Dragons' Den Brands: Who Owns Them Now

Tangle Teezer was rejected on Dragons' Den and sold to BIC for €200 million. Reggae Reggae Sauce is manufactured by AB World Foods, a division of Associated British Foods. PerfectTed hit a £140 million valuation after Steven Bartlett's investment. Magic Whiteboard's founders bought back their shares from the Dragons for an £800,000 return.

Dragons' Den is the British equivalent of Shark Tank, airing on BBC Two since 2005. The show has launched brands that got acquired by global conglomerates, brands that stayed independent, and brands that became worth far more than anyone in the Den predicted. The ownership picture is diverse and surprising.

We tracked who owns Dragons' Den brands now. The ownership picture reveals how a British reality TV show creates brand value that global conglomerates pay to acquire. For more on the Shark Tank equivalent, see our Shark Tank brands who owns them now.

Tangle Teezer: Rejected and Sold for €200M

Tangle Teezer, the British hairbrush company famously rejected by Dragons' Den panellists seventeen years ago, has been acquired by French consumer goods giant BIC in a deal worth €200 million, approximately £165 million.

Founded in 2007 by former hairdresser Shaun Pulfrey, Tangle Teezer was initially met with scepticism by investors including Peter Jones and Deborah Meaden on the BBC show. However, its brief television appearance kick-started online sales and paved the way for significant growth.

The company's eponymous detangling brushes, designed to smooth hair with less damage than traditional tools, have become a global success. Tangle Teezer now sells its products in more than 75 countries and recorded revenues of £53.5 million in 2023, doubling its turnover in the last four years. Pre-tax profits reached £4.93 million.

In 2021, private equity firm Mayfair Equity Partners acquired a majority stake in Tangle Teezer, valuing it at around £70 million. Pulfrey sold the bulk of his shares at that time, having turned a fledgling idea into a multi-million-pound enterprise that overcame the early knockback from Dragons' Den to secure a place in bathrooms worldwide.

BIC acquired 100 percent of Tangle Teezer from Mayfair Equity Partners in December 2024. The deal shows how a brand rejected on Dragons' Den can attract both private equity and corporate acquisition interest over a 17-year journey. For more on how rejection can build brand value, see our brands that became famous through one TV moment.

Reggae Reggae Sauce: The AB World Foods Connection

Levi Roots, whose real name is Keith Valentine Graham, appeared on the fourth series of Dragons' Den in February 2007, seeking £50,000 of investment in return for a 20 percent equity stake in Reggae Reggae Sauce.

Despite erroneously claiming that he had an order for 2.5 million litres of the sauce, he was offered the £50,000 for a 40 percent stake in his business by Peter Jones and Richard Farleigh. Shortly after his appearance on the programme, Sainsbury's announced that they would be stocking the sauce in 600 of their stores.

The sauce became Sainsbury's fastest-selling product, outselling Heinz tomato ketchup in its first year. Sainsbury's had expected the sauce to sell 50,000 bottles in its first year but instead sold 40,000 to 50,000 bottles per week.

Reggae Reggae Sauce is manufactured by AB World Foods, a division of Associated British Foods. AB World Foods is the company behind Patak's authentic curry, Blue Dragon stir-fry, and Levi Roots Reggae Reggae sauce. The brand has expanded beyond the original bottle to cover chilled ready meals, pasties, and Caribbean-flavoured soft drinks.

Peter Jones has called Roots his best investment from the Den. By May 2010, Jones had bought out Richard Farleigh for a little more than he originally invested, after Farleigh found he could not commit time to the business in its early stages. According to the Sunday Times Rich List, Roots is worth an estimated £30 million.

The Reggae Reggae Sauce case shows how Dragons' Den exposure, combined with a memorable pitch and a retail distribution deal, creates brand value that a major food manufacturer wants to produce and distribute. The brand is not owned by AB World Foods outright, but AB World Foods manufactures the sauce under license.

PerfectTed: The £140 Million Matcha Brand

PerfectTed, the UK's leading matcha brand, found fame when co-founders Marisa Poster and Teddie Levenfiche appeared on Dragons' Den in 2023 and received offers from all five Dragons.

Eventually they opted to go with Peter Jones and Steven Bartlett for £50,000 in exchange for 10 percent of the business, valuing PerfectTed at £500,000. The founders later decided they did not need Jones' expertise and went all in with Bartlett.

Bartlett quickly saw the potential and invested another £1 million through his Flight Fund VC firm in August 2024. PerfectTed has just announced a major new round of investment led by Felix Capital, giving it a valuation of £140 million as it strives to become the world's first billion-dollar matcha brand.

The valuation represents a staggering increase from the £500,000 price put on the brand when Bartlett and Peter Jones agreed to each take 5 percent in equity in return for £50,000. The business raised £8 million in fresh capital in the Felix Capital round.

PerfectTed is now the UK market leader for matcha, supplying more than half of the UK's in-store grocery market share for matcha, with listings in Tesco, Waitrose, Morrisons, Marks and Spencer, and Sainsbury's. It has witnessed 812 percent year-on-year sales growth with turnover approaching £50 million.

Bartlett wrote on LinkedIn: "After the Den, I became so convinced that they will build a billion dollar brand, own the matcha category and disrupt the coffee category, that I invested a further £1 million." PerfectTed is independent and privately held, with Bartlett as a significant minority shareholder.

Magic Whiteboard: The Buyback Success

Magic Whiteboard, the portable whiteboard in a roll, is said to be Deborah Meaden and Theo Paphitis' most successful investment to date. The Worcester-based manufacturer of reusable, sticky rolls of whiteboard has achieved impressive growth since appearing in the Den in 2008.

Husband-and-wife team Neil and Laura Westwood raised £100,000 from Meaden and Paphitis during the sixth series of the show, with the Dragons sharing a 40 percent stake in the business. Peter Jones had originally dubbed Magic Whiteboard "ridiculous" but, given the company's longevity and investor returns, it has shown itself to be anything but.

When founder Neil Westwood entered the Den in 2008, the company was turning over £45,000 a year. In 2014, it made £1.1 million. In September 2014, the Westwoods bought back their shares from Meaden and Paphitis, giving the investors an £800,000 return on their £100,000 investment, and now own 100 percent of the business.

The Dragons each received £305,000 for their stake in the business. The Dragons have each had over £100,000 in dividends since they invested. The buy-back deal took just two weeks to go through and was "very amicable," according to Westwood.

Paphitis, who is Chairperson of Ryman Stationery, went on to stock the whiteboards in 230 of his company's stores shortly after the Westwoods' appearance on the show. The whiteboards have become a staple in office supply stores and schools, with the company exporting to more than 20 countries. By 2016, one million products had been sold.

The Magic Whiteboard case shows a different ownership outcome. The founders used the Dragons' investment and expertise to scale the business, then bought back the shares to regain full ownership. The Dragons earned an 8x return on their investment. The brand remains independent and founder-owned.

Source: BM Magazine, BBC, Startups.co.uk, The Grocer, BusinessCloud, Telegraph. All brand ownership data verified through WhoBrands.com research methodology.

The Four Ownership Outcomes

Dragons' Den brands follow four ownership outcomes.

Corporate acquisition. Tangle Teezer was acquired by BIC for €200 million after 17 years of independent growth. The brand was rejected on the show, built through online sales and private equity backing, and ultimately acquired by a global consumer goods company. The rejection did not prevent acquisition. It may have helped by forcing the founder to build without Dragon capital.

Licensed manufacturing. Reggae Reggae Sauce is manufactured by AB World Foods under license. The brand is not owned by AB World Foods outright. Levi Roots and Peter Jones retain ownership. AB World Foods provides the manufacturing and distribution infrastructure that a small food brand cannot build alone. This outcome lets the founder retain brand ownership while accessing corporate scale.

VC-backed independence. PerfectTed remains independent and privately held, with Steven Bartlett and Felix Capital as significant minority shareholders. The brand used Dragons' Den exposure to attract venture capital, not acquisition. The £140 million valuation shows how Dragons' Den exposure can attract institutional capital without requiring a sale.

Founder buyback. Magic Whiteboard's founders bought back their shares from the Dragons for an £800,000 return on the original £100,000 investment. The founders used the Dragons' investment and expertise to scale, then regained full ownership. This outcome gives the founders complete control while delivering a strong return to the Dragons.

The Rejection Paradox

Tangle Teezer was rejected on Dragons' Den and sold for €200 million. The rejection paradox is that being rejected on the show can be more valuable than being funded.

Rejection forces the founder to build without Dragon capital. The founder has to find other sources of funding, other sources of expertise, and other sources of distribution. The founder has to prove the product works without the Dragon's endorsement. If the product works, the brand is stronger for having built without the Dragon's help.

Tangle Teezer's brief television appearance kick-started online sales, even though the Dragons rejected the pitch. The exposure without the investment gave Pulfrey the audience without the equity dilution. When Mayfair Equity Partners acquired a majority stake in 2021, Pulfrey retained more equity than he would have if he had accepted a Dragon deal.

The rejection paradox does not mean rejection is always better. It means that the value of Dragons' Den exposure is not dependent on securing a deal. The exposure itself creates brand value. The deal terms determine how that value is shared.

What This Means for Brand Ownership

Dragons' Den is a brand launch platform. The brands that succeed use the show for exposure, build a product that delivers, and scale through retail and digital channels. The ownership outcome depends on the brand, the category, and the acquirer's strategy.

The ownership picture is diverse. Some brands get acquired by global conglomerates like BIC. Some are manufactured under license by major food companies like AB World Foods. Some attract venture capital and stay independent like PerfectTed. Some are bought back by their founders like Magic Whiteboard.

Use WhoBrands.com to trace the ownership behind every Dragons' Den brand. The brand you discovered on Dragons' Den may now be owned by a global conglomerate, manufactured under license, venture-backed, or founder-owned. For more on how to research brand ownership, see our how to research a parent company before buying their products.

FAQ

Who owns Tangle Teezer now? Tangle Teezer is owned by BIC, the French consumer goods giant. BIC acquired 100 percent of Tangle Teezer in December 2024 for approximately €200 million, about £165 million. BIC acquired the brand from Mayfair Equity Partners, a private equity firm that had acquired a majority stake in 2021 for around £70 million. Tangle Teezer was famously rejected on Dragons' Den in 2007 by Peter Jones and Deborah Meaden.

Who owns Reggae Reggae Sauce now? Reggae Reggae Sauce is owned by Levi Roots and Peter Jones. The sauce is manufactured by AB World Foods, a division of Associated British Foods, under license. Peter Jones bought out Richard Farleigh's stake in 2010 for a little more than he originally invested. Levi Roots is worth an estimated £30 million according to the Sunday Times Rich List. The brand has expanded to chilled ready meals, pasties, and Caribbean-flavoured soft drinks.

Who owns PerfectTed now? PerfectTed is owned by its founders Marisa Poster, Teddie Levenfiche, and Levi Levenfiche, with Steven Bartlett and Felix Capital as significant minority shareholders. Bartlett initially invested £50,000 for 10 percent on Dragons' Den in 2023, then invested a further £1 million through his Flight Fund. Felix Capital led a funding round that valued PerfectTed at £140 million. The brand is independent and privately held.

What was the most successful Dragons' Den investment? Magic Whiteboard is considered Deborah Meaden and Theo Paphitis' most successful investment. The founders raised £100,000 for 40 percent equity in 2008. In 2014, the founders bought back the Dragons' shares for £800,000, an 8x return. The Dragons also received over £100,000 each in dividends. Peter Jones had called the product "ridiculous" during the pitch. The company now exports to more than 20 countries.

Explore Related Brands

• Tangle Teezer -- BIC-owned haircare brand, rejected on Dragons' Den, acquired for €200M
• Reggae Reggae Sauce -- Levi Roots brand manufactured by AB World Foods
• Poppi -- PepsiCo prebiotic soda brand that went from Shark Tank to $1.95B acquisition
• Rhode -- e.l.f. Beauty skincare brand built on celebrity cultural influence
• Fenty Beauty -- LVMH-linked beauty brand built on celebrity cultural influence
• Dollar Shave Club -- Unilever grooming brand built on viral video marketing

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Also read: Shark Tank Brands: Who Owns Them Now -- the American equivalent, featuring Scrub Daddy, Bombas, Poppi, and more.

Sources

1. BM Magazine: Tangle Teezer, once rejected on Dragons' Den, sold for €200m to Bic -- https://bmmagazine.co.uk/get-funded/tangle-teezer-once-rejected-on-dragons-den-sold-for-e200m-to-bic/ 2. Mayfair Equity Partners: Mayfair exits Tangle Teezer to leading consumer essentials company BIC -- https://www.mayfairequity.com/news/mayfair-exits-tangle-teezer-to-leading-consumer-essentials-company-bic/ 3. BBC: Dragons' Den Entrepreneurs - Levi Roots -- https://www.bbc.com/dragonsden/entrepreneurs/leviroots.shtml 4. Startups.co.uk: Dragons' Den success stories: Levi Roots -- https://startups.co.uk/dragons-den/levi-roots/ 5. Wikipedia: Reggae Reggae Sauce -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reggae_Reggae_Sauce 6. The Grocer: PerfectTed secures blockbuster valuation in investment round -- https://www.thegrocer.co.uk/news/perfectted-secures-blockbuster-valuation-in-seven-figure-vc-investment-round/710056.article 7. BusinessCloud: PerfectTed: Inside Steven Bartlett's best ever investment -- https://businesscloud.co.uk/news/perfectted-inside-steven-bartletts-best-ever-investment/ 8. Telegraph: Dragons cash in Magic Whiteboard stake -- https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/businessclub/money/11561923/Dragons-cash-in-Magic-Whiteboard-stake.html 9. Startups.co.uk: Dragons' Den success stories: Magic Whiteboard -- https://startups.co.uk/dragons-den/magic-whiteboard/

All brand ownership data verified through WhoBrands.com research methodology. Last updated: August 2026.

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