There are plenty of Dragons’ Den horror stories of entrepreneurs who have been denied investment by the big-walleted dragons, only to go on to great successes in their own right.
To add insult to injury, the Dragons can be notoriously cruel to many of the people who dare to enter the den.
One such example is the duo behind Pasta Evangelists, Alessandro Savelli and Finn Lagun, who stepped into the BBC lair in 2018, only to come away empty-handed.
The Pasta Evangelists CEO and his business partner asked for a £75,000 investment, in exchange for a 2.5% cut of the company.
But the dragons weren’t having it, with Jenny Campbell even calling Lagun ‘delusional’ and ‘a disaster’. However, cut to just seven years later and the Pasta Evangelists pair have had the last laugh.
The company is now worth around £40million and is set to open 100 new UK restaurants – including three in London, in Fulham, Queensway and New Oxford Street – in the next five years.
CEO Alessandro Savelli recently spoke about the chain’s plans for the future, with 11 spots currently in operation, as well as an upcoming £30million investment into their new string of restaurants.
Speaking to The Grocer, Savelli said: ‘The demand for our fresh, beautifully cooked artisan pasta is growing.
‘Our intention is to become the UK’s fastest-growing, casual dining hot spot and the hottest place to eat for pasta lovers of all ages.’
They’re not the only company to turn their Dragons’ Den misfortune around and prove the BBC investors wrong. Perhaps the most infamous example is the Tangle Teezer.
Shaun Pulfrey, a professional hair colourist by trade, appeared on the BBC show in 2007 and asked the Dragons for £80,000 investment in return for a 15% share of his company.
Peter Jones called the invention ‘hair-brained’. James Caan called it ‘a waste of time’ and Duncan Bannantyne said it made him ‘want to pull my hair out’.
And yet, the company has since been valued at £65million, and become one of the most popular brushes used around the world.
Then there was Trunki, now a common sight in airports, which was reportedly worth £9.5m a few years ago, but the kids’ suitcase business didn’t win over the investors on the show in 2006. Bad luck again dragons.
Dragons’ Den airs on the BBC and is avaibale to catch up on iPlayer.
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