After another whirlwind run of pitches and proposals, the BBC are slamming the doors on another series of Dragons’ Den tonight, and it’s a bittersweet finale for one dragon in particular.
This evening’s episode marks Sara Davies’ final outing as a dragon (for now), bringing her six-year stint on the show to a temporary close. The den’s crafting queen is stepping back to retake 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 then, Davies will join the other dragons – Peter Jones, Deborah Meaden, Steven Bartlett and Touker Suleyman – as they appraise a batch of new startups. Closing out the show are an inclusive dancewear brand, a new and sustainable mobile network, a clever fix for lost tape and an accessibility-focused app. Here’s everything you need to know about the businesses entering the den.
Shades dancewear: Shades-dancewear.com
First in the den are Nottingham-based Laura Grant and Stacey Green, the co-founders of a dancewear brand that champions inclusivity, with four shades designed to suit every skin tone. But will the pair have the dragons dancing to their tune?
Launched in 2023, Shades creates dancewear in four tones – Pearl, Raven, Uday and Bojangles, spanning light to deep shades. The brand sells everything from children’s dance tights, socks and belts to adult ballet shoes and convertible ballet tights.
SeeTheTape: £5.99, Amazon.co.uk
Second in the den is another Nottinghamshire-based entrepreneur: eye surgeon turned businessman Rajan Bhojwani. He believes he’s 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 wound around dark-coloured cardboard instead of the usual light roll. In Bhojwani’s words, the darker background makes it easier to spot where the tape ends, since the human eye naturally picks up contrast better on darker backgrounds. A pack of two rolls can currently be bought on Amazon for £5.99.
Honest Mobile: Honestmobile.com
Third in the den are co-founders Andy Aitken and Josh Mihill, who are on a mission to take down the big mobile network providers with their own challenger service, built around sustainability and transparency.
Launched in 2019, Honest Mobile is the UK’s first certified B Corporation mobile network. It gives 1 per cent of its revenue to causes that help the planet and claims to be carbon negative. The company’s big fancy feature is Smart SIM – a data-only eSIM that works alongside your main SIM, automatically connecting to any of the four major UK networks (EE, O2, Three and Vodafone) when your main signal drops. It gives you unlimited data on more than 500 supported apps and free roaming in more than 180 countries. The Smart SIM starts from £3.75 per month.
Honest also has more traditional plans that give you unlimited calls and texts, as well as 10GB of data, 4GB of data or unlimited data. Honest also rewards loyalty, so you’ll get a discount on your bill every month you stay with the provider.
Snowball app: Snowball.community
And last in the den – and for the entire series – is Simon Sansome, founder of a free accessibility app called Snowball. Designed to help disabled people find accessible places and services, Sansome describes it as a kind of TripAdvisor for accessibility.
Launched in 2022, Snowball lets users find, review and rate restaurants, shops, venues and public spaces based on how accessible they are. It 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 places, with businesses able to register for a Snowball certification following an accessibility assessment.
Missed last week’s episode? Catch up now with our Dragons’ Den series 22 episode 13 recap
