Tolu Farinto, founder of music and events company Limitless Live, was the second business to enter the Dragons’ Den tonight.
Founded in 2021, it runs the Limitless Live festival every year – one of the UK’s biggest free live music shows – at the Roundhouse in London. Sasha Keable headlined the 2026 event in May.
Limitless’s stated aim is to make live music more accessible to young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. It says culture is becoming harder to access, with young people priced out of live music.
Tolu is also the Ethnicity and Social Mobility specialism Lead at Utopia – a culture change business that creates more purposeful, inclusive and entrepreneurial cultures for clients. He is a central part of a team that takes Utopia’s top-to-bottom, boardroom to factory-floor into clients including household names such as Coca-Cola European Partners, Google, Schneider Electric, Spotify and Universal Music.
He co-founded The Great British Diversity Experiment in 2015, and is a key advisor to Hackney CVS’s flagship Black Men for Change initiative: a strategic pan-London platform, funded by the Mayor of London, to combat structural inequality as it impacts vulnerable communities.
So how did he find the experience pitching to guest judge Tinie Tempah and regular Dragons Peter Jones, Touker Suleyman, Deborah Meaden and Steven Bartlett?
We caught up with Tolu after he walked away without investment.
How did you prepare for the show?
I worked on my pitch tirelessly to give the Dragons the best chance for them to understand the incredible work we do at Limitless.
How did you feel heading into the Den?
A mixture of nerves and excitement. I’m really used to pitching but these are the Dragons so it’s a whole different ball game.
Which of the Dragons was the scariest – and the nicest? Why?
None of them were scary, TBH – but I would say that Steven challenged me the most.
Why do you think you weren’t offered investment?
We weren’t offered investment because we weren’t making an increase in profit year on year, which I understand. I was trying to connect the dots for the Dragons that their investment and support could help us supercharge the platform.
What was the standout moment of your time in the Den?
The standout moment was the Dragons’ admiration for what I had created. They were very complimentary on the impact I was creating.
Is there something you would do differently if you had your time in there again?
If I went on it again, I think I would labour the direction of travel for access to live music and how Limitless Live is increasingly becoming a necessary part of the live music landscape.
How has the business progressed since recording?
Being on Dragons’ Den made us more ambitious and we are planning to scale with two shows next year. One in London at the iconic Roundhouse and one in Liverpool at the Blackstone Street Warehouse.
What are your plans for the rest of the year and next?
We are increasing our impact – two shows and access to more cultural experiences. In fact we are taking six kids to the Jay Z show on Saturday (5th September) and we will continue to deliver access to live music and cultural moments.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
I’m so proud of what we have created with Limitless Live – it’s a platform of joy, self actualisation and connection for young people across the country.