Social Chain co-founder Steve Bartlett is to become the youngest-ever Dragon on long-running BBC series Dragons’ Den.
Aged just 28, Bartlett will join fellow investors Peter Jones, Deborah Meaden, Touker Suleyman and Sara Davies on series 19, replacing Tej Lalvani.
“I’ve been watching Dragons’ Den since I was 12 years old – it was my first window into the real world of business and investing,” said Bartlett, adding that the move was “a tremendous honour”.
Bartlett co-founded social media marketing agency Social Chain with Dominic McGregor in Manchester in 2014.
Achieving a reach of more than two billion views per month, the company has around 750 employees with locations in Manchester, Berlin, London, New York and Munich, and works with world leading brands such as Amazon, Coca Cola and Apple.
In October 2019, Social Chain merged with Lumaland AG to form The Social Chain AG and list on XETRA and the Düsseldorf Stock Exchange.
He and McGregor left the business last year.
Bartlett said he wants to inspire “a new generation of entrepreneurs, inspiring young and specifically under-represented entrepreneurs to follow in my footsteps”.
? ANNOUNCEMENT ?
A NEW FIRE, A NEW DRAGON.
SERIES 19. BBC ONE. pic.twitter.com/WDK4Bn7dt1
— Steven Bartlett ?? (@SteveBartlettSC) May 13, 2021
BBC entertainment boss Sarah Clay said: “Steven’s unique approach to business will bring a whole new dynamic to the Den.
“He brings a wealth of experience from the social media, technological and brand building worlds.”
Bartlett’s debut book, Happy Sexy Millionaire, was published this year.