Author: Jonathan Symcox

A dating app with a difference was pitched on Dragons’ Den tonight – and bagged an investor in Steven Bartlett despite being pre-revenue.

hati is a dating app launched in 2025 by Zaahirah Adam, who told the Dragons she founded the startup after a bad experience with being ghosted.

Bartlett – who knows the founders of the world’s highest-profile dating apps – said there was a market for hati.

Author: Chris Maguire

Online bathroom retailer Victorian Plumbing Group has announced that founder Mark Radcliffe will relinquish the CEO role from March 31^st but will remain on the board as a non-executive founder director.

He’ll be succeeded by Stephnie Judge, currently the group’s managing director.

Judge joined North West-based Victorian Plumbing in 2013 and, following a number of promotions, was appointed group MD in 2020.

Her leadership has been instrumental in driving the company’s growth and delivering key strategic initiatives, the acquisitions of Victoria Plum and Sovereign Transport Services and numerous technology and customer proposition improvements.

Radcliffe founded Victorian Plumbing in 2000 and has grown the business into the UK’s leading bathroom retailer.

Philip Bowcock, chair of Victorian Plumbing Group plc, commented: “I am delighted that Stephnie has agreed to step up as CEO of Victorian Plumbing.”

Thanks for joining us. You can see previous investments from the permanent Dragons here:

Peter Jones CBE

Steven Bartlett

Deborah Meaden

Touker Suleyman

“I didn’t expect to get one Dragon, never mind two!” Sam says in the lift. “Amazing.”

“We’re in business together!” Peter tells Jenna.

Deborah says she doesn’t like the share arrangement.

It doesn’t float Steven’s boat – “maybe because I don’t have kids” – and he’s out.

Touker says Sam is credible but it needs a lot of money and he’s out.

Peter agrees and Jenna asks if she’s missed something on why it’s not got commercial legs. He says £40 is too expensive for parents to spend.

Jenna says he has something special and offers all of the money (£65k) for 15%!

Peter says Jenna has made him a good offer. “You’re going to need a lot of money.”

Jenna asks Peter whether he would consider sharing. He surprisingly agrees and offers either the £65k for 20%; or half the money for 10%, with the same deal for Jenna.

Sam accepts the deal with both Dragons!

Steven asks about the quality. Sam says the goal isn’t to compete with the big boys.

Touker says he cannot imagine these products in a high street toy shop and cost too much.

Jenna asks about social impact and Sam says it is mostly reels and pictures of the product.

Sam says 39% of the business is owned by Batch.Works; 20% by the design agency; 8% by a web developer and brand agency; and 33% by him.

People or kids can build these headphones, which don’t have glue or screws.

If a part breaks, they can simply replace that part.

All parts are 3D-printed in 30 minutes at their partner’s facility and made from recycled plastic made from corn and other products.

They are asking for £65k for 10% of the business.

Sam Beaney enters the Den with Kibu.

Sam has support from design consultancy Morrama and 3D printing company Batch.Works.

Its sustainable, modular headphones for children between the ages of 5-11 are easily taken apart, repaired and recycled.

They also have a STEM angle by teaching kids hands-on skills in building and assembling.

The problem is that they only own 56% of the business, she says.

“I don’t like the pattern.” They need money but are too diluted already.

They tell Deborah that they’ll make back their losses in two years.

“I really really want to invest in this,” she says. “Actually, I’m going to be quiet…”

Jenna is out.

Touker is also out.

Steven says his fridge is full of these products but isn’t a fan of the branding as it isn’t authentic enough i.e. looks like a Korean product.

Deborah disagrees. She’s having an internal dialogue on making an offer.

Harry and James are former stockbrokers who decided that life wasn’t for them.

Since opening, they have lost £44k; £73k; £123k; £104k; and £83k.

“You’ve lost £400k so far!” says Steven.

They have raised £500k from investors so far and also taken out loans. The trio still own 56% of the business.

They are sure they will turn a profit this year.

“You’re currently insolvent,” says Peter after quizzing them on the debt. He’s out.

The business started in James’s back garden where they fermented food in an old fridge!

They’ve done £1.4m sales and have a 4,500 sq ft fermentation facility in Norfolk, where they maintain “total control” of manufacturing the product.

They are looking for £50k for 3.5% of the business.

They serve up kimchi pancakes and tempeh sushi rolls.

“That’s the best tempeh I’ve ever tasted,” says Deborah.

“We went to Indonesia to be trained in how to make it.”

Club Cultured is a food company was founded in 2018 by three schoolfriends including a Michelin-star trained chef.

Club Cultured specialises in premium fermented and pickled products to enhance wellness. Its plant-based and gut-focused food include tempeh, kimchi, mooli and pickles and are used by the likes of Wagamama. 

James, Harry and former Ritz Hotel chef Connor opened London’s first tempeh factory in Hackney in 2020.

Harry and Connor slide into the Den “super excited”.

Deborah says kimchi is her food.

Peter says he would be interested in the roofbox idea and to come to him if the patent comes through. He’s out.

Steven is also out.

Deborah agrees with Peter and is also out.

Touker starts with “it’s a shame… innovation came quite late in the pitch”. He’s out.

Jenna says she wishes she’d been able to help him with the pitch. A focus on a game-changing innovation pitched at festivals would look like a good investment. But she’s out.

James tells Steven that there is a game-changing innovation coming.

They have a patent for a roofbox with an awning inside which inflates and pops up outside the van.

“I always worry when people tell me to invest in something which isn’t in front of me,” says Steven.

“When did you apply for the patent?” asks Deborah.

“Yesterday.”

That doesn’t go down well.

The Martins are looking for £60k for 10% of the business.

They sell 75% online and 25% at festivals. They’ve generated £4.3m over the decade since launching, when James had a law firm startup. With £150k profits.

They also have their own festival attended by 2,000 people every year.

Jenna says there were arguments on family holidays when she was younger about who would put the awning on the caravan as they are so difficult.

Touker says he could pick up the phone to China and order stock for his warehouse. “There’s no barrier to entry.”

Next up are James and Sarah Martin will pitch Glawning, which sells luxury cotton bell-tent awnings for campervans.

Founded in 2013, they will talk up their durable, waterproof, flame-retardant nature – and say they take only 10 minutes to pitch.

The family business has branched out into car awnings, wood burners and tarps.

They are from Yorkshire – but it’s not THAT James Martin from the White Rose County!

Steven Bartlett knows the founders of the highest-profile dating apps and says there is a market for this.

Zee says she has seen success on social media just by explaining the problem in a video and how she intends to solve it.

Peter Jones is surprised by the £3m valuation, given that she has little traction and hasn’t built a successful business before.

Touker Suleyman is out as he knows little about dating apps.

Jenna Meek is also out.

Peter Jones is also out as there are a lot of competitors but compliments her pitch.

Deborah Meaden is worried by the barrier to entry – “your competitors could just see what you are doing and copy it” – and she’s out.

Steven says this is a perfect business for him but a £150k bet is too steep for him.

Zee cites Tim Ferriss, who Steven apparently knows, and says he has spoken about this problem before.

After some back-and-forth, Zee and Steven agree a deal – £150k for 30% of the business!

‘Zee’, as she is known, wants to change the game and says she is creating the next unicorn. It has 5,000 downloads so far.

She is looking for 150k for 5% of the business.

It takes a commission from dates scheduled and also integrates dating doaching – helping people to be better dates.

Deborah Meaden asks about revenue and Zee gives her a spiel.

“Is that your way of saying your pre-revenue?”

The answer: “We’ve done £48 of revenue so far!”

First up in the Den is Zaahirah Adam with hati – she is preceded by a coffin!

hati is a dating app launched in 2025. Adam founded the startup after a bad experience with being ghosted.

It forgoes text messaging in favour of a five-minute phone call between people who are matched to see if they hit it off. hati also eschews static photos in favour of voice and video profiles.

Users must also be verified by three friends to guard against catfishing.