Plenty of products toted on BBC business show Dragons’ Den have gone on to make a success of themselves with the backing of one of five fearsome Dragons.
However, it isn’t only the products that secure investment which succeed – as some rejects have also gone on to prove the business moguls wrong.
One such product was a children’s baggage company that went on to make £10million, whose products are now used at airports around the world.
Toting ride-on suitcases for kids with his brand Trunki, Rob asked the Dragons for a £100,000 investment in exchange for 10 percent of his business.
But success didn’t come easy, as former Dragon Theo Paphitis slammed entrepreneur Rob Law when he appeared in the Den back in 2006, and left empty handed.
(Image: PA)
A technical error in the studio saw Theo accidentally yank the handle off one of his suitcases, which led him to question the quality and durability of the case.
He said at the time: “You shouldn’t come here with problems that can be solved. It drives me mad that we waste our time with these things.”
Deborah Meaden, however, admitted she loved the product – albeit before Theo managed to half-destroy one of the cases.
(Image: BBC)
And Rob admitted afterwards: “Things tumbled downhill out of my control when Theo got a little bit too aggressive with my pink Trixie suitcase.”
Theo then questioned whether the product was simply faulty – before being told that it was not.
Deborah added: “The moment Theo pulled that handle off, the whole integrity of that product was compromised. I just don’t think it’s a business opportunity.”
Despite that, he did manage to scrape an offer from former Dragon Richard Farleigh, but bravely turned it down to walk away empty-handed.
Rob later appeared on Dragons’ Den: On Tour, in which he reflected on his experiences pitching in front of the Dragons.
But by 2018, Rob’s business reportedly had an impressive turnover of £9.5million, and Trunki had sold more than three million units in more than 100 countries around the world.
He has since expanded the company to include various other travel accessories, including car seats and backpacks.
Trunki products are now sold in countless high street retailers, including John Lewis, Boots and Halfords.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
