Product Update
Is London Nootropics Still in Business? (2026 Update)
Is London Nootropics from Dragons’ Den still around in 2026? The deal it made, the dragons who invested, and where to buy London Nootropics today.
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Shez Shaikh and Zain Peer pitched a coffee blend that promised the alertness of caffeine without the jitters, built around adaptogenic mushrooms rather than gimmicks. Two Dragons backed it, and years on, the brand has moved well past its Den origins into some genuinely upmarket retail.
The short answer
London Nootropics is still trading, and by most measures it has grown considerably since its episode aired. The coffee blends are now stocked in Harrods and Selfridges, alongside luxury hotel brands internationally, which is a meaningfully bigger footprint than most Den food and drink pitches ever reach.
That kind of premium retail placement does not happen for a brand that is struggling. It happens for one that found a genuine gap in the market and executed on it.
The pitch
Founders Shez Shaikh and Zain Peer developed London Nootropics after roughly two years working on what started as a pre-workout coffee before evolving into something broader. The final product blends coffee with adaptogens, lion's mane and cordyceps mushrooms among them, aimed at giving drinkers focus and energy without the anxiety or crash that can come with regular coffee.
They asked the Dragons for £50,000 in exchange for 30 per cent of the business, entering the Den in series 19, episode 6 with a product built around a genuinely differentiated formulation rather than just a new flavour of an existing category.
The deal
Deborah Meaden and Sara Davies both backed the pitch, jointly investing the full £50,000 the founders asked for. Getting two Dragons to co-invest rather than one is generally a strong signal, since it means more than one experienced operator independently concluded the numbers and the product justified the risk.
Deborah's track record with sustainable, well-built consumer brands and Sara's own experience scaling a niche product with a devoted customer base both map reasonably well onto a functional coffee brand trying to build a loyal, repeat-purchase audience.
The growth into premium retail
Since the pitch, London Nootropics has expanded its retail footprint significantly, landing placements in Harrods and Selfridges, two of the most selective retail names in the UK, alongside listings in luxury hotel brands internationally. The company has also continued developing its product range, launching new blend variants beyond the original line.
That trajectory, from a two-founder startup pitching a niche functional coffee to shelf space in Harrods, is one of the stronger growth stories among Den food and drink companies from this stretch of episodes. Premium retailers vet suppliers hard before they agree to a listing, so getting into two of them is a real signal, not a marketing claim.
Where things stand now
London Nootropics continues to sell its adaptogenic coffee blends both online and through its expanded retail and hospitality partnerships, with new product development ongoing as of recent coverage. There is no indication in the public record of the business slowing down or stepping back from its retail growth.
For a product built around a fairly specific pitch, coffee that will not give you the jitters, the brand has done the hard part any functional food or drink company needs to do: prove the concept works well enough that premium retailers want to stock it.
The verdict
London Nootropics asked for £50,000 for 30 per cent in series 19 and secured the full amount from Deborah Meaden and Sara Davies together. The brand is still trading and has since expanded into Harrods, Selfridges, and luxury hotel placements, a clear sign of a business that grew well past its television debut.
Common questions
Who invested in London Nootropics? Deborah Meaden and Sara Davies invested together, putting up the full £50,000 the founders asked for.
What is in London Nootropics coffee? The blends combine coffee with adaptogens, including lion's mane and cordyceps mushrooms, aimed at delivering focus and energy without the jitters or crash associated with regular coffee.
Where can you buy London Nootropics now? Beyond its own online store, the brand is stocked in Harrods, Selfridges, and a number of luxury hotel brands internationally.
Is London Nootropics still run by its original founders? Yes, Shez Shaikh and Zain Peer developed the product and continue to lead the brand's growth.
Where to buy London Nootropics
Still selling as of 10 June 2026. Check today's price and availability.
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See the full London Nootropics deal breakdown and term sheet →
