4 Dragons’ Den companies to know this week: Big Clothing 4 U, Pop + Bark dog events, JustLend and more

From plus-sized garments to money-lending platforms, these are all the businesses seen in tonight’s episode

Entrepreneurs got a real grilling this week (The Independent)

Dragons’ Den has returned with a bang. After three entrepreneurs walked away with an injection of cash into the veins of their businesses last week, it seemed like the fire-breathing investors were in a generous mood this series. Or so we thought...

The fire was well and truly back tonight as the dragons scrutinised every detail of the entrepreneurs’ businesses, with the newest dragon, Steven Bartlett, really holding the founders’ feet to the flames.

Startups pitched everything from an events-based dog café and a plus-sized clothing brand to a bed-lengthening contraption for tall people and, the most hands-over-your-eyes pitch so far, a money-lending tech startup.

While the panel were on their best form tonight, it wasn’t all doom and gloom as two of the businesses walked away with investment. Here’s everything you need to know about the startups seen on Dragons’ Den tonight.   

Pop + Bark dog events: Popandbark.com

(Pop + Bark )

It was an excruciating turn of events for the dog events business Pop and Bark founders James Morgan and Anushka Fernando, who came so close to securing investment from both Steven Bartlett and Touker Suleyman. But in a cruel twist of fate, both offers were ripped away from them at the very last moment. Maybe they just bit off more than they could chew.

Launched over five years ago, Pop + Bark is a dog events business that drew its inspiration from the founders’ pug Bertie, who wasn’t able to socialise due to a spinal surgery when young. The company hosts socialising events for dogs and their owners, including breed-specific cafes and discos for cockapoos, dachshunds, French bulldogs, pugs, corgis, mixed breeds and more, as well as outdoor parties. It offers photo opportunities, a dog bakery and pupuccino bar, with a pupcorn bar coming in 2023.

Visit Pop + Bark’s website

Big Clothing 4 U plus-sized fashion: Bigclothing4u.co.uk

(Big Clothing 4 U)

Ben Pearson’s plus-size clothing brand Big Clothing 4 U won praise from all the dragons in the den, with Steven Bartlett calling the founder one of the best pitchers he’s seen since joining the programme and Deborah Meaden complimented the quality of his clothes.

But this is Dragons’ Den, things aren’t that simple, and it appeared the seams of Pearson’s pitch were about to come apart when the dragons started analysing his balance sheet. Thankfully, Suleyman sewed it back up with an offer Pearson couldn’t refuse.

Launched in 2015, Big Clothing 4 U sells clothes between 2XL and 8XL in size, with an emphasis on fit, comfort and quality. While the brand primarily focuses on men’s fashion, the company also sells women’s clothes. Big Clothing 4 U is currently running a New Year’s sale, with discounts of up to 85 per cent off.

Visit Big Clothing 4 U’s website

Bedstretch pillow shelf: Bedstretch.co.uk

(Bedstretch )

It’s the product 6ft7 Peter Jones has been searching for his entire life – a shelf that extends the length of a bed so that people over 6ft tall won’t find their feet dangling off the end. But while Jones flirted with an investment throughout Kris and Martin Andrew’s entire pitch, he ultimately didn’t make the pair an offer, and suggested that it would take more money than they were asking for to make the business a success, leaving them to walk out of the den empty-handed. Though, at least they’ve found a new customer.

Bedstretch has invented a product called the pillow shelf which sits at the head of a divan bed between the bed and the wall. It comes in six sizes for all standard bed widths and the shelf supports the pillows so that you can sleep higher up the bed – making your bed “longer”.

A single Pillow Shelf starts from £135, a double Pillow Shelf starts from £175, and a queen/king Pillow Shelf starts from £195. It’s also available on Amazon.

• Buy now from Bedstretch
• Buy now from Amazon

JustLend: Justlend.co

(JustLend )

It was the most cringe-inducing pitch we’ve seen in a while and the self-proclaimed “accidental CEO”, Craig Smith, got the biggest grilling of his life. It was so bad that Sara Davies said he sucked the energy out of the room, and that she was struggling to stay awake.

But the business itself wasn’t bad. JustLend is a timely tech startup that takes the embarrassment out of asking for money from friends and family by formalising the process with a contract, offering up a tech take on the bank of mum and dad.

On the website, you create a campaign and decide the interest rate and how long you have to pay back the loan. In the end, the business promise was too good to refuse and Smith received two offers from Deborah Meaden and Steven Bartlett, with the founder accepting the latter, along with some advice: go and have a lie down.

Visit JustLend’s website

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Missed last week’s episode of Dragons’ Den? Catch up on all the businesses featured with our episode one round-up