Product Update
Is Escape Kent Ltd Still in Business? (2026 Update)
Is Escape Kent Ltd from Dragons’ Den still around in 2026? The deal it made, the dragons who invested, and where to buy Escape Kent Ltd today.
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Michael and Christopher Knell pitched their escape room business, already turning over serious money, in series 19. What makes this one unusual is that the headline story is not really about a deal, it is about the brothers turning one down, and building something even bigger afterwards.
The short answer
Escape Kent is still in business, and by most public accounts it is doing considerably better than it was on the day it filmed its episode. The brothers behind it now run a business employing close to a hundred people, expanded well beyond the original escape rooms.
The on-air offer they received is a separate matter, and worth being precise about, because they did not actually take it.
The pitch
Michael and Christopher Knell launched Escape Kent in 2016 in Canterbury, after visiting an escape room in Germany and deciding to build their own. By the time they reached the Den in series 19, episode 5, they had already ploughed roughly £2 million of their own money into the business and expanded to a second site in Maidstone.
They asked the Dragons for £100,000 in exchange for 5 per cent of the company, a small equity slice reflecting a business that had already proven itself and did not need much outside cash, just a partner who could help it scale faster.
The offer, and the decision to walk
Sara Davies and Peter Jones came in together with a joint offer, but at 25 per cent equity rather than the 5 per cent the brothers had asked for, a five-fold jump in the price of doing the deal. That is a common move in the Den when Dragons like the business but think the founders are underselling how much of it they are giving up.
The Knell brothers turned it down. They wanted to keep the company family-run, and giving up a quarter of a business they had already sunk £2 million of their own money into was not a trade they were willing to make for £100,000. They left the Den without a deal.
What happened after they walked away
Rather than stalling out, Escape Kent kept growing under its own steam. The company expanded its game roster to nine rooms across its sites, including titles like Jailbreak, The Asylum, and Pirates of the Stormy Seas, and grew its headcount to almost 100 employees.
The brothers went further still, opening Rivals Social, a roughly £3 million gaming centre in Canterbury, funded and built without a Dragon on the cap table. That is a significant scale-up for a business that walked away from outside investment specifically to avoid diluting family ownership.
Where things stand now
Escape Kent operates multiple sites, a full slate of escape rooms, and, through Rivals Social, a much larger entertainment venue, all under family ownership. The business the brothers protected by declining the 25 per cent offer is, by the scale of what they have since built, doing well.
It is a useful reminder that a company appearing in a Den episode without a completed deal is not automatically a failure story. Sometimes turning the offer down is the better business decision, and Escape Kent's expansion since the show suggests that is exactly what happened here.
The verdict
Escape Kent asked for £100,000 for 5 per cent in series 19 and was offered a joint deal from Sara Davies and Peter Jones at 25 per cent, which the brothers declined. No investment completed. The business has since grown substantially on its own, expanding its escape room lineup and opening a multimillion-pound gaming venue, all without a Dragon's money.
Common questions
Did Escape Kent get a Dragons' Den deal? No. Sara Davies and Peter Jones made a joint offer at 25 per cent equity, well above the 5 per cent the brothers asked for, and the Knells turned it down.
Why did the founders walk away from the offer? They wanted to keep the business family-run and did not want to give up a quarter of a company they had already invested roughly £2 million of their own money into.
Is Escape Kent still trading? Yes, and it has grown considerably. The business now employs close to 100 people across its escape room sites and its newer Rivals Social gaming venue.
What is Rivals Social? A roughly £3 million gaming centre in Canterbury the Knell brothers opened after their Den appearance, funded independently rather than through outside investment.
Where to buy Escape Kent Ltd
Still selling as of 9 June 2026. Check today's price and availability.
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See the full Escape Kent Ltd deal breakdown and term sheet →
