marmalade stand for old-fashioned values. However the Dragons saw an issue here – they loved the name, but the contemporary branding did not give off this message.

As is common in people invested in their own idea, it was clear that the ladies did not take the Dragons’ feedback and advice, and were adamant that their research supported their branding. Both ladies believed in their product maybe a little too much, and did not seem to accept comments from the Dragons that could have helped them, and ultimately their time in the Den was brought to a close with no money being handed over.

As for Nicky and Lindsay, a little bit of maths may be required to give them the reality check that they need. If 20 stores are stocking their product and each sell around 6 units a week, that is 120 units. If it costs just under £2 to manufacture each unit, and these are being purchased by the stockists at £2.40 each, Nicky and Lindsay are making an approximate net profit of £48 per week, working out at roughly £2500 per year. Of course these numbers are rounded up and estimated based on the figures given during the pitch, but it only requires some basic maths and a little bit of realism to work this one out, and this just proves the extremity of the personal investment Nicky and Lindsay have in their product.

Backing away from the numbers now and into a few acres of land with a new throw and catch game for kids. This game almost resembled a slingshot and catcher’s mitt encompassed into one device that enables you to throw long distances. The Dragons seemed unimpressed; Piers said that you would need a huge space to be able to play this game, and Kelly recognised pitcher Nick from his previous design work, which she praised highly before proceeding to ask what he is doing being involved in this product. None of the Dragons saw the appeal and no offers were made.

Rounding off this week with product that is the definition of niche were John and Sam. Proving that there are solutions to problems that I would never in a million years have thought of, John and Sam presented Seabung, a plug style device that enables the flow of water within a specific area of a boat to stop so that a valve can be changed. Ordinarily this would be a process that would require taking the boat out of water, and therefore taking up a lot time, but this little rubber bung enables the job to be done in no time at all whilst the boat remains on the water.

All Dragons (excluding a grumpy Duncan) liked the product and seemed very impressed with all aspects of the business. The hope of a legislation change that would mean all boats would need to carry this equipment on board in case of emergency meant that the potential of this investment for the Dragons was huge. Deborah offered half of the money but requested 10 per cent equity, and Kelly then replicated this offer. After much discussion, John and Sam attempted to lower the percentages Deborah and Kelly would take, but both dug their heels in and eventually had their offers accepted.

This week’s array of personalities, pitches and products provided us with some hope. Whilst Ryan and flavourly.com will most likely do well, this will be nothing compared to the success of Seabung if it can become a necessity on the same level as a life-jacket.

Next week will be the last in series 12 of Dragons’ Den, and it must be time for the Dragons to relieve themselves of some of that cash they’ve been hanging onto.

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Dragons’ Den: Snacks, Camping and a Seabung

Having fallen victim to piracy in the past (ship-based, not the online kind), Michael J. Scott brought his “unique”, “affordable” and “technologically advanced” satellite system to the Dragons. The Matrix RSS detects ships that could pose a threat as they approach, and uses drones to stall the potential attackers.

Michael’s belief in his technology radiated through when under the Dragons’ fire as he batted away every question or issue brought up, including the level of technology discussed by both Piers and Peter, and the question of being sure that a potential attack is genuine before releasing defence mechanisms. Finally Deborah called Michael out on his stubbornness and arrogance, saying that he would be very difficult to work with. None of the Dragons made any investments.

Next in came two men who seem to have trouble misplacing things. With a solution to their problem of never being able to find a pen, they invented a pen that fits in the headphone jack of a smartphone. However the problems with this come in many forms; Piers demonstrated how easily destructible the pens are, Kelly pointed out that you would just end up losing that too when you want to use your headphones, and of course there is the fact that to fit in the headphone jack, this pen has to be tiny, which makes it much more easy to misplace and therefore negates the whole point of its existence. And let’s not forget that such a tiny pen would be so difficult to write with – it would be a lot less hassle to just find a regular pen. The Dragons seemed to all feel the same way and all backed away from investing.

Arriving to fuel my already existing ice cream craving came Yee Kwan with a slight twist on the frozen treat. With Asian inspired flavours and quality ingredients, Yee Kwan’s best sellers include green tea matcha, black sesame seed, and lychee. Duncan didn’t take too well to the flavours, however Peter ate three tubs during the pitch, and the other Dragons also seemed to enjoy them. The Dragons all expressed concerns about how to get this type of business off of the ground, and slowly declare themselves out until only Kelly and Deborah were left. Kelly offered the full £50,000 but asked for 35 per cent equity, 15 per cent more than offered by Yee Kwan. Deborah then also offered the full amount but for 30 per cent.

Upon being asked what they would bring to the investment, Deborah seemed unwilling to give reasons and stated that all of this information is on her website, continuing on to drop names like Waitrose, whilst Kelly gave a clear and concise answer. However despite this, the 5 per cent difference in offers seemed to sway it for Yee Kwan and she accepted Deborah’s offer.

Bringing functionality into the Den came former lawyer Tom. With lots of statistics proving that cyclists are the most vulnerable road users in Britain, Tom pitched his horn for bicycles, alongside a kid’s version of the product. Whilst this is a great idea and would certainly cause drivers to look again if they heard it, keen cycler Piers shared his issues with relying on technology instead of on his own eyes and instincts. The practicality of this product has to be put into question – for instance in my experience of driving a car, I’ve been too late getting to the horn in the times when I should’ve used it, and before I can process it the moment has passed and it is too late. When considering that all I have to do is shift my hand a little and push on the wheel, it has to be questioned whether reaching for the horn on the bicycle whilst reacting to a vehicle coming at you is really plausible.

The Dragons also voiced concerns regarding the product’s patent, and no offers were made for Tom.

Following something of a trend for sending boxes to online subscribers, a new take on the concept called SassyBloom was next to be pitched to the Dragons, by founders Darren, Holly and Paul. The idea behind the boxes is to send them to subscribers based on the age and development of their baby. Peter saw flaws in this customer base, but was immediately argued with by Paul. None of the Dragons made any offers and the trio left empty handed.

Last in this week’s episode came Cally, with his online shopping app named Mallzee. Almost like Tinder but for shopping, the app gives the user a range of products from various high street retailers to look at and like or dislike, and then learns the tastes of that user so that it can choose what to recommend. Mallzee already contains a lot of backing and could be an alternative way of online shopping, however Kelly argued that this will not replace the feeling of shopping in real life.

The Dragons found their reasons for not making any investments, until only Peter remained. Peter offered the full £75,000, however requested 20 per cent equity, when only 5 per cent was offered to begin with. Even after suggesting he would drop this after making his return, this was too big a chunk of the business to give away and Cally declined Peter’s offer.

Despite leaving with nothing, Mallzee is the most promising business idea pitched in the Den this week, and although I would be very interested in trying some black sesame seed ice cream, Mallzee may be the next big thing despite having no help from the Dragons.

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Dragons’ Den: Wisdom does not always come with age

Immediately catching the eye of the Dragons’ with a slightly corny little dance routine was Charlotte King, and her company “Shoe Look”. Charlotte’s product took inspiration from the iconic Louboutin red sole, and claimed that Shoe Look would give “soul to soles” through sticking a pretty patterned sticker on the soles of your heels to jazz them up a bit. Anyone interested in shoes or fashion knows how this has worked for Louboutin, however a £2.99 sticker that may as well be a piece of wrapping paper (Peter’s words) might not quite have the same effect.

The issues the Dragons’ faced with Charlotte’s product were numerous – first of all the durability of the sticker was questioned, and then the fit of the sticker to a pair of shoes. None of the issues the Dragons had could be addressed or fixed, including those regarding the small profit margins and lack of room for investment. Charlotte left the Den with well-wishes from the Dragons but no investments.

From the sing-song pitch of a theatre girl, next came the uncomfortable and stutter filled pitch of Andy and Dan. Approved Food Ltd aims to obliterate the idea of best before dates by selling food at or past this at a cheaper price. With backgrounds in market trading, selling food at cut price is a no brainer, and the website Andy and Dan have created holds up. However issues started to form when questions came about the valuation of their business. It seemed that figures were plucked out of thin air, and with the revelation that a house was remortgaged and loans were being personally guaranteed, it became more and more apparent that these nice guys were too close to their idea to see the reality of the money it could make for them. The Dragons hung onto their money a little longer as Andy and Dan left the Den.

The Dragons’ got a little bit of a scare when faced with the next product – eco-friendly coffins, made from compacted straw. Although similar in appearance to wood, the material didn’t hold many other benefits, and the pitch quickly turned into a deforestation debate amongst the Dragons. None of them were interested in this product and no offers were made.

The next product surely must exist only so that the practically minded (such as myself) can have reason to bang their head against a wall. Pitching the Dot Range, Ryan brought into the Den a range of electric toothbrushes with seemingly the sole purpose of being pleasing to the eye. For so many reasons this type of product will not work – firstly because the market leaders sell their products by demonstrating the benefits (i.e. this toothbrush will clean your teeth using method X), and this is surely the only reason anyone would need to buy a toothbrush. I own an electric toothbrush made by one of these leading brands; it is white and blue, and I am extremely happy with it because cleans my teeth well (and has the ability to stand up, unlike Ryan’s).

The Dragons’ had an array of questions, especially about the price (£99.99, for a toothbrush that’s unique feature is its appearance), and whether an electric toothbrush even has a battery in it (Duncan’s misunderstanding of how charging a device works). Kelly said that she didn’t understand why toothbrushes were only made in white, but I can answer this; white is clean, white is pure, and white is clinical, there is nothing else you should want to be putting in your mouth to keep it clean.

Despite an order already from Boots, the Dragons’ didn’t fancy taking a chance on a product yet to sell, and no offers were made.

Moving on to one of the more random products to grace the Den, next to arrive was Simon Perks, a chess enthusiast with a unique spin on the chess set. With a range of designs, including a glow in the dark style set, Simon’s product is high quality and what he considers to be a collector’s item. Having sold fourteen at over £1000, he is most likely correct, however it was not for the Dragon’s, and yet again this week, no investments were made.

Lastly into the Den walked two stylish young ladies, Levi and Dana, representing Enclothed. Hoping to make clothes shopping a less painful experience, Enclothed offer an online personal shopping experience for men, using state of the art software and a team of stylists. The customer sets parameters on the website, the software outputs a list of items that fit, the stylists select those that work for the customer, and a box is sent to them. The customer then chooses what they like and sends back what they don’t, and simply pays for what they keep at standard retail prices.

After a grilling from Peter, all of the Dragons’ showed an interest in this business, and seemed very impressed with Dana and Levi. Peter was the first to make an offer, asking for 20 per cent equity if he were to invest all of the money. Next to chip in was Piers, who suggested that he should go halves with a female dragon, and offered half of the money for 7.5 per cent. Kelly then matched this offer, while Deborah offered all of the money for 15 per cent, with the add on that she would also be happy to split the investment.

Considering that the software is fundamental to the business, Piers would be a great Dragon to have on side, while Kelly’s design background would be an asset. After some deliberation, Kelly and Piers were accepted.

This week only one pitch resulted in any offers being made by the Dragons’. It seems that it is becoming increasingly difficult to impress in the Den, and so next week we hope to see the bar being raised even more. For now I have no doubt that businesses like Enclothed will become more common, stickers for shoe soles will not, and that I will never wish for my toothbrush to be a fashion accessory.

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Dragons’ Den: Dancing intros, designer toothbrushes and past best-before food

First to arrive was a very enthusiastic young man called Charlie, presenting his business ‘Charlie’s Cartoons’. Based around the concept of creating hand-painted and personalised caricatures, Charlie expected this product to be mostly bought as a quirky gift. He also stated that using a standardised style meant that he could grow his workforce, which would definitely be needed considering each painting takes between three and five hours to create. So far this sounds like a lovely idea, although immediately it is obvious that this is a niche product for people who really do like caricatures, and this becomes more apparent when told the selling price: £140. For a quirky little gift, this is very expensive. The consensus in the Den was that Charlie is a very overenthusiastic guy, who talks way too much, and ultimately no offers were made.

Next into the Den with a concept most people are familiar with came Raj, and his company ‘iGlove’. Using a very small amount of silver in the tips of the glove, allowing for heat transfer but not affecting colour too much, iGlove has a registered trademark and patent pending. However this was nowhere near enough for Peter Jones, who was adamant that eventually Apple will want to steal this product and any profits away from Raj. All Dragon’s echoed this and retreated from making an offer, until only Duncan was left. Maybe it was the possibility of making a phone call by speaking into a glove that attracted Duncan, or maybe he felt just stubborn enough to want to prove Peter wrong, but Duncan took to the product, offering Raj the full £75,000 for 40 per cent equity, agreeing to reduce this to 30 per cent upon making a return. This warranted many “are you crazy?” looks from the other Dragons’, but Duncan obviously felt that this was a risk worth taking. Hopefully in the future we will see who made the right call.

Suddenly the Den is run amok with Princesses, who look an awful lot like Disney characters despite being completely unrelated. My Little Princess Party are a company providing children with the party they’ve dreamed of. The Dragons are wary of the very small profit margins and how unsuccessful this particular market can be. No offers are made, and the beautifully made up ladies leave the Den.

Next up, the firm favourite intro of dancing! Demonstrating earphones that stayed in the ears whilst head spinning and so on, Ear Candi was brought to us by two laid-back yet clued up guys providing a small mould that fits around an earphone, moulds and sets to the shape of your ear. Backed by Judge Jules and a Formula 3 racing driver, proving the range of uses for the product, Ear Candi also boasts offers from two outside investors. The Dragons all find reasons to hang on to their money, such as Peter’s expertise on in-ear technology, and Kelly’s issue with the £14.99 RRP, and no offers are made despite a good pitch.

And from the plausible to the frankly insane, a lovely man named John wheeled in on his scooter/bike contraption that he designed himself. With a few odd, wheeled inventions, and quick wit, John amused the Dragons’, but the safety and practicality of his ideas was way too out there and all withdrew.

Lastly in this week’s instalment, in attempt to avenge an old business that died an explosive death, we were introduced to Baggers Original. The company, created by Angela 23 years ago, is based around childrenswear for wet weather that folds into a small bag. Angela had this idea whilst raising 5 year old Jessica, and now 23 years later the mother and daughter duo have decided to resurrect the business that grew far too rapidly for Angela to keep under control. Boasting a trademark, a deal with Monsoon, and impressive statistics, the Dragons’ all seemed impressed, and eventually Deborah offered half of the requested funds, for 15 per cent of the business. Peter then let slip that he wanted 20 per cent, but was willing to match Deborah. Both already are in business together in a similar area, and this team made an awful lot of sense – something that Angela and Jessica had already researched – and they went ahead with accepting the investments from both Dragons.

Plenty of variety this week on Dragons’ Den, and one stand out product that has the potential to be a huge success with the help of Deborah Meaden and Peter Jones.

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Princesses and wearable tech brave the Dragons’ Den

This week in the Den we got the mix of businesses, characters and offers that we love, with some ridiculous (yay!) and some promising (even bigger yay!) pitches.

First we met Richard and Stuart, and their board games. Instantly I wasn’t convinced by this pitch; first of all because of the unfortunate awkwardness and lack of personality within the presentation, but also because board games are kind of old news. As Piers put it, board games are like vinyl records, some people will have them and like them but times have moved on. And just to add to this, none of the games pitched seemed new or exciting.

The Dragons mostly agreed on the fact that the numbers were small and profits were low, and on the basis that the investment would be used mostly to get Richard and Stuart out of debt, Kelly, Deborah and Piers declared themselves out. At this point Duncan announced that he wanted to take a gamble on this business, but would only offer half of the £50,000 requested and wanted a 15 per cent stake in the business. As Peter was the only other Dragon remaining, he must offer the other £25,000, which he did, stating that he wants 20 per cent and wants Duncan to have the same share. After much backwards and forwards negotiating about percentages, eventually Richard and Stuart accepted, however it didn’t appear that they had much choice, considering their amount of debt.

After Richard and Stuart leave the Den, thanking their lucky stars, next arrived Hugh and Nathan with their business, Torch. An ingenious idea to have a stylish cycling helmet with lights on the front and back, Torch interested the Dragons. This product would no doubt sell as the number of people taking up cycling continues to increase, and for the benefit of being an extra safe way to cycle it would be worth the £85 RRP, a mid-range price within the market.

As it becomes clear that Hugh is already a multi-millionaire and has come to the Den for the expertise over the money, the Dragons also find an issue within the product’s patent. Sadly the patent only covered the design of the helmet and did not protect the concept, which would mean that any company could add lights to their cycling helmet. This issue was too much for the Dragons to overlook and no offers were made.

The next pitch wasn’t much to shout about, apart from the fact that I think it goes down in the history books under “number of golf puns in a couple of minutes”. Rob and Nigel pitched their magnetic golf tees, bored the Dragons, and astounded everyone with their extortionate RRP, but all I noticed was the narration. Mentions of the pitch’s “handicap”, saying that the product is “under par”… Needless to say that Rob and Nigel left empty handed.

Any episode of Dragons’ Den just wouldn’t be complete without that one product that makes you think “why would anybody need that?”, and Jim brought us just that. Stowaway Designs Ltd. is a company producing garden furniture that pops up out of decking using a pressure system. According to Jim this is the new trend and everyone has them. I can’t speak for most people but I definitely don’t have garden furniture like this, nobody I know does, and I haven’t even heard of the concept (despite my constant browsing of home ideas on the internet).

The Dragons all managed to point out flaws within the product; the fact that the floor becomes a table, that you can’t move it around, that you have to buy decking to have the furniture as an add-on, and the overinflated cost of a product that is rather rubbish.

However my issue with this came from Jim’s claim that Starbucks and Costa have shown interest in a product like this for their outside seating areas. Having been an employee of a café with outside seating, I can categorically say that this product would cause much more hassle than simply bringing the chairs and tables back inside – a job that only takes a few minutes and doesn’t rely on mechanical systems or replacing the whole floor – and this is completely ignoring the fact that customers like to move chairs and tables around as they require.

None of the Dragons took to Jim’s product, and, once he located the lift button, he left the Den.

From one silly idea to another, the next we saw was an inside out umbrella, which really was as pointless as it sounds. Instead of folding like a conventional umbrella this folds the opposite way. Even though this would be useful when getting into a car, this is really the only benefit. Nobody wants an umbrella that collects the water inside itself. It was mentioned in the pitch that umbrella designs haven’t changed in a long time, and this clearly is for good reason. None of the Dragons, not surprisingly, wanted to invest.

Last into the Den tonight came Effie with an adorable idea, Just for Tiny People. Effie’s product, bespoke tepees and accessories for children naturally interested Kelly, and Effie’s knowledge, passion and appealing financial success caught the interest of the other Dragons.

This was a pitch worthy of an investment, and Effie received three offers, with Piers and Peter respectably stepping aside. Kelly offered first, the full £50,000 for a 20 per cent share of the business. Duncan wanted 25 per cent, but eventually decided to lower this to 20 per cent. Both Kelly and Duncan were also happy to split the offer and take 10 per cent each. However Deborah caused a stir by grabbing Effie’s attention with talk of the future, and also offered the £50,000, but asked for a 25 per cent share.

It seemed to me from the outset of this pitch that Effie’s business needed Kelly’s help, with her background in interior design and with her amount of contacts, she would be the clear choice. With an offer asking for less of the business too, surely Effie would choose Kelly? But in a slightly surprising end to the episode, for reasons I can’t quite work out, Effie chose to go with Deborah. However I am sure that this partnership will work out and help to push this business with huge potential off of the ground.

Join us after the mid season break for more pitches good and bad!

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Dragons’ Den: The Dragons come face to face with a fellow multimillionaire

First into the Den this week were Vicky and Chantelle, pulled by two adorable Huskies, to pitch the Arctic Quest. Offering Husky rides and educational experiences, as well as accommodation, appealed to the Dragons, however their plans to spend the investment on their own land caused the Dragons to become sceptical. Leisure activities involving a different experience are becoming increasingly popular, and this is another experience most would probably like to have – especially along with themed accommodation. However after a grilling about their greatly overvalued business and some helpful tips, such as Kelly’s suggestion to continue renting land, each Dragon pulled out one by one meaning that Vicky and Chantelle left empty handed.

And from one business with overestimated figures we move onto another. Whilst this gourmet drinking chocolate purely sourced from South America looked lovely, and it is definitely a good thing to know your business’ figures inside out, the Dragons were not convinced by the unrealistically optimistic nature of the forecast figures. Drinking hot chocolate is supposed to make you feel warm and fuzzy, and like you could curl up and nap for a while. Unfortunately due to the incessant droning regarding turnover in each year this pitch only succeeded in making me feel like I could nap for a while. I’m not feeling particularly warm and fuzzy about this product, and neither were the Dragons, who all withdrew because of contractual issues and badly estimated forecast figures.

Next we raced through Chris’s computer game pitch. The Dragons’ loved playing the driving game in which the aim is to cause as much damage as possible, but it did distract them from the pitch, which could (in my cynical eyes) be a pre-emptive look at what this game could do to the people who play it. Whilst my issues with the product revolve around my personal dislike of anything that means being engrossed in a smartphone, Chris’s casual approach to his business (“Uhhh… I think we’re still making money”) was a warning sign to the Dragons. Teamed up with the fickle nature of the gaming industry, this was enough reason for all Dragons to decide not to offer any money.

After Chris’s unsuccessful attempt at winning over the Dragons we saw two very well suited up men enter the Den to pitch Bloomin’ Simple, their business in creating greeting cards that are also vases. Available in different designs and for different occasions, this card/vase provided a new alternative for storing flowers, particularly when giving them as a gift. It didn’t prove comforting when Duncan’s questions about the valuation of their business completely stumped these guys, and Kelly pointed out that at £4.99 RRP these cards then become a second purchase alongside flowers.

I was immediately sold on the idea of this product as I believed it to be a temporary, disposable product that you could bin when the flowers died. However as the pitch progressed, and as Peter then suggested this idea to them, I realised that I was wrong, that these vases were made to be kept, and I then changed my mind entirely. I loved the solution to the issue of having to store a vase away when there are no flowers in the house, but it turned out that these card vases caused even more clutter. And I, like the Dragons, am now definitely out.

This week’s montage of pitches treated us to one unlucky Den-goer who caused Duncan to nod off, and what seemed alarmingly like dog deodorant. No surprises that the Dragons didn’t part with any money there.

Now, a thought that has actually crossed my mind in the past, what do motorcyclists do when their visor is covered in water/mud/squished flies? Well finally here is a solution! A protective glove that features a sponge and dry wipe blade. However despite the fact that I am glad something like this exists, you have to ask how two people can invest £100,000 into a product as functional as this and still not have much to show for it. The Dragons only saw overvaluation and didn’t see potential, and so all pulled out.

As we enter the final pitch of the episode, we have to hope that it restores some of the faith we put into these entrepreneurs. Jordan and his Grip It Fixings provide the solution to a common problem most will have encountered when trying to place a screw into a wall. These strong fixings hold a lot of weight and promise to remain sturdy. Peter was keen to test this theory, and promptly pulled the display radiator straight off of its fixings without a great deal of effort. His concerns about the safety of this product caused him to withdraw, and one by one his fellow Dragons told 18 year old Jordan that he is an exceptional young man with a great product and proceeded to follow Peter’s lead until only Deborah remained.

Great interest and deals from retailers were proof that Jordan had a great product (despite Peter’s hulk-like abilities), and Deborah proceeded to offer the full £80,000 for a 30 per cent stake in the business. Eventually 25 per cent was settled on, and Jordan left the Den having accepted the only offer made in this episode.

Personally I believe that Jordan’s product will be a huge success, even if I am put off by the very permanent nature of the huge hole in the wall that the fixings require.

It has to be said that there wasn’t a great deal worth investing in this week, and so despite the preview showing us a giant pair of green underpants and not much else, I do hope that next week the Dragons are feeling less stingy.

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Dragons’ Den: Peter shows his strength and Duncan takes a nap

I’ll explain. Into the Den came Richard and Lynne with their cycle wear range, Fat Lad at the Back. Whilst it is a refreshing idea to create sportswear, particularly in the skin tight category, for the larger person, the Dragons were not convinced by the name of the brand, even after promises of more subtle designs in the future.

Of course Fat Lad at the Back is a tongue in cheek name; most who wear it will undoubtedly be doing so in a self-deprecating way. But it isn’t only that – those who choose to wear it are also saying “yes, I am new to this getting fit thing and no, I’m not planning on pretending any different”. It gives those who are maybe a little larger and want to get fit the permission and acceptance that they might need to know that it is alright for them to do that. All of these thoughts ran through my mind and I was happy to finally hear that this was part of the intention too. And I fully support this. It is just a shame that the Dragons did not get it too.

So Richard and Lynne sadly left empty handed, and in came Tracy and her fancy nanotechnology from the US. These useful items such as clips, hooks, notebooks and so on all came on a backing that used very, very tiny suction pads, or what Tracy called “nanosuction”, meaning that they could be mounted to a surface, wouldn’t budge and would hold up to 5kg in weight.

This type of product would be endlessly useful (think of all the times you’ve wanted to hang something somewhere and didn’t want to drill a hole) due to its strong yet temporary nature, but there was a snag. Tracy did not own this business, she simply had a contract with the business in the States and held exclusive rights. Due to this and the possibility that she could be cut loose at any time, the Dragons were sensible to be sceptical.

After establishing that talks with the company must be had in adjusting her contract, both Duncan and Deborah made offers. Both offered Tracy the full £60,000 she requested, with Duncan asking for 35 per cent and Deborah wanting 40 per cent. Choosing the Dragon who had a gut feeling about the opportunity rather than the one made a U-turn halfway through, Tracy chose Duncan.

And from a product that would be useful in the home, to one that would only maybe be useful if you’re, say, at a festival, next into the Den walked Jordan and Andrew, pitching Morella, a range of umbrellas with drink holders.

I at this point have to question how a person gets to “I know what people need – umbrellas with drinks holders”, because it seemed to me that this idea stemmed from the fact that people now use their phones a lot. I am one of those people who cannot stand it when someone texts (or plays Flappy Bird etc.) and walks at the same time. I dislike the fact that most people nowadays can’t go five minutes without touching their phone.

So, naturally, I immediately disliked this product. Sure I understand that it’s difficult to carry a lot of things at once, but when do you ever need to have more in your hands than an umbrella and a drink? Especially when the type of person I see buying this product most likely also carries a bag.

It didn’t come as a surprise when the Dragons’ seemed uninterested and made no offers.

After this promotion of excessive smartphone use, I was more than happy to see a product arrive that encouraged healthy activity and social interaction. Ukick is a toy aimed at children that is similar to a shuttlecock, with customisable feathers and weights, that can be used to play keepy uppy. As a lot of products like this need to become a “craze”, David and Phil were after some expertise to launch Ukick into an explosion.

This came with questions for the Dragons. They loved the pitch and the efforts put in, but did not see any future potential due to the fact that crazes like this tend to be one hit wonders. Peter envisioned kids in their homes breaking vases and “hitting Grandma on the head”, and he, along with the other Dragons, did not make any offers.

Moving on from fun to functional, next arrived Denise, a lady who suffered disabilities after being involved in a car accident. Her product, a walking stick with LED lights and panic alarm, did interest the Dragons, however none saw enough potential to invest.

Lastly in this weeks’ Dragons’ Den came the only consumable product of the episode, Mallow & Marsh, founded by Harriet. Requesting a rather high £65,000 for only 10 per cent of her business, Harriet had to really sell her more healthy, less processed marshmallows to the Dragons. Kelly commented on the texture of the marshmallows, which seemed more like nougat. The over-packaging of the marshmallows was a concern to the Dragons, as well as the £2.50 RRP for only a small box of 3.

Harriet’s financial projections came under fire, and despite not being able to give any estimates, both Deborah and Peter made offers. Deborah offered the full amount but requested 33.3 per cent of the business, and Peter took an unusual route, offering £80,000 but requesting 40 per cent.

Harriet was unwilling to give away so much of her business, and decided to leave the Den without taking up an offer. This was a brave decision, but one that also seems to have started to pay off – the Mallow & Marsh website has received an incredible amount of traffic, and its Twitter feed is just as busy. It would seem that a lot of people have taken an interest in marshmallows.

Peter pointed out this week that Levi Roots left the Den with 60 per cent of his business and is now a multi-millionaire, something I’m sure a lot of the hopefuls who pitch to the Dragons either don’t know or forget. This week Harriet was told this information and chose to ignore it, and all we can do is wait and see if Mallow & Marsh takes off to know if she was right to do so.

And that is this weeks’ Dragons’ Den – with only a small amount of promise, and potentially a couple of big mistakes. I’m off now to hang a 5kg weight off a small adhesive hook, and hope for more excitement next week.

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Dragons’ Den: The Fat Lad at The Back and Marshmallows

The first pitch of the series definitely caught the attention of the Dragons, as Scott from Swing Patrol and his troupe danced into the Den. After giving the Dragons a quick, somewhat successful  lesson, Scott explained the nature of his swing dance class business, and it has to be said that his knowledge and willingness to expand and adapt seemed very appealing. However he forgot to mention one detail; he planned on adding a bar and serving alcohol into the warehouse he would be converting into a dance space.

Considering Duncan’s health club business, the added alcohol factor changed things slightly for the Dragons, but light-on-his-feet Scott suggested that he was flexible on this idea. Wanting £65,000 for 10 per cent of the business, he needed to keep the Dragons on side. And despite Duncan’s offer of £32,500 for 10 per cent (which Kelly also matched), Scott accepted previous Strictly Come Dancing contestant Deborah’s offer of the whole £65,000 for 20 per cent and danced his way out of the den.

It was difficult to stay focused on vegetable crisps after the liveliness of the dancing, as John’s monotone voice and long list of health facts was a less than inspiring aspect of the pitch. John and Claire and their super healthy vegetable crisps caused the Dragons a problem, tugging on their heart strings. On a business level however, all believed that the market already has an abundance of this kind of product. Peter Jones pointed out that previous loans they had been given were lifelines to their company, and it hadn’t worked out for them. Duncan offered £37,500 for 15 per cent of their business, only half of what they required, and with no other offers this meant that they’d leave empty handed.

And as promised with Dragon’s Den, next in was something unexpected and also completely pointless, although I’m sure everyone watching wanted to give it a go! Ex-military man Phil’s product was a small tank, big enough to sit an adult in, that can be driven around. Sound ridiculous? It is. The Dragons seemed to enjoy the novelty of the small vehicle but at £98,000 for 15 per cent of the business, along with a very stubborn business owner unwilling to accept Peter’s environmental advice, all Dragons were out.

To join in with the ridiculousness, also in this week’s episode were a couple who design bespoke radiator covers. As Kelly Hoppen has a keen eye for all things design, she took no time in saying that people have been trying to hide radiators for years, not emphasise them, and that they are “hideous”. All Dragons say that the business is all wrong and are all out.

Of course there has to be the one pitch that restores our faith, and Jennifer, founder and director of Skribbies, did just that. As the inventor of a children’s shoe with an outer textile of whiteboard style material, Jennifer expressed a wealth of knowledge and incredible passion for her customizable kid’s shoes and impressed the Dragons with her pitch, plans and answers to their questions. Asking for £60,000 for 20 per cent, Jennifer had to hope for more than just Piers’ offer of £30,000 for 12.5 per cent. Kelly and her creative instinct took to the project, saying she could bring retail contacts, was happy working with Piers and would replicate his offer. Jennifer accepted Kelly and Piers, giving them 12.5 per cent each in return for the full £60,000.

All good TV isn’t complete without a small twist at the end. This week, Jake and Joe, creators of Frame Again, an online company promising framed photos and next day delivery aimed at smartphone and Instagram users, made Peter think. As a leader in the field himself with Jessops, Frame Again was a rival concept.

The Dragons thought it a good idea for the most part, although hated the design of the frame and its £21.99 RRP, and one by one said the famous “I’m out”. Lastly Peter decided to make an offer. Instead of offering the £60,000, he offered jobs, on the basis that Jake and Joe would take this business idea forward under the Jessops name. As the endlessly wise Dragons pointed out, the business with its current pricings and designs would not be successful, especially alongside other strong competitors, and it is for this reason that it was probably a silly idea to decline Peter’s offer. Only time will tell whether Frame Again will survive and progress.

So that wraps up this week, with two investments made and the promise of excitement to come in the series. Deborah and Swing Patrol are sure to work well, however this week’s standout is Skribbies. With a determined, confident and intelligent lady at the helm, with a hand from Kelly and Piers, Jennifer is sure to succeed. Will Skribbies be the next Reggae Reggae Sauce?

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The Dragons’ are hiring