East London entrepreneurs Charlie Gilpin and Sam Moss secured £50,000 investment from Dragon Steven Bartlett for six per cent of their business STOCKED .
The duo appeared on the BBC One show to present their award-winning, nutritious meals on Thursday, February 8.
The childhood friends, originally from Tunbridge Wells, Kent, now have a base in Hackney and operate from an office in Aldgate.
Speaking on the show, STOCKED’s co-founder Sam Moss said: “Looking around and being in the Den feels pretty surreal.”
He explained to the Dragons that their company makes “revolutionary meals for modern lives” and that they were seeking a £50,000 investment for two per cent of the business.
Co-founder Charlie Gilpin added: “We all have less and less time to shop for, and cook, the meals that we love.
“We make high quality, chef-cooked, award-winning meals with a difference, they’re frozen into handy little blocks.”
“These blocks can be transformed back into delicious dishes in under four minutes, with portion size controlled by you, every single time.”
The Dragons were quick to see the potential in the product.
Guest star and investor Emma Grede said that their chilli was “pretty lovely”, while Dragon and mum-of-two Sara Davies said they described her busy life “perfectly”.
The Dragons called the pair’s valuation of £2.5 million “really punchy” and went on to scrutinise their figures.
Despite the high valuation, Steven Bartlett offered all of the money for 6 per cent of STOCKED.
After a brief huddle, the two entrepreneurs accepted the offer.
Reflecting on their successful experience, Charlie said: “It was a surreal and amazing experience having grown up watching the show.”
Sam added: “We couldn’t have picked a better Dragon to work with, Steven has an incredible, strong background in nutrition and marketing so we can’t wait to start working together, the partnership will allow us to develop a retail product to bring our mission to a whole new audience.”
The whole episode is available to watch now on BBC iPlayer.
https://www.hackneygazette.co.uk/news/24113773.dragons-den-judges-won-east-london-business-stocked/
