Accessibility innovator Simon Sansome made his mark on Dragons’ Den after winning investment from all five Dragons for his mobile app Snowball – dubbed ‘the TripAdvisor for the disabled community’.
The final episode of series 22 saw Sansome deliver one of the standout pitches of the 10-month-long season, securing a rare full-house offer from Peter Jones, Deborah Meaden, Sara Davies, Steven Bartlett and Touker Suleyman.
The deal saw £80,000 invested collectively, with each Dragon taking a 5% stake for £16,000.
Wheelchair user Sansome, from Leicestershire, founded the business following a life-changing spinal injury in 2014, which left him paralysed from the waist down.
His experience navigating accessibility challenges inspired the app, which helps people with visible and hidden disabilities discover and review inclusive locations across the UK- from petrol stations and restaurants to health and hospitality venues.
He first tested the concept through a Facebook page, Ability Access (now the Snowball Community), which grew into one of the world’s largest disability awareness platforms with more than 30 million monthly views.
The community’s success led him to develop the award-winning Snowball app, now available on iOS and Android.
“When I received a clean sweep of all five Dragons, I was in shock,” said Sansome.
“After eight years of hard work, it’s fair to say this was a very emotional moment for me. The atmosphere in the studio was electric.
“As I shared my story and the journey behind Snowball, I could see the panel becoming more and more engaged.
“To have all five of them eager to be part of the business was surreal – it’s every entrepreneur’s dream, and I’ll never forget that moment.”
The Snowball platform now includes over 100,000 user reviews, a built-in satnav for navigating accessible routes, and a national disability rating system – similar to a food hygiene score – which assesses businesses on their accessibility for visible and non-visible disabilities, including neurodivergence, dementia and dyslexia.
The app has also partnered with Transport for London to provide real-time step-free travel data, as well as with the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower initiative to help users locate Sunflower-friendly venues that support those with invisible conditions.
The company’s mission to make accessibility accessible has earned international recognition, ranking 9th in the Power 100 list and winning 12 awards across regional, national and global stages.
Supported by Paralympians Hannah Cockroft and Aaron Phipps, the business is quickly making a name for itself and promoting inclusion in both technology and society.
“This isn’t just an app,” Sansome continued.
“It’s a movement designed to change how we think about accessibility – empowering people with disabilities to explore the world with confidence.”