The creator of Reggae Reggae sauce holds the title of the most profitable investment to date from the alumni of BBC's Dragons' Den.
Stepping into a board meeting asking for investment is daunting enough. So when you add multimillionaires to the mix and a room full of cameras, it's easy to see why some people get nervous.
BBC's Dragons' Den has been running for over 15 years and in that time millions of pounds have been spent on hopeful entrepreneurs. Long time members of the show include billionaire mobile phone tycoon Peter Jones and women's fashion mogul Deborah Meaden.
READ MORE: Dragon's Den contestant breaks down during pitch
Despite the majority of hopefuls hearing the dreaded 'I'm out', a solid handful manage to build long-lasting, profitable relationships with the dragons they shake hands with. Some entrepreneurs have gone on to not only pay back their investments but to make their companies worth millions. Here are some of the biggest deals to come from the show.
Louise Ferguson and Kate Cotton (Skinny Tan)
Entering the den in 2013, the hopeful entrepreneurs went from start-up to the fastest-selling tanning range in the UK after gaining an investment. Their unique selling point was that the skin product was made with 90% natural ingredients compared to its high street competitors.
Basking in the glow of a solid business proposal, Kelly Hoppen and Piers Linney chipped in £60,000 for a 10% stake in the company. In its first year, Skinny Tan made over £600,000 in profits. Although both dragons remain shareholders in the business, it was sold for an undisclosed amount in 2016 but is estimated to still draw in hundreds of thousands in profit a year.
Neil and Laura Westwood (Magic Whiteboard)
Business partners Neil and Laura Westwood showed the dragons a portable version of the typical schoolroom whiteboard. Their version was an A1 sized sheet that could be rolled up and taken with you on the go.
Seeing this as a huge deal for the office supply market, the Westwoods managed to get both Deborah Meaden and Theo Paphitis on their side at the cost of a £100,000 investment for a 40% share of the company.
In September 2014, the investors bought back their shares from both of their dragons at the cost of £800,000, eight times their original investment. Since then Magic Whiteboard's profits have skyrocketed to over £1.2million
Levi Roots (Reggae Reggae Sauce)
The biggest investment to happen in the den was at the hands of dragons Peter Jones and Richard Farleigh who turned a condiment into a money-making machine. Levi Roots, the creator of Reggae Reggae Sauce asked for a £50,000 push in exchange for 20% equity. Both dragons agreed to split the asking fee but at the stake of 20% each, bringing the total shares given away being double what the 63-year-old planned.
Now, the sauce company is worth £32.7million. Being stocked in highstreets supermarkets including Sainsbury's and Tesco, Reggae Reggae Sauce reportedly even outsells Heinz. Peter Jones remains an investor for the Jamaican brand and has said it's "one of my most successful investments from the show".
