We also see an app called Un:hurd, aimed at helping independent musicians market themselves this episode
Two founders walk out of the den with investment in tonight’s episodeopen image in gallery
Two founders walk out of the den with investment in tonight’s episode (The Independent)
Your support helps us to tell the story
Support Now
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.
While we wait for the latest series of Dragons’ Den to return, the BBC is repeating old episodes from series 20 to pass the time, and this one’s a goodie.
In tonight’s episode, serial entrepreneur Cally Russell makes a second appearance in the den after showing up in a much earlier series. But while the founder of the new sustainable fashion brand called This is Unfolded eventually secured offers, he turned them all down - again.
As well as Unfolded – a more evolved version of a business concept we saw in an earlier episode – we saw a relentless entrepreneur pitch an on-the-go potty-training product; a data-driven founder with cool trousers pitch an app that helps market independent artists and musicians to the masses; and a mushroom-based snack brand that had Steven Bartlett nabbing bags for himself.
Series 20 was heavily focused on app and snack brands – we saw an app to help people shop and get deliveries in their local community in episode five and traditional Indian chutneys in episode three. But if its mushrooms or collaboratively designed clothes you want, here’s where you can get (or download) all the products seen in tonight’s re-run of Dragons’ Den.
Kiddiwhizz whizzer: £19.99, Amazon.co.uk
open image in gallery
(Kiddiwhizz)
One of the most impressive entrepreneurs in the den in series 20 was Zoë Chapman, who designed, built and applied for patents for her Kiddiwhizz whizzer toilet, aimed at helping busy parents potty-train children on the go. Her resilience impressed Bartlett and Sara Davies so much that they both decided to invest in the company.
Launched in 2021, the whizzer is the world’s first handheld toilet. It fits into any bag, can be assembled in seconds and features a detachable privacy-shield spout for boys and girls. It also has a leak-proof design that Kiddiwhizz says holds 250ml (the average capacity of an eight-year-old’s bladder). The company also has a bigger capacity whizzer available to buy on its website £22.99, Kiddiwhizz.com), holding double the capacity.
Buy now from Amazon
Buy now from Kiddiwhizz
Read more:Best kids’ blanket hoodies for the winter
This is Unfolded: Thisisunfolded.com
open image in gallery
(This is Unfolded)
Cally Russell’s been in the den once before and while he turned down an investment offer the first time in 2015, it seems he wanted to try again with a new venture: a zero-waste, tech-based fashion company. Russell received an almighty grilling from Touker Suleyman, but the dragon still liked the idea of the business and put in an offer, as did Peter Jones and Deborah Meaden. However, as he did in 2015, he rejected them all, choosing to walk out of the den without any investor on board.
Launched in 2021, This is Unfolded is a community-based sustainable fashion brand that makes clothes to order. All of the collections are made using input from Unfolded community members, who help to design the company’s pieces. Instead of flooding the market with hundreds of pieces, the company only produces around 20 products every couple of months. The clothes only start to be produced after Unfolded has taken orders to match supply, reducing waste in the supply chain.
If you need to return your garment because it doesn’t fit, This is Unfolded has a swapping platform, where you can swap clothes with other members of the Unfolded community, reducing even more waste. That’s a big deal, considering 30 to 40 per cent of clothes bought are returned and that 50 per cent of returned clothes are never re-sold. Unfolded also says its products are 20 per cent cheaper than traditional brands. Having browsed the women’s collection, no garment costs more than £48 – the price of a midi, pleated dress.
Buy now from This is Unfolded
Read more:The best sustainable clothing brands for women
Un:hurd app: Unhurd.com
open image in gallery
(Un:hurd)
Alex Brees’s data-driven marketing start-up Un:hurd gives independent artists and musicians promotional tools to rival major labels. While Steven Bartlett and Brees butted heads over the right strategy to adopt when it comes to independent artists marketing themselves, Peter Jones, Deborah Meaden and Touker Suleyman saw the value in Brees’s business, ultimately deciding to invest.
Launched in 2019, Un:hurd is an app that provides data-driven marketing strategies and acts as a promotion hub for independent artists, helping them land on the most popular Spotify playlists and get picked up by the press while walking artists through exactly how to launch campaigns so more people hear their music.
Promising to help boost an independent artist’s profile and increase streams, Un:hurd has worked with more than 25,000 artists and companies across the globe, including SAINt JHN, Bree Runway, Sofar Sounds and more.
Download now on the App Store
Read more:Dragons’ Den: Where to buy pop-up chess and more
Other Foods mushroom snacks: From £2.50, Ocado.com
open image in gallery
(Other Foods)
While the dragons loved the taste of these crunchy mushroom-based snacks, they didn’t think founder Fan Yang’s numbers added up, and she left the den empty-handed. But if Steven Bartlett’s enthusiasm for the product got you interested, you can buy the snacks for yourself.
Launched in 2019, Other Foods makes mushroom-based snacks that are vegan, gluten-free, and vacuum slow-cooked with sustainably sourced speciality mushrooms. Claiming to be high in fibre, selenium, manganese and zinc, the snacks are said to provide a source of vitamins D, B5 and B6. Other Foods manufactures four different types of snacks – there are three different mushroom-based crunchy snacks, including crunchy shiitake mushrooms, crunchy oyster mushrooms and crunchy trumpet mushrooms, as well as one okra-based snack.
The company sells its snacks in a number of places, including Amazon, Holland & Barrett and Ocado. The 40g bags are the cheapest at Ocado (£2.50, Ocado.co.uk), but you can also buy a pack of six 40g bags from Amazon, where the bestselling crunchy shiitake mushroom pack is currently on sale (was £17.29, now £16.59, Amazon.co.uk).
Buy now from Amazon
Read more:Best vitamin D supplements to help boost your health
Looking for some environmentally friendly brands? Check out thebest B Corp-certified brands doing good for the planet