BBC's Dragons' Den has helped many budding entrepreneurs get their businesses off the ground by giving them the funding and support they need to take them to the next level. But some ideas fail to win over the Dragons, and they choose to back away instead.
However, this is not always the end of the story. In fact, a lot of entrepreneurs have steamed ahead without the millionaires' support and turned their ideas into big earners.
Now-household names including BrewDog and Trunki failed to win the Dragons' backing. At the time of their pitches, the feedback they received from the panel included one business not being "unique enough", one entrepreneur being told their approach was "how not to run a business" and another branded "unlikeable".
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But the contestants soon proved them wrong, with the Dragons surely regretting not buying a slice in the companies when they were just setting out. With Dragons' Den celebrating its 18th year on our screens after launching in January 2005, we decided to look back on the most successful companies the investors turned down.
BrewDog
Whether you've bought their drinks in pubs, found them in your local supermarket or even visited one of their own pubs, it's likely you've heard of BrewDog. But in 2009, nobody had heard of them, and that could have been the end of their company after the Dragons refused to invest.
They asked for a £100,000 investment in return for a 20 per cent of their business, but the idea was rejected because it wasn't "investment worthy nor unique enough", the Daily Star reports.
The business said it was a "huge kick in the teeth" for them at the time, and said that the rejection "still burns" to this day. But something that will definitely help sooth the pain will be the fact that BrewDog is valued at £1.6 billion by Forbes, meaning 20 per cent of the company would be worth around £320 million.
This would have made it the biggest success story in Dragons' Den history.
Trunki
When Rob Law, creator of Trunki, appeared on the show to pitch, he was immediately shut down - but now the children's rideable wheeled suitcases are seen everywhere, and many an adult has looked at them with envy.
Rob wanted £100,000 for 10 per cent of the company, but Theo Paphitis said he didn't like the design and Rob was unable to get his investment. However, it's far from a sad story for Rob, as his company is now worth more than £9.5 million.
Pasta Evangelists
Pasta Evangelists was founded when one of the three co-owners attended a pasta making workshop and found inspiration - using his grandmother's recipe to sell the first ever portion of gnocchi from the brand. In 2016, the three appeared on Dragons' Den to try to get a £75,000 investment in the company for a 1.5 per cent stake, but the pitch didn't go down well.
Jenny Campbell said: "I like it because it's a good lesson on how not to run and set up a business. This is pasta le disaster and I'm out."
Fellow Dragon Touker Suleyman branded the founders "delusional", but it was Pasta Evangelists that had the last laugh. With the product now stocked in shops such as Harrods, as well as Pasta Evangelists delivering fresh pasta ingredients across the country, the company is now worth £200 million, with the company turning over £14 million in revenue per year.
Tangle tee*zer
Tangle tee*zer is now a household name and sold in most cosmetic shops across the UK, but the Dragons turned it down back in 2007. The founder wanted £80,000 for 15 per cent of the business, but it failed to inspire the Dragons to dip into their wallets, as it was "just a brush" and it "won't make money".
The invention is 'just a brush', but as people with tangly hair will tell you, its design means it manages to undo those tangles more easily than 'normal' brushes. Now, the company is worth £65 million and continues to grow in popularity.
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