A fire in the kitchen is one of the biggest risks faced by households – but one proven entrepreneur believes he’s cracked it.
Dr Samuel Bailey was the first contestant to step into Dragons’ Den after its long lay-off, and if viewers weren’t already sure the show was back, a classic bidding war soon confirmed it.
His product, Pippa, is a wall-mounted device that warns when pans are about to burn or when stoves are left on – and he eventually walked out with three Dragons on board.
Bailey explained: “Pippa knows whether the pan is going to burn or whether you’ve stopped cooking and left the stove on.
“Pippa sticks to the wall above the stove and monitors the temperature reach of the pan. If the pan starts to burn, Pippa simply speaks a warning and sounds an alarm to alert you.
“If you’ve left home or are out of hearing, Pippa can phone and text you or a carer to warn of the danger.
“There is a smart cooking assistant app that provides guided cooking and a monitoring system that can identify whether people are starting to become a danger to themselves and perhaps need extra help.”
Bailey, who asked for £100,000 for 5% equity, has a history of invention.
He founded engineering consultancy Skyrad and went on to invent LeakBot, the world’s first clip-on pipe flow detector for micro-leaks in residential properties.
LeakBot was developed with HomeServe Labs and is now part of Ondo InsurTech Plc following a SPAC reverse takeover in 2021.
The InsurTech, protected by patents in Europe and the US, has been rolled out with insurers to cut claims costs, deliver early intervention and supply risk data for pricing.
Bailey also has a sideline running a low-carbon electric transport system, consults for Octopus Energy and advises investment companies on AI and renewable energy.
His credentials did not go unnoticed by the eagle-eyed investors.
Peter Jones said: “You want investment in Pippa? I want to invest in Skyrad – is that possible?
“I genuinely think you are clearly a very skilled creator and inventor; it would be so much more interesting to be part of all your projects. Not just this.
“Element of spreading the risk there, the risk factor.
“You’ve asked for £100,000 for 5%… I would like to make you an offer for all of the 100,000 but I would like 12.5% of Skyrad.”
2025 Northern Leaders list celebrates region’s game-changers
Deborah Meaden then undercut Jones at £100,000 for 10%.
Touker Suleyman matched her terms and argued that his experience could help bring the device’s price down from its current £179.99, plus £39.99 annual subscription for remote alerts.
Sara Davies and Steven Bartlett both declared themselves out, with Bartlett warning that Pippa “could become massive, but also could become nothing”.
Yet after Bailey floated the idea of multiple Dragons investing, a deal was struck.
Jones, Meaden and Suleyman would each put in £50,000, giving him £150,000 for a combined 15% stake, valuing his business at £1 million.
Afterwards, Bailey said: “Having three Dragons involved is going to be really, really helpful.
“The fact they were so enthusiastic about it is just brilliant.”
Sky returns to profit with £1bn turnaround ahead of 600 job cuts