Bite-size news and insight from UK business and tech – including funding, deals and appointments
Published: October 17, 2025 at 8:35 am
Sophie Pugh has joined Applied Nutrition as chief marketing officer. She previously spent nine聽 years at THG.
Last year Liverpool-based Applied Nutrition floated on the London Stock Exchange.
Pugh said: “I’m excited to join such a fast-growing, game-changing brand. I can鈥檛 wait to get stuck in and I’m looking forward to working with the team to accelerate our impact and take the brand to the next level.”
Meanwhile Liz Chapman has joined @Sedulo Group as chief marketing officer after spending 11 years at Carat UK
Published: October 17, 2025 at 8:35 am
Tap Global Group plc has appointed Manuel De Luque Muntaner as non-executive chair of its board with immediate effect.
The digital finance hub brings money payments and crypto settlement services together in a single app.
He replaces Peter Wall who has now resigned as a director of the company to pursue a full-time position within the Government of Canada.
Muntaner has worked at Citi, Lloyds Bank and Credit Suisse.聽As founder and CEO of Block Asset Management, he launched the world’s first Blockchain & Digital Assets Fund of Funds (2017), pioneering institutional access to crypto.
Published: October 17, 2025 at 8:31 am
Dylan Bogg has stepped down as chief creative officer of The聽MISSION聽Group plc聽with immediate effect.
Bogg was appointed to the board in 2010, having joined the Group in 2006 when his business, Big Communications, was acquired. He held various agency senior leadership roles before taking on the role of group CCO in 2023.
Published: October 17, 2025 at 8:16 am
Here is the full story of Francisco Gimenez’s successful deal on Dragons’ Den last night.
Published: October 17, 2025 at 8:15 am
The founder of food and drink gift company聽聽says her business is thriving despite failing to secure investment on聽Dragons鈥� Den.
Millions of viewers of the hit BBC show watched Sarah Louise Fairburn leave the Den empty-handed after seeking 拢100k for a 10 per cent stake in her business.
However, far from being despondent, the award-winning entrepreneur has gone on to raise 拢500k from an angel investor in a deal that valued IMP & MAKER at 拢2m, expand the company鈥檚 partnership with retail giant Costco and is on track to report its first profit this year.
Published: October 16, 2025 at 9:02 pm
So what did you think? Who impressed you the most?
Leave a comment by clicking above.
In the meantime, read about a successful business from earlier in the series by clicking below – or see the previous investments made by Sara Davies, Peter Jones, Steven Bartlett, Touker Suleyman and Deborah Meaden.
BBC Dragon Sara Davies helps Good Wash Day smash sales records
Published: October 16, 2025 at 9:00 pm
He doesn’t mess about – he accepts the offers of Davies and Bartlett!
“拢500k is the biggest investment we’ve ever had in the Den,” says Jones.
Published: October 16, 2025 at 8:57 pm
Sara Davies offers him the 拢250k for 1%!
Emma Grede says she can’t match that as she’d want 3% for 拢250k.
Peter Jones says he wants 3% advisory shares on top. “Not everyone is equal on that cap table…聽 but it would be your shares so it doesn’t dilute the cap table and no one gets offended.”
Deborah Meaden wants 2% for the 拢250k.
Steven Bartlett also offers the 拢250k for 1%.
Published: October 16, 2025 at 8:54 pm
The business is set to turn over 拢1m this year and is targeting 拢6m next year.
“We’ve raised north of 拢5m so far,” says Francisco.
He says this is part of a larger fundraising effort of 拢4m. They are three-quarters of the way through.
“I don’t get out of bed for 1%,” says Touker. He’s OUT.
Does anyone thing he looks like Pep Guardiola?
Published: October 16, 2025 at 8:50 pm
He’s asking for 拢250k for just 1% of the business. Jones may have changed his mind!
Salons pay a rent for the machines which mix the colours, along with an iPad which can store customers’ colour profile.
It also reduces waste as salons right now throw out tubes which aren’t finished.
“When they see this, the salon owners get it,” says Francisco.
Published: October 16, 2025 at 8:48 pm
Francisco tells the Dragons it is his second hair colour tech business.
“I sold the first for 拢200m,” he says.
“Francisco, I want to invest,” says Peter Jones. “You can give me as much equity as you want!”
Published: October 16, 2025 at 8:46 pm
The final company featured in tonight鈥檚 episode is , a cutting-edge beauty tech company specialising in AI-powered hair colour technology and sustainability.
Yuv Beauty鈥檚 flagship innovation, the Yuv Lab, is a patented smart device system designed to transform professional hair colouring for salons.
CEO and founder Fracisco Gimenez tells the Dragons that the technology represents the future of professional hair colour.
Published: October 16, 2025 at 8:43 pm
Peter Jones was very touched by the pitch but feels it is very early and is OUT.
Sara Davies says as an investor she wouldn’t feel comfortable as an investor making money from people’s grief. But is quick to say there is nothing wrong with Jay making a good living from the business. She it OUT.
The other Dragons are also OUT.
“I believe in the business,” says Jay.
Published: October 16, 2025 at 8:38 pm
McGregor has voiced shows including Gogglebox.
She is looking to recruit a nationwide network of local cleaners.
She charges 拢110 for a one-off clean. “It feels very expensive to me,” says Davies, “if you’re getting a clean every month.”
Published: October 16, 2025 at 8:34 pm
TV personality Jaynika 鈥楯ay鈥� McGregor enters the Den seeking investment for her mobile grave-tending service
McGregor, who describes herself as a 鈥榩resenter, broadcaster and content creator, admitted she started the award-winning grave cleaning and maintenance service 鈥榖y accident鈥� after the death of her dad.
She said: 鈥淔rom tending my dad鈥檚 grave to building a community of care, it started in grief and turned into grace.
鈥淚 know that my dad would be beaming at the fact, that his first-born is on television doing something that honours him.鈥�
She is looking for 拢70k for 10% of the business.
“That pitch was perfection,” says Grede.
Published: October 16, 2025 at 8:30 pm
Bartlett says she is one of the most resilient entrepreneurs he has ever seen – but it isn’t an investment for him.
Grede urges her to scale it down and go back to fundamentals.
The other Dragons are also out.
“Obviously I’m disappointed I didn’t get investment, but I’m hoping to price them wrong,” says Sarah Louise.
“I can see a path through to greatness for the business.”
Published: October 16, 2025 at 8:26 pm
Sarah Louise is hoping to turn a profit soon after years of losses.
Emma Grede says she “pitched it like a good un” and is an “incredible woman” but聽 isn’t positive on the numbers.
“I genuinely believe there is a market for this product,” replies the founder.
The startup’s average order value is now 拢75, which has gone up recently.
The Dragons urge her to turn off the ads which bump up the cost of customer acquisition.
Published: October 16, 2025 at 8:21 pm
Sarah Louise says they are on track to sell 31,000 parcels this year and is targeting 100,000 by 2028.
She is looking for 拢100k for 10% of the business.
“That was a good pitch,” says Touker.
Published: October 16, 2025 at 8:18 pm
Next up is Sarah Louise Fairburn, a single mum-of-four from Lincolnshire and the founder of food and drink gifting business .
Writing ahead of her TV showdown she said: 鈥淟ast year I received a call from someone claiming to be from Dragons鈥� Den, asking if I wanted to pitch to the Dragons.
鈥淚 thought it was a hoax at first before realising it was genuine. The offer was simple. Did I want to appear in the Den in less than a month鈥檚 time?
鈥淚 knew IMP & MAKER was part-way through a journey but I鈥檝e always thought you regret the things you don鈥檛 do in life 鈥� so I said 鈥榶es鈥�.鈥�
Published: October 16, 2025 at 8:15 pm
Mrs Symcox says “it looks like a baby bonnet”. If she were a Dragon, she would be out.
Sara Davies likes the product – it will protect her hair! – but is concerned at the 拢50 price tag. The founders say the sweet spot might be 拢19.99. But Davies still doesn’t see it as an investment.
All the Dragons are out.
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