The Underdogs

Famous Dragons’ Den Rejects That Succeeded Anyway

The dragons passed. The companies won. The biggest Dragons’ Den no-deal success stories, proof that walking out empty-handed isn't the end.

Dragons' Den IndexUpdated 27 August 20256 min read

Around seven in ten Dragons’ Den pitches end without a deal. For most of those companies that is the end of the story, but the show’s biggest plot twist is how many of its most successful alumni were turned down on air. The exposure of a prime-time pitch, the so-called "Dragons’ Den effect," can be worth more than the cheque the dragons refused to write.

Trunki

Season 3 · asked £150,000 for 50%

Rob Law brought his ride-on children's suitcase into the Den and the pitch went badly. As he demonstrated it, the carry strap snapped clean off, and the dragons pounced on the fault and passed. Law walked out with nothing. Trunki went on to become one of the best known children's travel brands in Britain, sold in dozens of countries and millions of homes, and is now the go-to reference for the most famous miss in the show's history.

Tangle Teezer

Season 5 · asked £50,000 for 25%

Shaun Pulfrey pitched his detangling hairbrush and got a flat no. One dragon dismissed the idea as "hair-brained" and the panel could not see past the crowded brush aisle. Pulfrey backed himself, kept going, and Tangle Teezer became a global bestseller, stocked in salons and shops around the world and selling tens of millions of units. The dragons who passed have been asked about it ever since.