It was back in 2022 that senior tech exec Hayley Hanigan launched a side hustle that changed her life.
The mum-of-four is the head of global executive information technology at Unilever but launched Tiny Explorers after experiencing constant problems renting essential baby gear when she was travelling.
Tiny Explorers provide families with flexible access to essential baby gear, including strollers, car seats and travel cots.
A high profile clientele list, including Instamums Millie Mackintosh, Ashley James, Frankie Essex, Emma McVey, and Mollie King, has seen the startup top £300,000 in sales.
It was at this point that Hanigan took the biggest gamble of all – appearing on the BBC hit show Dragons’ Den, asking for an Investment of £50,000 for 10 per cent of the company.
Millions of TV viewers saw her enter the fearsome Den and walk away with not just one Dragon, but two Dragons onboard
“I was more nervous about how I’d come across on television than about pitching the business,” she admitted.
“I’d watched hundreds of previous episodes in preparation and I knew I had to have my numbers clear.
“After the initial nerves cleared, I found myself really enjoying the experience.”
Hanigan was described on the show as a mum-of-four but her success with Tiny Explorers has been even more impressive as she’s combined it with working as the global executive information technology at Unilever.
In September 2023 she headed up the roll out of copilot at Unilever and has played a pivotal role in the company’s adoption of AI.
“I love tech and the insights and learnings in that field are transferable to Tiny Explorers,” she told BusinessCloud.
When it comes to multitasking, Hanigan told the Dragons that a ‘busy mind is a happy mind’ and explained how her side hustle had turned over £203,000 in its first year and £288,000 in its second.
‘I’ve got the drive and the passion, but I need a Dragon to mentor me,” she admitted.
Explaining her business model a collapsible pushchair has a RRP of £450 but it costs only £50 to rent it for a week via Tiny Explorers.
Sara Davies, Touker Suleyman, and Hayley Hanigan on Dragons’ Den
Hanigan said the startup promotes a circular economy by reducing the need for parents to purchase single-use baby equipment.
The entrepreneur immediately found a supporter in fellow parent Sara Davies, who offered £50k for 10 per cent.
“I would love to mentor you,” she told Hanigan. “You’re a breath of fresh air. I totally get the market. I would have totally been a customer of this if this had been around when my kids were little. I can see so many areas where you can take the business.’
Hanigan’s business plan is to be integrated into booking platforms like Booking.com and Airbnb, to which Davies replied: “I am worried that that is not an achievable goal. It’d be great but it’d be so hard to change the behaviour on those websites.”
Steven Bartlett decided not to invest but had nothing but praise for the mum-of-four.
“You are such a force and the world is going to move out of your way, I can just feel it,” he said. “You’re so talented. My only experience of children is being one so I don’t think I’m the perfect investor in this case but I wish you the very best.”
After Peter Jones and Deborah Meaden also pulled out the remaining Dragon, Touker Suleyman, came in with a rival offer of his own.
“You’ve got a very good offer, but is it the right offer?” he said. “Is it a mentor you want or is it someone that can strategically help you? That’s where I come in.
“I think you’ve got two businesses here. You’ve got one business which is the travel business. You’ve got a bigger business fitting homes out when people are moving in for short-term lets and I’ve got all those estate agents in central London… but it comes at a price.”
At this point Bartlett quipped: “Here comes the vampire.”
Undeterred the fashion retail entrepreneur continued: “I will give you £60,000 but I want 20 per cent. I know what else I could offer you on top.”
Davies replied: “I don’t think Touker is bringing anything to the table that the business needs that I can’t bring you in abundance.”
However Suleyman replied: “That’s rubbish. I didn’t say I was going to change your business. It depends on how ambitious you are. If you want to stay where you are, just doing the airports, you don’t need me.”
In the end Hanigan suggested a compromise where Davies and Suleyman invested £25,000 for 10 per cent of the business – which both Dragons accepted.
The investment will support the female founder’s plans to increase marketing efforts, scale her operations with a new office and warehouse space, and improve customer experience through automated processes.
She also plans to expand her workforce by creating new job opportunities, particularly for local mums who require flexible working hours.
Reflecting on the experience she said: “Beyond the funding, having two brilliant mentors on board is invaluable. Running a business can be lonely, and their advice will be crucial as I navigate Tiny Explorers’ next steps.
“With this support, I’ll be able to expand sustainably, and continue our mission to reduce waste by offering families a convenient rental option instead of buying single-use items.”
The episode was filmed in 2024 and Hanigan said it was too early to assess the impact that the two Dragons had brought to the business.
“It’s very early days but we’ve had lots of the big players reach out to us to see if we can create a partnership so very excited about that,” she said. “I’m keen to hear from two big players Airbnb and Booking.com as referenced in my pitch.
“I’d love to see consumers being asked if they want to hire baby equipment alongside car hire/travel insurance.”
Asked how she combined having four children with a full-time job and running Tiny Explorers, she told BusinessCloud: “With great teams that I fully trust to delegate to where needed, a supportive family and employer but most of all being able to utilise my time effectively and prioritise what’s really important in each area.
“If I’m in the country I always make sure I’m home for bath and bed even if I log back on after the children are asleep. That’s my non-negotiable!”