Would you brave the Den if it meant raising the profile of your business?
Several of the names on the Founder 250 list appeared on Dragons’ Den – with varying degrees of success.
The UK-wide list celebrates 250 of the country’s best founder-led and founder-influenced businesses.
To qualify, companies must have a significant UK presence, be cash-generative and have been founded no later than 2024.
RSM UK is the headline sponsor of the Founder 250, alongside law firm CG, property specialist OBI and investor Mercia Ventures.
Viral matcha brand PerfectTed has become one of the most lucrative success stories after appearing on Dragons’ Den.
After being launched in 2021 from a kitchen table by Marisa Poster, Teddie Levenfiche and Levi Levenfiche, it shot to prominence when Poster and Teddie Levenfiche appeared on Dragons’ Den and secured investment from Steven Bartlett.
The company is set to hit $100m+ in revenue this year and is now sold in more than 50 countries.
In 2019, Bethan Higson started Mother Root in her kitchen in London.
She came up with the idea while pregnant and craving a grown-up drink without the alcohol.
Today it’s the UK’s number one non-alcoholic spirit. The company appeared on Dragons’ Den in 2025, attracting an offer of investment from Bartlett.
Even failing to secure investment from the Dragons is no obstacle to growth.
Lucie Macleod will probably go down as the most successful reject in the history of Dragons’ Den after famously walking out of the Den empty-handed.
She’s the founder of Hair Syrup, an innovative, fast-growing brand that sells a range of pre-wash hair treatments and grew by 967 per cent in a year.
Millions of people saw Sarah Louise Fairburn, founder of Lincolnshire-based food and drink company IMP & MAKER, walk out of the Den after failing to secure investment.
In the immediate aftermath of her appearance, website traffic increased by 1,000 per cent and online sales soared by 90 per cent.
Derry Green knew his Dragons’ Den appearance would transform the fortunes of his business, The Secret Garden Glamping, but even he underestimated its power when he walked into TV’s most famous Den in 2023.
Green received £100,000 investment offers from Deborah Meaden, Peter Jones, Sara Davies and Touker Suleyman before choosing Meaden.
The episode aired on January 16, 2024, and by February 1, the company had generated an additional £500,000 in bookings.
Green said: “It was six months before it calmed down and even then, it still never stops.”
The company has expanded from one site to five, grown turnover from £500k to nearly £2m and now employs 47 people.
Although not essential, the Founder 250 judges were also looking for businesses with a clear purpose, including B Corp status, ESG strategies or a commitment to charity or social impact.
A second smaller ‘Ones to Watch’ list of founder businesses will be published later in the year.
Note: Every effort has been made to check the accuracy of the information on the list. However, if you spot any errors, please email us news@businesscloud.co.uk
| Founder name(s) | Company | Sector | Founded | Location | Region | Full profile | Female founder? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bethan Higson | Mother Root | Food & drink | 2019 | London | Greater London | Full profile | ✔ |
| Derry Green | The Secret Garden Glamping | Leisure | 2020 | Skelmersdale | North West | Full profile | |
| Dr Guy Sandelowsky & Shiv Sivakumar | Omni Pet | Food & drink | 2020 | London | Greater London | Full profile | |
| Laura Waters & Kelli Aspland | Solar Buddies | Other | 2011 | Cwmbran | Wales | Full profile | ✔ |
| Lottie Whyte & Joe Gray | MyoMaster | Health & beauty | 2021 | East Molesey | South East | Full profile | ✔ |
| Lucie Macleod | Hair Syrup | Other | 2021 | Fishguard | Wales | Full profile | ✔ |
| Marisa Poster, Levi & Teddie Levenfiche | PerfectTed | Food & drink | 2021 | London | Greater London | Full profile | ✔ |
| Sarah Louise Fairburn | Imp & Maker | Food & drink | 2020 | Coningsby | Midlands | Full profile | ✔ |