A Derby startup designing sensory-friendly clothing for neurodivergent children will appear on BBC One’s Dragons’ Den later this month, with one of the youngest entrepreneurs ever to enter the Den.
Comfa, co-founded by 12-year-old Max Palfrey and his dad Matt, will feature in the episode airing at 8pm on Thursday July 31st on BBC One.
Max is autistic and has ADHD, inspiring him to come up with the idea for Comfa after struggling with the feel of everyday clothing due to sensory processing differences.
Together with his father, he created the Fidget-T – a T-shirt with built-in pop fidgets, encased seams and peel-off tags.
This is designed to help with sensory regulation and provide all-day comfort.
The company was set up two years ago and sells its products via its website.
It has already gained traction on various social media platforms and been featured by BBC News, ITV News and This Morning.
With Max’s innovative way of looking at problems, Comfa became one of the first businesses to be awarded the Erewash R&D grant, one of only three companies to do so.
“We started Comfa because Max couldn’t tolerate most clothing, and struggled to regulate after a difficult day,” said Matt.
“We knew so many others felt the same. Presenting the Fidget-T in the Den together was a surreal and proud moment for us both.”
Max, who counts Paddy McGuinness as one of his customers, will be among the youngest people ever to pitch on the show.
During the episode, he explains how his own sensory sensitivities led him to invent a product to help others like him feel more at ease in their clothes.
The company supports families, charities and educators across the UK and Max is recognised as one of the UK’s youngest inventors, according to the UK patent office.