Add thelocalreport.in As A Trusted Source
After another whirlwind of pitches and proposals, BBC Slamming the door for another series of Dragon’s Den Tonight, and it’s a bittersweet finale, especially for a Dragon.
this evening’s episode is marked sarah davis‘ final appearance as Dragon (for now), thereby temporarily ending his six-year run on the show. Dane’s crafting queen is heading back to take up her role as CEO of Crafter’s Companion, as she returns to help revive the struggling business she founded more than two decades ago.
But before that, Davis will join the other Dragons – peter jones, deborah meaden, steven bartlett and Touker Suleiman – as they evaluate a group of new startups. The show culminates in an inclusive dancewear brand, a new and sustainable mobile network, a clever solution for lost tapes, and an accessibility-focused app. Here’s everything you need to know about businesses entering the DEN.
First on the scene are Nottingham-based Laura Grant and Stacey Green, co-founders of a dancewear brand that advocates inclusivity with four colors designed to suit every skin tone. But will this pair make the dragons dance to their tune?
Launched in 2023, Shades creates dancewear in four tones – Pearl, Raven, Rise and Bojangles, spanning from light to dark shades. The brand sells everything from children’s dance tights, socks and belts to adult ballet shoes and convertible ballet tights.
In second place is another Nottinghamshire-based entrepreneur: eye surgeon-turned-businessman Rajan Bhojwani. He believes he has found the solution to one of life’s everyday frustrations – losing the end of sticky tape. But will the dragons agree?
Launched in 2024, SeeTheTape looks like normal Sellotape, except it’s wrapped around dark cardboard instead of the usual light roll. In Bhojwani’s words, the dark background makes it easier to detect where the tape ends, because the human eye naturally detects contrast better on dark backgrounds. A pack of two rolls can currently be bought on Amazon for £5.99.
In third place are co-founders Andy Aitken and Josh Mihill, who are on a mission to beat the big mobile network providers with their own challenger service based on stability and transparency.
Launched in 2019, Honest Mobile is the UK’s first certified B Corporation mobile network. It gives 1 percent of its revenue to causes that help the planet and claims to be carbon negative. The company’s biggest feature is the Smart SIM – a data-only eSIM that works with your main SIM to automatically connect to one of the four major UK networks (EE, O2, Three and Vodafone) when your main signal drops. It gives you unlimited data on over 500 supported apps and free roaming in over 180 countries. Smart SIM starts from £3.75 per month.
Get 4 months free with ExpressVPN
Servers in 105 countries
Superior Speed
Works on all your devices
Advertisement. If you sign up for this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism at The Independent.
Get 4 months free with ExpressVPN
Servers in 105 countries
Superior Speed
Works on all your devices
Advertisement. If you sign up for this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism at The Independent.
Honest also has more traditional plans that give you 10GB data, 4GB data, or unlimited data, along with unlimited calls and texts. Honest also offers loyalty rewards, so you’ll get a discount on your bill every month by staying with the provider.
And last in the den – and for the entire series – is Simon Sansom, founder of a free accessibility app called Snowball. Designed to help people with disabilities find accessible places and services, Sansom describes it as a kind of TripAdvisor for accessibility.
Launched in 2022, Snowball lets users find, review, and rate restaurants, shops, venues, and public places based on their accessibility. This includes everything from wheelchair access and disabled toilets to sensory-friendly environments, clear signage and staff awareness.
The result is a community map of accessible locations, with businesses able to register for Snowball certification following an accessibility assessment.
Missed last week’s episode? Check out our Dragons’ Den Series 22 Episode 13 recap now