Author: Jonathan Symcox

TV personality Jaynika ‘Jay’ McGregor enters the Den seeking investment for her mobile grave-tending service Graceful Graves.

McGregor, who describes herself as a ‘presenter, broadcaster and content creator, admitted she started the award-winning grave cleaning and maintenance service ‘by accident’ after the death of her dad.

She said: “From tending my dad’s grave to building a community of care, it started in grief and turned into grace.

“I know that my dad would be beaming at the fact, that his first-born is on television doing something that honours him.”

She is looking for £70k for 10% of the business.

“That pitch was perfection,” says Grede.

Author: Jonathan Symcox

Bartlett says she is one of the most resilient entrepreneurs he has ever seen – but it isn’t an investment for him.

Grede urges her to scale it down and go back to fundamentals.

The other Dragons are also out.

“Obviously I’m disappointed I didn’t get investment, but I’m hoping to price them wrong,” says Sarah Louise.

“I can see a path through to greatness for the business.”

Author: Jonathan Symcox

Sarah Louise is hoping to turn a profit soon after years of losses.

Emma Grede says she “pitched it like a good un” and is an “incredible woman” but  isn’t positive on the numbers.

“I genuinely believe there is a market for this product,” replies the founder.

The startup’s average order value is now £75, which has gone up recently.

The Dragons urge her to turn off the ads which bump up the cost of customer acquisition.

Author: Jonathan Symcox

Sarah Louise says they are on track to sell 31,000 parcels this year and is targeting 100,000 by 2028.

She is looking for £100k for 10% of the business.

“That was a good pitch,” says Touker.

Author: Jonathan Symcox

Next up is Sarah Louise Fairburn, a single mum-of-four from Lincolnshire and the founder of food and drink gifting business IMP & MAKER.

Writing ahead of her TV showdown she said: “Last year I received a call from someone claiming to be from Dragons’ Den, asking if I wanted to pitch to the Dragons.

“I thought it was a hoax at first before realising it was genuine. The offer was simple. Did I want to appear in the Den in less than a month’s time?

“I knew IMP & MAKER was part-way through a journey but I’ve always thought you regret the things you don’t do in life – so I said ‘yes’.”

Author: Jonathan Symcox

Mrs Symcox says “it looks like a baby bonnet”. If she were a Dragon, she would be out.

Sara Davies likes the product – it will protect her hair! – but is concerned at the £50 price tag. The founders say the sweet spot might be £19.99. But Davies still doesn’t see it as an investment.

All the Dragons are out.

Author: Jonathan Symcox

Deborah Meaden says she has a bag and an umbrella – so why does she need this?

Steven Bartlett tries it on. “You look ridiculous,” is the verdict from the Dragons.

“It’s a novelty hat,” says Touker Suleyman.

Emma Grede says: “You haven’t thought this through. It’s not a stylistic choice… it’s a novelty. You would pick this up at Disneyland.”

Author: Jonathan Symcox

Innovative, sustainable rain and sun protection head wear brand, L’Hood, is first in the spotlight.

Co-founders Phil Moore and Carolyn Asome are pitching their alternative to an umbrella.

They want £150,000 for 15% of the business.

 

Author: Jonathan Symcox

A flurry of deals between the makers of artificial intelligence tools and the companies which design and manufacture the chips which deliver computing power is concerning.

That’s the view of Bill Conner, president and CEO of Jitterbit, a Dallas-based automation platform with AI accountability at its core.

Last week OpenAI and AMD announced that they had signed a multi-billion-dollar chip deal that would give OpenAI founder Sam Altman the option to buy 10% in the chipmaker. 

The latest deal is among a string of investment commitments which highlight the broader AI industry’s appetite for computing power as companies race toward developing AI technology. 

Nvidia has also announced it would invest $100bn in OpenAI, forging a close alliance between two of the leading firms in AI.

With new alliances in this AI arms race, we have to consider the risks that this race brings, says Conner.

Risers:

Croda International – +7.08%
Wizz Air – +4.86%
Aston Martin Lagonda Global – +4.37%
Centrica – +2.79%
Coca-Cola – +2.59%

Oxford Nanopore is up 2.38%.

Fallers:

Whitbread – -9.62%
Anglo-Eastern Plantations – -3.73%
Travis Perkins – -3.43%
Admiral Group – -2.76%
ITV – -2.88%

Trustpilot is down 2.70%; THG is down 2.46%; and Kainos is down 2.30%.

Just seven months after securing investment from BBC Dragons’ Den star Sara Davies, entrepreneur Carla Saull has blown her sales projections out of the water.

Since the episode in which she pitched sustainable hair towel brand Good Wash Day aired at the end of February, Carla has matched the sales she achieved in her first three years of trading in just six months. 

She has also recently stepped away from being a “kitchen table business” by moving into a new local office and warehouse space, and growing her team with new hires both in the UK and in Australia to support the brand’s international reach.

Carla credits much of her post-Den growth to her Dragon investor: “Sara has been an incredible mentor and sounding board. Her support, along with her team, has been invaluable, but most importantly, she lets me stay true to my vision.”

The deadline for the everywoman in Technology Awards has been extended. Inspirational women working in the technology sector now have until midnight on 27th October 2025 to submit their entries for the longest-running programme celebrating the tech industry’s most exceptional female talent.

Entries are open across multiple categories, recognising women at every stage of their careers, including those just starting out in apprenticeship roles and senior leaders driving innovation and transformation in global organisations.

Irish advertising technology innovator Buymedia has officially launched its UK operations in Manchester with the backing of Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham.

The launch event, attended by entrepreneurs, stakeholders, innovators and business leaders from across the region, was held at Buymedia’s new UK headquarters in The Renold Building, a collaborative space developed by Bruntwood and the University of Manchester, located in the heart of the city’s £1.7 billion science and technology innovation district.

Founded in Galway, Buymedia is one of Europe’s fastest-growing tech companies, boasting an impressive 2,208% revenue growth and ranking 73rd in the Deloitte EMEA Technology Fast 500.

Its AI-powered platform simplifies the way businesses and agencies plan, manage, purchase and measure advertising across multiple channels. Its client portfolio spans sectors including FMCG, hospitality, retail, telecoms, healthcare, education, and non-profits with notable brands such as E45, Bio Oil, eir, JYSK, and Bluebird Care.

The UK launch is supported by Enterprise Ireland and locally with MIDAS, as well as Manchester Chamber of Commerce and Growth Manchester.

A husband-and-wife team of influencers have contributed more than £2m of sales for one North West cruise company

Richand and Helen Chalu were 49 when they gave up their day jobs in 2020 to become full-time cruise and travel content creators.

The couple, who have three grown-up children, have clocked up 85 cruises and share their vlogs with the 71k subscribers to their YouTube channel ‘Visit With Us’.

They also act as ambassadors for luxury cruise retailer Panache Cruises and have just reached £2m in sales for the Chorley-based company.

James Cole, CEO of Panache Cruises, said: “It’s an amazing achievement to have generated more than £2m in sales.”

Fashion mogul Emma Grede returns as the guest Dragon on tonight’s episode of Dragons’ Den.

She joins Peter Jones, Deborah Meaden, Sara Davies, Steven Bartlett and Touker Suleyman as a new wave of entrepreneurs enter the Den in search of investment.

They include Sarah Louise Fairburn,  a single mum-of-four from Lincolnshire and the founder of food and drink gifting business IMP & MAKER.

Writing ahead of her TV showdown she said: “Last year I received a call from someone claiming to be from Dragons’ Den, asking if I wanted to pitch to the Dragons.

“I knew IMP & MAKER was part-way through a journey but I’ve always thought you regret the things you don’t do in life – so I said ‘yes’.”

Innovative, sustainable rain and sun protection head wear brand, L’Hood, manage to get Steven Bartlett to wear one of their products.

Viewers will see L’Hood’s co-founders, Phil Moore and Carolyn Asome, pitch their alternative to an umbrella.

• To watch the pitches on Dragons’ Den tonight (October 16th) , tune into BBC One at 8pm.

An Oldham manufacturer has taken a major step into the digital age with a £300,000 investment that doubles capacity, creates skilled jobs, and strengthens the town’s position as a hub for advanced manufacturing.

Developed by Stream Measurement with support from Made Smarter North West, the government-backed technology adoption programme, the new gas calibration rig replaces a 40-year-old system that relied on manual processes and legacy software.

The digital system automates certification and data acquisition, and is capable of testing meters from 0.25 to 4,000 cubic metres per hour. Its modern software interface enables real-time analysis and data capture, improving accuracy and reducing reliance on legacy expertise.

A process that once took a full day can now be completed in a few hours, significantly increasing throughput and opening opportunities to serve new customers across the UK and beyond.

AI recruitment company Jack & Jill has raised £15 million in seed investment to build and expand in Europe and the United States. 

AI recruiters ‘Jack’ and ‘Jill’ respectively help candidates find and land the next step in their career while introducing companies to a small number of well-matched candidates.

The round was backed by leading European early-stage firm, Creandum, as well as prominent VCs including a former F1 driver.

Counter – the consultancy brand from Northcoders – has secured a new engagement with BigChange, a leading global provider of business management software.

The scope of work, which is expected to last 12 months, will see Counter assemble a five-strong team of technologists who will help BigChange develop its mobile engineering solutions. The team will be made up of two mid-level and two associate-level developers who will work alongside a Counter tech lead.

Headquartered in Leeds, and founded in 2013, BigChange is a pioneering provider of software solutions for trades and field service professionals across multiple industries. It combines innovative software and hardware, with intelligent AI features, which empower businesses to simplify operations, scale seamlessly, and achieve extraordinary results. ‍

Counter’s consultants have either completed Northcoders’ training and are proficient in modern cloud and software solutions, including AI/ML development, data and cloud engineering or are part of the Tech Returners network. The consultancy’s robust model ensures that at the end of each engagement, clients have the option to onboard the consultants as full-time employees, at no additional cost, reinforcing skill retention and continuity.

Angel Investment Network, the world’s largest online angel investment platform, has launched its first Chinese language site in Singapore.

Founded in 2004, Angel Investment Network now operates 42 networks spanning 90 countries worldwide with more than 2 million users with sites in five different languages.

The move is driven by the vast entrepreneurial potential of the world’s Chinese-speaking population and the region’s dynamic growth. With 17% of the global population speaking Chinese, Angel Investment Network says it is expanding into a highly entrepreneurial community.

Digital Catapult has announced a £400,000 investment in DeepTech startup Optimal Slope, a mining technology company on a mission to transform open-pit mining into a more efficient and environmentally sustainable industry.

The investment will enable the startup to secure more partnerships with global mining companies, as it looks to scale its solution, decarbonise mining operations and equip the sector to be future ready through the application of its deep tech solution.

Founded in 2021, Optimal Slope developed the world’s first software platform to automate, optimise, and digitalise the design of mine pit walls, which are the stepped rock faces that form the sides of an open-pit mine, and is a process that traditionally relies upon manual
trial-and-error by engineers.

By intelligently minimising the excavation of waste rock, Optimal Slope’s solution reduces costs, increases mine profitability, and significantly cuts the carbon footprint of mining operations, which is critical to decarbonising the sector and driving industrial supply chain resilience.