Pitching in the Dragons鈥 Den must be one of the most nerve-wracking ways to pitch for business funding.
And for those that leave empty-handed - it doesn't necessarily mean losing out 鈥 in fact, despite rejection from the panel of millionaires, several of the businessmen and women previously featured on the BBC TV show refused to give up and have since been hugely successful by finding funding elsewhere.
Now, as part of its , personal finance experts at have compiled a list of Dragons鈥 Den rejects, who went on to find investments elsewhere and create hugely successful brands.
Here, we take a close look at the ones that got away and are on the road to making millions.
BrewDog
BrewDog produces various types of ales and lagers, it is also a multinational brewery and pub chain based in Ellon, Scotland.
Back in 2009, James Watt and Martin Dickie applied to go on Dragons鈥 Den and pitch to the Dragons.
However, they were later told by the producers that the business wasn鈥檛 a good-enough investment proposition for the Dragons, so at the last minute, it was decided that they wouldn鈥檛 get to pitch their business to the multimillionaires. owners say their pitch would have seen them offer the Dragons 20% of BrewDog for a 拢100,000 investment.
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The setback forced them to go back to the drawing board in terms of how to finance the business. As a result, they created a model that lets the people who enjoy Brewdog beer own a part of the company. They offered crowdfunding shares totalling 拢2m, equating to 8% of the capital of the company, to raise money.
They now have a community of over 75,000 Equity Punk investors all over the world who are the heart and soul of the business.
BrewDog has gone on to be a success which is currently valued at 拢2bn and which has raised over 拢250m. Had they been able to pitch (and had any of the Dragons invested) that 拢100,000 would now be worth a whopping 拢360m.
Trunki
Trunki is a brand of ride-on/carry-on hand luggage for children designed by Rob Law.
In 2006, Rob appeared on Dragons鈥 Den and was left humiliated when Theo Paphitis pulled the handle of one of his colourful ride-on children's suitcases and it broke, causing the other Dragons to question the quality of the design.
Rob asked for 拢100,000 in exchange for a 10% share of his business, but he left without an investment.
In 2016 Trunki celebrated its 10th anniversary and has sold more than three million Trunki suitcases, in over 100 countries worldwide, through retailers including John Lewis, Argos, Harrods, Tesco and Next since May 2006.
Children鈥檚 ride-along suitcases have become a familiar sight at airports all over the world and managed to secure 拢4m from the government-backed Business Growth Fund in 2013.
Tangle Teezer
Tangle Teezer is designed specifically to smooth away knots, tugs and tangles painlessly and quickly, leaving your hair feeling silky smooth.
Entrepreneur Shaun Pulfrey appeared on Dragons Den in 2007 with the hope of securing an 拢80,000 investment in exchange for a 15% stake in his Tangle Teezer business. The hairbrush, however, was ridiculed, with Duncan Bannatyne declaring: 鈥淚t won鈥檛 make any money", and Deborah Meaden saying it looked like a "horse brush".
Leaving empty-handed, Mr Pulfrey persevered with his product as he self-financed the Teezer venture by using his savings and remortgaging his Brixton flat. The bold risk paid off as the high-street store giant Boots was the first store to sell the brush and was soon followed by internationally famed salon chains Toni & Guy and Regis.
The small business was a hit, with 35,000 brushes sold in the first year. Due to the rapid growth in sales in the 海角视频, Tangle Teezer began exporting the brushes worldwide, with celebrity fans including Victoria Beckham and Cara Delevigne.
In August, Pulfrey sold most of his shares in the 鈥渃ategory defining business鈥 to Mayfair Equity Partners in a deal that values the company at 拢70 million.
Cup-A-Wine
In 2009, the founder of Wine Innovations and packaging expert James Nash鈥檚 idea of plastic cups filled with a single serving of wine and sealed with a foil lid was rejected by the Dragons.
James was looking for a 拢250,000 investment for a 25% stake in his business. The dragons said the idea was 鈥渢acky鈥 and required him to rethink his idea to make it a success.
Despite being rejected, his invention was later picked up by Marks and Spencer, which used it for its award-winning Le Froglet wine. M&S said the product has been proved popular with train commuters and picnickers alike.
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HungryHouse
Hungryhouse became one of the biggest names in the takeaway food market, despite not getting any backing from the Dragons.
While co-founders Shane Lake and Tony Charles secured an offer of 拢100,000 from James Caan and Duncan Bannatyne during the show, in exchange for 50% of the business, the deal later fell through.
The co-founders didn鈥檛 let this rejection set them back; raising 拢150,000 from alternative business angels a few months later enabled them to increase their restaurant partners from 150 in 2007 to over 2,500 in September 2010.
Though the company was valued at a whopping 拢2 billion in 2015, it joined Just Eat in February 2018 following a successful merger and ceased trading in May 2018.
RevolutionWorks
Mark Palmer and his son Hugo set up their company, RevolutionWorks, in 2016 and have developed a gizmo - called Revos - that turns a regular push bike into an e-bike in under 10 minutes.
Mark walked away from Dragons鈥 Den empty handed because he refused to move production of his bike gadget from Britain to China. He said he has since been inundated with support.
The entrepreneur, who is based at Filwood Business Park in Hengrove, said despite positive comments from all the dragons he failed to get funding because he was told his product was 鈥渢oo expensive鈥 to produce in the 海角视频.
RevolutionWorks currently carries out all its manufacturing in Bristol and employs people locally.
Mr Palmer asked the dragons for 拢100,000 for 8% of his company - but could not persuade any of them to part with their cash.
He said he was disappointed not to receive investment, as the BBC had invited him to appear on the show, but going to China was 鈥渢he opposite鈥 of what the company wanted to do.
鈥淲e like making things and we want to employ people in this country and we don鈥檛 think it鈥檚 sustainable to drag everything across to China,鈥 he told BusinessLive.
Precious Pet Weddings
In June this year, Stoke-on-Trent couple Adrian and Emma Cartlich appeared on the BBC show to pitch their new concept 鈥 Precious Pets Wedding Wheels 鈥 which offers a fully decorated wedding car for dogs.
But they were quickly told 鈥業 don鈥檛鈥 by the four-strong panel of investors who said the business was "not scalable or investable."
Despite the rejection, Adrian and Emma are continuing to develop the business ahead of what they expect to be their "busiest year to date" in 2022.
Emma said: "Even though we didn鈥檛 get investment we had some great feedback and brilliant advice from the dragons, and it was an amazing experience.
"We feel very proud and honoured to have been given the opportunity to pitch our business and our unique concept in front of millions of people."
Over the last 18 months, Adrian and Emma have been building up their wedding pet chaperone services despite the pandemic.
The pair also won numerous industry awards and formed new partnerships with more wedding venues across Staffordshire, Cheshire, Shropshire, Derbyshire and North Wales.
Emma added: "We believe that 2022 is going to be the busiest year to date for Precious Pets Weddings and the wedding industry.
Noveltea
Newcastle alcoholic tea firm Noveltea has taken its products global after initially turning down an offer on Dragons' Den.
It turned down an offer of 拢80,000 from three 海角视频 Dragons who wanted 30% of the company.
Co founders Vincent Effroth and Lukas Passia turned to Crowdcube instead, raising far more than the 拢150,000 target on two funding rounds
A third fundraising round in 2020 far exceeded its 拢150,000 target with 拢199,658 raised from 416 investors.
The pair also celebrated sealing a deal in 2019 for a 鈧450,000 investment with Dagmar W枚hrl on the German version of TV show Dragons鈥 Den: Die H枚hle der L枚wen, which translates as The Cave of Lions.
The deal saw Mrs W枚hrl 鈥 a leading politician, businesswoman and former Miss Universe runner-up 鈥 agree to the six-figure sum in exchange for 15% of the business.
The firm鈥檚 drinks are popular with customers in the 海角视频, Germany and China and last December the firm secured 拢1.4m from the North East Venture Fund (NEVF) to allow it to target new overseas markets, expand their product range and create 20 new jobs at the company鈥檚 base in Newcastle.
Approved Food
Dan Cluderay is now a millionaire after setting up an online business selling out-of-date food to busy mums and bargain hunters.
The 40-year-old says the secret to his success is that his business, Approved Food, provides just what the savvy shopper is looking for - quality food at prices that save mums around 拢60 off their weekly bill compared to a similar shop at one of the big supermarkets.
In May 2014, Mr Cluderay, together with his business partner Andy Needham, had asked the Dragons' Den panel for a 拢150,000 cash injection offering a 10% share in Approved Food - but got rejected from the Dragons.
Despite the setback, the duo managed to source 拢400,000 through loans and investments from elsewhere which has seen Approved Food achieve a 拢4million turnover.
Prestige Pets, Road Refresher Bowl
Founder of Prestige Pets, Natalie Ellis pitched her Road Refresher non-spill dog bowl in 2008 hoping to secure a 拢120,000 investment for a 15% stake in her business. After being rejected by the Dragons, Natalie was on a mission and was convinced her non-spill dog bowl would go down a storm in the US. She went to Chicago and was determined to make it a success. She went to Chicago and found an agent and made a 5% deal with him, and got listed on Amazon. She claimed Barack Obama even snapped up one of her bowls.
In 2009, Ellis鈥 Prestige Pet Products pulled in 拢1m in sales, with 40% of revenues coming from the States.
Oppo Ice Cream
Launched in October 2014 by brothers and entrepreneurs Charlie and Harry Thuillier, Oppo Ice Cream is a range of superfood, low-calorie and 鈥済uilt-free鈥 ice creams that have fewer calories than a large apple. Oppo markets itself as the world鈥檚 healthiest luxury ice cream.
The brothers pitched their idea to the Dragons and asked for a 拢60,000 investment for a 7% share of the business. Despite the brothers failing to secure investment, Oppo Ice Cream announced it secured 拢350,000 in an oversubscribed crowdfunding round on equity crowdfunding platform Seedrs.
The company was valued at 拢3.11m, the deal involved 538 investors (including British tennis star Andy Murray), who backed the campaign in exchange for a share of 5.5% equity 鈥 taking the round way over its 拢150,000 funding target. It was also backed by Richard Branson and the ice cream is now sold in over 1,300 stores including Co-op, Waitrose, Budgens and Holland & Barrett.
Aquatina Water Bottle
Back in 2010, Guy Jeremiah presented his idea for a collapsible water bottle to the investors on Dragons鈥 Den. All the Dragons dismissed the idea, with one of the Dragons telling the entrepreneur it was one of those "I'd really want to stick pins in my eyes" moments.
Guy marketed his collapsible water bottle as a cheap and environmentally friendly alternative to buying bottled water. The entrepreneur has since sold over 100,000 bottles and signed a distribution deal with Marks & Spencer and is now being sold in 15 other countries.
