Dragons’ Den’s biggest ever deals: 15 largest investments agreed on TV

Over the last 21 years, thousands of entrepreneurs have braved Dragons’ Den with the same goal in mind – to get the investment they need to take their business to the next level.

And while some successful businesses from the show have walked away with relatively modest deals, others have managed to go beyond and leave the Den with six-figure investments in their pockets.

So far, the largest investment made is Yuv Beauty in late 2025, with Steven Bartlett and Sara Davies offering a whopping £500,000 for just 2% equity in the business, making it a record-breaking deal on the show.

However, a handshake in the Den doesn’t always mean the money always lands, as some offers end up falling through after the cameras stop rolling and the real business begins.

Still, whether it worked out behind the scenes or not, these are 15 businesses that secured some of the biggest investments in the Den.

1. Yuv Beauty

Investor(s): Steven Bartlett and Sara Davies
Deal agreed: £500,000 for 2% equity
Appeared: Series 22, Episode 12 (2025)

Business: a BeautyTech company with a “yuv Lab” device that holds refillable aluminium cartridges, base colours and developers. Also offers an app that allows hair stylists to design a specific hair colour for a client – adjusting the shade by tiny increments or changing the pH level to make the colour permanent or semi-permanent. Francisco Gimenez is the founder behind this business idea, and entered the Den during the show’s 22nd season looking for a £250,000 investment in exchange for a 1% equity stake.

Outcome: Gimenez ended up with double his requested investment, with Steven Bartlett and Sara Davies offering £500,000 together for 2% equity – making it the largest valuation on the show to date. Details on the deal being signed have not yet been confirmed, but according to The Industry Beauty, the company is currently valued at £25m, and has raised $12m in Series A funding.

2. Kimai

Investor(s): Steven Bartlett
Deal agreed: £250,000 for 3% equity
Appeared: Series 21, Episode 4 (2024)

Business: sells fine jewellery made with lab-grown diamonds (instead of mined) and recycled gold, with a mission to make jewellery more ethical and transparent. Founders Jessica Warch and Sidney Nauhaus entered the Den seeking £250,000 for 3% equity.

Outcome: Kimai’s sparkling product range did more than catch the eyes of the Dragons, as the Belgian duo got the investment they were looking for, and the deal successfully went through. Since then, the company has hit some impressive milestones, including new store openings in Los Angeles and Paris in 2025, and even being worn by Margot Robbie during the promotion of her new movie.

3. Zapper

Investor(s): Theo Paphitis
Deal agreed: £250,000 for 30% equity
Appeared: Series 10, Episode 7 (2012)

Business: an online platform where people can sell items like books, CDs, DVDs, video games and electronics for cash. The business was brought to life by Ben Hardyment and Mat White, who appeared on the show in 2012 in hopes of getting a £250,000 investment in exchange for 7.5% equity.

Outcome: Theo Paphitis invested the desired amount into the business, but for 30% equity instead. Unfortunately, despite being reported as a record offer at the time, the deal failed to go through after filming. This didn’t mean the end of Zapper, though, as the business is still up and running today.

4. DDN Ltd

Investor(s): Theo Paphitis and Deborah Meaden
Deal agreed: £250,000 for 25% equity
Appeared: Series 6, Episode 3 (2008)

Business: short for “Do Diesel Nicely”, DDN Ltd appeared on Dragons’ Den back in 2008, with founder Michael Cotton pitching his Fuel Angel device. The product was designed to be fitted to diesel vehicles to physically prevent the smaller nozzle of an unleaded petrol pump from being inserted, stopping accidental misfueling in the process. 

Outcome: Cotton originally asked for £250,000 for 20% equity, but accepted 25% from Paphitis and Deborah Meaden (12.5% each). However, Cotton later rejected the deal off-camera, citing concerns over losing too much control over the business. According to Companies House, DDN Ltd dissolved in January 2026, though Cotton still works as a director for property development company EPG Development.

5. OnlyCat

Investor(s): Steven Bartlett
Deal agreed: £200,000 for 10% equity
Appeared: Series 23, Episode 3 (2026)

Business: Brothers Martin and Tomas Rosinski entered the Den in February 2026 with OnlyCat – an AI-powered smart cat flap that prevents cats from bringing any prey (like mice, birds and rats) into the home, while also offering microchip entry control and video notifications through the app.

Outcome: impressed by its technology and the fact that the business has generated over £2m in revenue, both Bartlett and Meaden were interested in the product. The founders ended up accepting an offer from Bartlett, and successfully secured their desired investment for 10% equity. As this episode has aired recently, the deal hasn’t yet been confirmed. 

6. Boot Bananas

Investor(s): Peter Jones and Steven Bartlett
Deal agreed: £200,000 for 30% equity
Appeared: Series 22, Episode 10 (2025)

Business: a family-run business offering shoe deodorisers in funky banana shapes to tackle odours and moisture without any synthetic chemicals. This bizarre but practical idea was thought of by Phil Osband, who brought his banana-shaped products to the Den, hoping to get a £200,000 investment in exchange for an 8% equity stake.

Outcome: while there were a few struggles in Osband’s business pitch – including dropping the products when handing them to the Dragons and Peter Jones describing it as “completely bananas” – Boot Bananas managed to get a joint offer of £200,000 from Jones and Bartlett for 30% equity. However, it is yet to be confirmed whether the deal has been signed off camera.

7. The Wand Company

Investor(s): Duncan Bannatyne
Deal agreed: £200,000 for 10% equity
Appeared: Series 8, Episode 7 (2010)

Business: a design and manufacturing firm that creates high-quality and functional prop replicas from major entertainment franchises. Just a year after being founded, Richard Blakesley and Chris Barnando entered the Den in 2010 with their first product called “The Kymera Wand” – a gesture-based universal remote control.

Outcome: Duncan Bannatyne ended up investing £200,000 in the business in exchange for 10% equity. The deal was completed following the episode, and the company reached a £1m turnover within the first year. Over 15 years later, The Wand Company is still going strong today and continues to sell a range of prop replicas – primarily its full-size Poké Balls from the Pokémon franchise, which have sold over 300,000 units worldwide.

8. Nae Danger

Investor(s): Peter Jones and Duncan Bannatyne
Deal agreed: £200,000 for 30% equity
Appeared: Series 12, Episode 12 (2015)

Business: building on the Scottish slang for the phrase “no problem”, Nae Danger was an energy drink brand founded in 2012, offering flavours in blue raspberry and red blueberry, as well as sports drinks and sugar-free options. Known for its “only a quid” price point and distinctive blue and red cans, founder Ross Gourlay took his products to the Den during season 12, hoping his cheeky branding and flavours could win him an investment.

Outcome: Jones and Bannatyne took a liking to Nae Danger, offering Gourlay a joint £200,000 investment for 30% equity. Sadly, though, the deal failed after filming, and Nae Danger ended up dissolving in 2017. Today, Gourlay serves as the director of Glencrest Limited – his family’s long-standing wholesale and distribution business that specialises in drinks, confectionery, and snacks.

9. Coin Metrics

Investor(s): Theo Paphitis and Deborah Meaden
Deal agreed: £200,000 for 25% equity
Appeared: Series 3, Episode 8 (2006)

Business: appearing on the show in 2006, Coin Metrics offered high-tech security and monitoring devices for cash-operated machines. Its main product, the Site Guardian, was a gadget that could be fitted inside slot machines, fruit machines, or arcade games – providing real-time data on cash intake and instantly alerting owners to security breaches or machine malfunctions. 

Outcome: Paphitis and Meaden jointly offered founders Ian Daintith and Richard Adams £200,000 for 25% equity. While the pair accepted the offer in the Den, they later declined the offer, as they were offered more favourable deals from other investors. Just a year after the episode aired, Daintith and Adams sold Coin Metrics for £685,000 to tech company Brulines.

10. Gaming Alerts

Investor(s): Theo Paphitis
Deal agreed: £200,000 for 30% equity
Appeared: Series 5, Episode 2 (2007)

Business: an affiliate marketing company that focuses on promoting online bingo, casino, and poker sites. It was founded by Ed Stevens and Emmeline Matthews in 2005, with the duo appearing on the fifth season of Dragons’ Den seeking £200,000 for 10% equity.

Outcome: the founders secured the desired investment, but agreed to give 30% instead, and Paphitis continued to support the business after the deal was signed. However, Gaming Alerts only operated for another four years until it dissolved in 2011 – making it one of the biggest investment flops to come from the Den. While Matthews hasn’t started another venture since, Stevens has been appointed director for several other businesses, but these have also dissolved.

11. Planit Products

Investor(s): James Caan
Deal agreed: £200,000 for 40% equity
Appeared: Series 6, Episode 5 (2008)

Business: offers a range of innovative non-stick kitchenware. Founders Guy Unwin and Caroline Kavanagh entered the Den in 2008 to pitch the business’s “Toastbag product” – a reusable, heat-resistant bag that lets users make a toasted sandwich directly in a standard electric toaster without making a mess. At the time of the pitch, the product was already being stocked by major supermarkets, such as Tesco.

Outcome: Unwin and Kavanagh sought £200,000 for a 15% stake in the business. While James Caan offered the full amount, he negotiated for a much larger 40% equity stake. The pair accepted the offer on air, but Unwin later said that the investment was retracted after filming. Fortunately, Planit Products is still operating today, and as of 2024, has a net worth of over £1m.

12. ProWaste Management Services

Investor(s): Duncan Bannatyne and Deborah Meaden
Deal agreed: £200,000 for 40% equity
Appeared: Series 6, Episode 8 (2008)

Business: a Surrey-based construction waste recycling company focusing on recycling key waste types (packaging, plasterboard, metal, etc.) rather than just providing a skip hire. Appearing on the show’s sixth season, founder Paul Tinton offered a project management approach to site waste, using colour-coded bins to help construction firms manage their environmental impact.

Outcome: Tinton got more than he bargained for, as his request for a £100,000 investment for 20% equity turned to £200,000 for 40%. The investment was completed later on, and Bannatyne and Meaden remained actively involved for several years. While the two Dragons exited the business in 2011, ProWaste Management Services continues to trade today.

13. Mo Bro’s

Investor(s): Peter Jones and Tej Lalvani
Deal agreed: £150,000 for 20% equity
Appeared: Series 15, Episode 9 (2017)

Business: a men’s grooming brand specialising in high-quality beard care products. It was founded by brothers Keval, Kunal and Savan Dattani after they struggled to find effective products for their own facial hair during a “Movember” challenge. The business offers a variety of facial hair products, including oils and balms, grooming kits, and accessories.

Outcome: while the trio originally asked for 5% equity, they agreed to a joint investment of £150,000 from Jones and Tej Lalvan for 20%. The deal was successfully signed after filming, and Mo Bros has continued its success as a men’s grooming brand. According to figures by Push Group, Mo Bro’s had a +69% year-on-year growth in Q4 2025.

14. Cheesegeek

Investor(s): Steven Bartlett
Deal agreed: £150,000 for 5% equity
Appeared: Series 19, Episode 1 (2022)

Business: an online artisan cheese retailer and subscription service founded by Richard Hancock and Edward Simpson, who came onto the scene in 2022. Beyond their regular cheesy offerings, Hancock and Simpson also pitched their Cheer Allocation System (CASSIE) product – a subscription box service powered by a proprietary algorithm that personalises cheese selections based on customer preferences.

Outcome: the founders accepted Bartlett’s offer of £150,000 for 5% equity – the first investment he made on the show. The investment went through after filming, but despite Cheesegeek’s rapid growth and £1.5m turnover, the company fell into administration in early 2025 after struggling to reach profitability following heavy investments in tech stack and marketing. It was later acquired by Albex Group, and continues to trade today.

15. Pippa Technologies

Investor(s): Peter Jones, Deborah Meaden, and Touker Suleyman
Deal agreed: £150,000 for 5% equity
Appeared: Series 22, Episode 10 (2025)

Business: an AI-powered kitchen safety device with an intelligent monitoring system to prevent kitchen fires. The device is wall-mounted above the stove and uses thermal imaging and AI sensors to monitor pan temperatures, including food burn detection. If it senses excessive heat, it’ll give an audible warning or send alerts via text or phone calls if the user isn’t in the room. The device was invented by Dr Samuel Bailey, who is also the mastermind behind the water leak detection system LeakBot.

Outcome: Bailey’s idea and expertise caused a significant bidding war amongst the Dragons. While he originally sought £100,000 for 5% equity, he ended up securing £150,000 for 15% between Jones, Meaden, and Touker Suleyman. While it isn’t confirmed whether the deal went ahead yet, Pippa Technologies currently has a valuation of £1m and its devices are being positioned for rollout in social housing and residential care settings.

Big deals, mixed outcomes

It’s true what they say – you shouldn’t always believe what you see on TV.

While these deals are some of the largest investments in Dragons’ Den history, not all of them actually crossed the finish line in the end. After all, around half of the deals agreed on the show never go through once due diligence begins.

Some businesses go on to thrive, while others quietly fade away despite the hype. Either way, landing a major investment is just one part of the journey, and what happens after the Den matters just as much. 

In the end, Dragons’ Den might open the door for aspiring entrepreneurs, but it’s what they do next that really determines whether their business sinks or scales.