An AI-powered cat flap won over three judges on Dragons’ Den tonight – and left with a verbal deal with Steven Bartlett.
Northumberland-based OnlyCat uses a camera and algorithms to prevent pets from bringing prey such as birds and mice into the home.
Brothers Martin and Tomas Rosinski said the product sends the owner a video alert at the moment their cat is locked out so they cantake action.
Like other products already on the market, it also includes microchip-based access control to prevent other cats from entering the home.
The business, which launched through crowdfunding, has since generated more than £2 million in revenue. However at the time of filming, it had raised £750k in pre-orders.
The product is £450 and it costs them £160 to manufacture. They were looking for £200k for 4% of the business.
Touker Suleyman told the pair there “is a lot to do here” but could help them bing the price of manufacture down to stop competitors taking their market share. He offered half the money (£100k) for 10% if another Dragon was willing to come in.
However Bartlett had already offered the full £200k for 12.5% of the business – which he described as “cool” – an offer matched by Deborah Meaden.
The brothers said 10% was their upper limit heading into the Den – and Bartlett agreed to negotiate down to that level for the full money.
Cubbi
Also pitching on episode three of the series were sisters Olivia and Tanyka Davson – the former nine months pregnant at the time of filming – who presented Cubbi, the UK’s discount platform for new and expecting parents.
Cubbi was founded following Olivia’s own experience of becoming a parent and feeling the financial strain and isolation that can accompany early parenthood.
Tanyka built the first version of the Cubbi app from scratch despite having no prior technical background. Still pre-revenue at the time of recording, they planned to keep the app free for parents and charge commission on brands.
The three male judges turned down their offer of 10% stake of the business for £50,000, but Meaden offered the money for 20%.
However guest Dragon Susie Ma, making her debut, is a new mum herself – and agreed to stump up the full amount for 10%.
The Tropic Skincare founder first found fame on The Apprentice but has grown turnover to $100m ahead of her appearance in the Den.
Craft & Crumb
Founded in 2016 by two friends, Kate Horne and Louise Nicholson, Craft & Crumb is a female-owned, independent baking kit brand.
Craft & Crumb are reinventing what ‘baking together’ looks like for families by creating monthly Bake & Craft subscription boxes and seasonal kits that give parents and kids a genuine ‘we made this!’ moment – not just another mix in a box.
From party bags without the plastic tat to Easter-themed baking kits, the startup aims to spark creativity, celebrate the mess, and prove that together really does taste better.
However the Dragons were not impressed and they left without a deal.
CompoCloset
Drawing the biggest laugh of the episode were Richard Peter and Erica Pugh with their ‘CompoCloset’ – a composting toilet.
They discussed the challenges of off-grid living and said their products can be used for RVs, vans, tinyhomes and boats. Their newest product, the S1 Dry Flush Sealing toilet, is ‘waterless, odourless, eco-friendly, compact and stylish’.
Peter Jones tried one out – well, sat on one – and said it was far too small for his frame.
They were looking for £100k for 3% of the business. All the Dragons were put off by the founders saying it would take seven years for investors to make a profit.
Meaden, who has worked in the caravan industry, says toilets in RVs are plumbed in and it will take a lot of persuasion to get the industry to change the layouts of vehicles.
Jones offered them the money for 20% and was flatly turned down, with an incredulous Pugh saying afterwards that they had been willing to go to 10% but no further.