A tech startup backed by Susie Ma on Dragons’ Den is looking to raise £350,000 in seed funding.
Sisters Olivia and Tanyka Davson secured £50,000 for their business, Cubbi, from the founder of Tropic Skincare when they appeared in the Den in February.
Birmingham-based Cubbi is a discount platform for new and expecting parents, and the siblings hailed Ma as a ‘fantastic investor’ who has been ‘incredibly engaged’.
Olivia, who was nine months pregnant at the time of filming, founded Cubbi following her own experience of becoming a parent and feeling the financial strain and isolation that can accompany early parenthood.
Following their Dragons’ Den appearance, Cubbi’s user base has grown to more than 20,000 and the company is now working with over 250 brand partners.
Tanyka said: “With the momentum from the Den, we’re supercharging that growth, aiming to reach over 100,000 users and more than 500 brands by the end of the year.”
To fund the next stage of growth, Cubbi is looking to raise £350,000, with £100,000 already committed. The round is expected to close in June.
Tanyka added: “This will allow us to accelerate development, expand our team and deliver on a clear vision of what Cubbi can become.
“A big part of that will be investing in the product. As we scale our brand partnerships, it’s essential that the platform feels intuitive, personalised and easy to navigate, so users can quickly find the most relevant offers for them.
“Personalisation and elements of gamification will be key areas of focus.
“We’re also building out features to better support different types of parents. That includes introducing a referral scheme to make it easier for dads to join earlier in the pregnancy journey, as well as beginning to expand our offering to parents with older children, which has always been part of our longer-term vision.
“Alongside product, we’ll be growing the team to support increasing opportunities to work with brand partners and expand our marketing activities.”
Alex Dalby, former head of strategic partnerships at Blue Light Card, has recently joined as an investor and strategic adviser.
Ma committed £50,000 for a 10 per cent stake in the business when she appeared as a guest Dragon on Dragons’ Den.
Tanyka added: “Susie has been a fantastic investor from the very beginning. She immediately understood the mission and, as a new mum herself, really connected with what we’re building.
“She brings a huge amount of experience in building communities, which has been particularly helpful as we think about how we grow and engage our user base.
“We’ve met with her several times, and she’s been generous with her support, resources and contacts. Overall, she’s been incredibly engaged and supportive, and we’re really excited to continue building alongside her.”
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Ma first found fame on The Apprentice in 2011, when she appeared in the seventh series of the show.
The series was won by inventor Tom Pellereau, but Ma’s tenacity and determination impressed Lord Sugar so much that he invested £200,000 in her business, becoming her partner.
In 2023, she became the sole owner of Tropic Skincare after Lord Sugar agreed to sell back his stake.
She has since grown the business into a $100m+ revenue company.