BBC Dragons’ Den: Our 2022 Round-up

Seeing as BBC Dragons’ Den IS BACK, here are our favourite stories and videos from some of the brands and entrepreneurs we’ve featured from the show.

IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER (we don’t do hierarchy here):

Emma Thornton And True Skincare:

Emma was one of the first people I demo’d the original Gramersi platform to, before we pivoted to what we’re doing now, so it was great to see her appear on Dragons’ Den and receive multiple investment offers. Congrats, Emma! Of course, we had to catch up to get the low-down on her amazing news. You can watch that interview here.

2. Pamela Laird And Moxi Loves:

As well as being a finalist on BBC’s The Apprentice, Pamela also appeared on Dragons’ Den Ireland. FIRST UP was a deep dive into how Moxi Loves are game-changing the beauty industry with their ‘Clean And Clever’ approach, followed by a statement that we firmly agree with: “Dreams Have No Deadlines!” Then, there was our video interview with Pamela. Pamela: it’s been such a pleasure. Come back soon!

3. Noel Marshall And The BackBaller:

We love Irish entrepreneur success stories, and luckily for us, they’re a frequent occurrence on Dragons’ Den. From Pamela Laird to Noel Marshall from The BackBaller, this post was one of our most popular and most-read articles in 2021. Thanks Noel. We owe you a pint (or ten!).

4. Sharon Keegan And Peachylean:

I repeat: we love Irish entrepreneur success stories, and luckily for us, they’re a frequent occurrence on Dragons’ Den. After mentioning Pamela Laird and Noel Marshall above, it would feel morally wrong to miss out the most emotional Den pitch of 2021: the incredible Sharon Keegan from Peachylean, the queen of athleisure. Sharon is an absolute inspiration, and I’m so glad that I had the chance to meet her. Post here. Video here.

5. Tara Lalvani And Beautifect:

A dental surgeon-turned entrepreneur from Yorkshire, Tara has appeared on Dragons’ Den, but not in the way you might think. In fact, she’s the wife of the now former Dragon, Tej Lalvani. We covered Tara’s launch of Beautifect, and we interviewed her too, which happened to be her FIRST EVER video interview. We’d only been going for a few weeks, so we were really lucky to be able to do this. Both pieces are still incredibly popular today. Thanks, Tara. #HappyTimes

6. Gaynor Marie:

There’s a little story behind this one: I had spoken to Gaynor on the phone during the very early planning days of the original Gramersi platform back in late 2019, before we pivoted to what we’re doing now. So when Gaynor popped up on the TV screen, I was a little shocked (in a good way, of course!). And when Touker invested in her shoe business, I felt elated for her. Congrats, Gaynor. You’ve come a long way since that rusty old phone chat we had back in late 2019!

7. Owen Drew:

Should men use scented candles and luxury soaps? Bloody right they should. Most people don’t know this, but after appearing on Dragons’ Den, there’s a due diligence process, and not all deals finalise. So when I saw this statement on LinkedIn, I HAD to reach out: “Owen Drew and Touker Suleyman have “signed on the dotted line.” And I’m glad I did, because it’s a great piece, and I really enjoyed putting it together. Congrats, guys.

8. Levi Roots:

Levi Roots is one of the most successful Dragons’ Den investments, ever. He’s certainly the most famous! So we were well chuffed when Levi offered up his top business tips for our YouTube channel, GramersiTV. Thanks Levi. You’re a legend.

9. Ross Mendham And Barenaked Foods:

I remember crying my eyes out when Ross Mendham popped onto the tele. It was one of the most emotional, heart-breaking and gut-wrenching pitches on the show’s history. When Peter Jones made Ross an offer to invest, it came out of the blue. Everyone thought he was done. And the post we did about Ross has been one of the most successful posts we’ve ever written: it’s clocked up thousands upon thousands of views. Thanks, Ross. Well deserved.

10. Carina Cunha From Nosy:

Carina is best known for creating Nosy, the stylish air filter that is game-changing the fight against air pollution. Controversial, but life-changing, we were super chuffed to do a video-sit down with Carina, and we were even more chuffed when she filmed us a PRODUCTcast video. Carina is a fierce, switched-on entrepreneur, and I am glad to have been associated with her. I believe that Carina is a huge success in the making.

11. Yanika Cordina And Cordina Hair:

And last, but by no means least, we’ve done a lot with Yanika, and we’re happy about that. FIRST UP was ‘Heatless Curling + Styling Products: A Stress-Free Alternative To Salon Styling.’ NEXT UP, was ‘From Malta To The Flower Curl®: The Yanika Cordina Story.’ THEN, there was our sit down video interview, followed by The Flower Curl® Tutorial, and finally, our special Christmas video message. Yanika: we love you. You’re awesome.

To Conclude:

I’ve been watching Dragons’ Den since I was a kid, and I have never missed a season.

It’s such a fantastic way to promote innovation, to bring new ideas to market, to support small businesses, and to teach business lessons on a nationwide scale. So to be able to work with brands from the show, and to be able to now call some of them my friends, – is a huge honour. Covering the show is one of the highlights of my/our year, and it’s a huge booster for us, too.

It was a shame to see Tej go, but like many, I am curious to see what Steven Bartlett will be like on the box, especially with the inspirational messages and impressive guests that he promotes through social media, and through his popular YouTube channel.

Once again, this year, Dragons’ Den will bring new innovations to light, and we’ll be the first to push and promote them even further through our platform, which is dedicated to the very same mission.

And we can’t wait.

Tune in here.