Fit Fur Life :

A dog treadmill for rehabilitation and trainers who need to get their dogs up to high fitness.

Since the den, Sammy has been working hard to introduce dog professionals to her treadmill for rehabilitation and training: "We have moved into setting up distribution in Ireland now, in Eastern Europe, we're in negotiations with Finland, USA and New Zealand, and it's driving into the veterinary market."

James supports Sammy in her venture with monthly board meetings and regular phone calls as well as dedicating a team of his own marketing and finance experts to the company.

Sammy's plans for the future are to establish Fit Fur Life's reputation as she explains: "My vision of it is that we are the leading dog treadmill company that are a quality brand… so people know that if they buy a Fit Fur Life machine they've got a quality machine and also the whole service package is there as support on a  permanent basis."

Last update: 11/06/08

Cream Cutie :

Cream Cutie is an all natural chocolate orange wine based cream liqueur.

After the den Anne launched Cream Cutie at the BBC Good Food Show and says she's been delighted by it's performance: "My sales have actually trebled since I was on the programme and I've just brought out my new flavour, which is a strawberry and cream liqueur which is again all natural with no artificial ingredients and I've called that Fruitie Cutie."

Anne is determined to prove the dragons wrong, particularly Peter Jones' claim her business was worth diddly squat: "My appearance on Dragons' Den, although it was an ordeal, it was very positive for me. I took on board all the remarks that the dragons gave to me and all the advice and I've worked on that and I'm just building up the brand now."

Looking forward, Anne is hoping to get the liqueurs into UK supermarkets and plans to release a double chocolate variety this autumn.

Last update: 04/06/08

Cuddledry:

An apron style towel for drying babies with cuddles.

When we last saw Helen and Polly they were selling Cuddledry towels through the leading British nursery retailer and 40 independents. The company has gone from strength to strength and Helen tells us the newest member of their rapidly expanding team will be dedicated to their growing network of independent retailers.

To keep the business running smoothly the Cuddledry team have taken the dragons' advice very seriously as Helen explains: "They really did give us some great little nuggets of business advice which we've used almost like mantra. Peter Jones spoke about the sustainability of the business, we're in this to sell this in a short space of time so we are really working on getting our whole business model to be a really sustainable one, really slick."

With the original apron-style towel and funky toddler's capes selling on the UK high street and in 20 countries worldwide Helen says the next step is to develop Doggydry, the wholly owned subsidiary dedicated to towels for man's best friend.

Last update: 05/06/08

Tangle Teezer :

A specialized brush used to de-tangle hair.

After the Den, Shaun took on marketing and sales staff with experience in professional haircare to launch the brush at hairdressing exhibition Salon International.

"Whether it's been a small salon, or online or prestigious salons, everyone's saying the same thing… which is rapid growth in sales" says Shaun, who admits he's barely had time to breathe as the product has gone on sale in independent and chain salons across the country and online.

Tangle Teezer has also appeared in salons internationally from Canada to Israel with the new pink version selling five thousand units in its first month. Back at home, deals with the leading chemist chain in the UK and two well-known chains of salons will increase Tangle Teezer's profile. Elsewhere, Shaun hopes to get stuck into expanding the product range and cracking the American market; "I'm really looking forward to the next year because I think we've got quite a lot on the table, which can manifest into some exciting opportunities"

Last update: 05/06/08

Gaming Alerts :

Gaming Alerts is a group of five sites, promoting the best offers, bonuses, tournaments and news from the leading online gaming operators.

Emmie and Ed were just settling into their new offices when we last saw them and have been developing the business under the watchful eye of next-door neighbour Theo. Emmie tells us they are making the best of the opportunity, despite things not going quite to plan: "the market's already saturated and it's been much more competitive than originally we thought. Obviously everyone's seen the benefits and the money involved in the gambling industry".

On the positive side Gaming Alerts have made it into the leading search engine's news listings which Emmie considers a reinforcement of the quality of their gambling industry journalism. Looking forward, the duo aim to continue improving the comparison portal and are investigating emerging markets overseas, particularly Spain: "People in Spain love playing the lottery, so we believe it's the same sort of demographic and the right mind set."

Last update: 10/06/08

youdoodolls:

youdoo is a brand that creates novelty gifts and collectable products for older kids and adults, who add their own finishing touches to them.

youdoodolls were rolling off the production line when we last saw Sarah and after good Christmas sales the company has joined forces with Pepe Jeans to promote the growing trend of personalisation.

Buyers from all the major high-street retailers attended a party to celebrate the partnership and Sarah explains the business plan behind the merriment: "This party was sort of a pinnacle in our working plan, to show that look we've actually gone through all the really hard parts trying to get the manufacturing sorted, trying to get the business up and running, getting all the legal stuff sorted out and banking etc and now it's actually down to lets push this and make it really work."  

Sarah hopes to expand the business in future and says "Watch this space for cats and mice and dragons and farm animals... That's the next stage which we're doing at the moment. We're working with the Dogs Trust as well, they've come on board and a pound from every youdoodog sold goes to them"

Last update: 05/06/08

Midas Touch :

Midas Touch International provides a mobile and mail order plating service which is able to plate in gold, silver, platinum and nickel.

After achieving his first goal of selling gold-plated iPods in Harrods Laban has continued to expand his business, sealing a deal with a major UK music chain. Since his appearance in the den the blinging businessman has gold-plated a multitude of items from bathroom suites for reality TV shows to the roof of a Hindu shrine.

James Caan has continued to support the newly renamed Goldgenie, assigning a top finance advisor to the company and attending regular board meetings. Laban enthuses "the whole experience makes you want to step up your game." The entrepreneur has also branched out into other avenues, with a new range of diamond embellished mobile phones and crystal covered instruments for extravagant performers.

Laban has his sights set firmly on the 'luxury high-end market' with a new project in the pipeline that promises to immortalise the loved ones of the super-rich through statues made of precious metals and stones.

Last update: 05/06/08

Foldio:

The first ever stationery folder that decreases the size of the paper by half, curving the paper without causing any creases.

Christian moved into Theo's offices the last time we saw him and he's made the most of the opportunity, selling Foldio in 150 of Theo's stationery stores. He has been working with other National retailers to secure contracts and developing the product range: "We're doing the second range which is called Foldio Plus which is more of an executive version to try and use this patented concept within other areas of the market so we can target a different audience."

Theo has been in regular contact and Christian says "There's always a mentoring thing going on where I'll report back to him on what I've done over the past couple of weeks and there'll be advice and tips on how to move forward. So it's been very positive."

The next stage for Foldio is to break into the American market and grow from there as Christian explains: "hopefully we can work on the holding company that Theo invested in and start rolling out some other retail brands."

Last update: 05/06/08

Razzamataz:

A chain of dance, drama and singing schools for children aged 4 onwards.

Since the den, Denise has been busy with her new baby son Callum as well as building up the Razzamataz empire. Duncan has been lending his name and expertise to the company with a branch of the theatre school opening in his Durham health club.

Denise's achievements have also been recognised by her local community as she was named Cumbria business-woman of the year in 2007. Her hopes for the future are to build up the franchises at home in the UK and in Spain, where six Razzamataz schools have opened in the hotel resorts of a leading tour operator.

Last update: 04/06/08

iTeddy:

A classic teddy bear with integrated technology in the form of a multimedia player.

The last time we saw Imran he was announcing an exclusive deal with the UK's leading catalogue retailer. iTeddy sold well from the summer of 2007, getting the number two spot at Christmas. This success was followed by distribution deals with around 40 countries and Imran confidently declares: "our revenues should be around $20m this year."

iTeddies will be stocked in all major UK toy shops this year and in the USA after a similar exclusive deal with one of their biggest toy retailers. Imran explains the grand plan: "From January we will then look at rolling it out mass market out in the States. The American market is 18 times that of the UK so it gives you an idea of the potential that we have for 09."

The advice and guidance of his dragons has been 'invaluable' to Imran as he explains: "When you've got a couple of dragons like that who have been so successful it just reinforces your confidence in what you're doing as well."

Last update: 10/06/08

Reggae Reggae Sauce :

Hot spicy barbecue sauce and seasonings.

The last time we caught up with Levi his sauce had just hit supermarket shelves and has now sold over two million bottles. There have since been two additions to his table range; Love Apple Tomato Sauce and a Fiery Guava Dipping Sauce and six cooking sauces are currently in the pipeline. You can also find Reggae-Reggae burgers in bar and pub chains across the country.

The success of Reggae-Reggae sauce combined with Levi's huge personality has made him a popular guest at schools and colleges for talks on business and enterprise. Levi is full of praise for his own dragon mentors, especially Peter Jones: "He's a fantastic guy perhaps the greatest mentor and influence that I've ever met"

Levi's big ambition is to bring Caribbean food to the masses and has launched a cookery book with this is mind: "I think it is my great duty really to try to bring Caribbean food right up there along with Indian food and everything else that the British palette has taken to. I really believe that Caribbean food has been a sleeping giant."

Last update: 05/06/08

Kucci Kukui :

Enhancing the sense of well being for busy and stressed people through the practice of quick therapies and a range of natural skin care products.

Kucci Kukui was doing well when we last caught up with Gili, launching an ad campaign that featured model Sophie Anderton. It's been a bit up and down for the company since then with cashflow problems causing them to cut their concession stands. Gili's now focusing on the London shop and online business, introducing a new organic range.

Although she fell down with her figures in the den, Gili views the experience as positive overall and is concentrating now on building a loyal customer base. She explains: "Basically the best advertising for us is for people who use the products to introduce us to their friends."

Last update: 04/06/08

Trunki:

A hard plastic ride-on suitcase for kids.

The faulty hook that Theo wrenched off was quickly fixed after the den and Rob's gone on to sell over a hundred and fifty thousand Trunkis in over thirty countries. He's proud to announce, "This year, there has been a Trunki sold every 3.5 minutes".

As well as developing the Trunki suitcase range, Rob's put his inventive skills to work on a number of new products including the Trunki Teddy Tee, "the whole idea of that is that the kids don't lose or leave behind their favourite travelling companion such as a teddy bear, they can carry it on their t-shirt."

Rob tells us the company has grown 250% over the last two years and he has ambitious plans for the future: "It's very exciting times, we're not sitting back on our laurels and just enjoying the success of Trunki. We're very pro-active, exploring the market and creating innovative products for different age ranges, for different categories, for different markets and really owning the whole travel accessory lifestyle section of the market."

Last update: 05/06/08

Nuts Poker League :

A tournament poker night that is free to play and uses chips to play for points, not money.

Steve secured investment from Theo and Deborah in the Den but the deal fell through at the paperwork stage. He's since altered his business model to franchise the Nuts Poker League across the UK as well as offering the chance to win online through the website as he explains: "The dragons showed a lot of interest when we told them we had a deal with another online provider, well we're actually an online provider ourselves now."

Steve's also been topping up his tan running bi-annual Lanzarote poker holidays with Nuts players and says direct contact with his customers keeps the business successful: "As I say with anything, you've got to get out there and meet your customers. If you don't do that then you're not going to know what they really want... I go up and down the country, speak to the client and try to provide exactly what they want."

Last update: 05/06/08

Eve'olve Through Training:

A training company that helps difficult students into the construction and interior design industries.

Chrissie parted ways with business partner Jude Camplin after the Den but continued to pursue her dream to provide practical training for kids struggling at school in Derby. After finding that their first premises couldn't accommodate this year's intake of students Eve'olve moved to a new building with better facilities and Chrissie's enthusiastic about the work they're doing: "Not everybody's meant to be in a classroom and they seem to thrive with us"

It hasn't been an easy process without support from the government but Chrissie explains her motivation: "We've run by the skin of our teeth for the last two years to keep the company afloat and hasn't been easy and there have been times when I wanted to walk away but you just keep going because it's not about me, it's about the kids"

Eve'olve are working closely with local schools and companies to give young people a chance in the construction industry and hope to turn a profit this year. Chrissie says the problem is not specific to Derby and is looking to expand the scheme into Nottingham.

Last update: 17/09/08

Mixalbum:

MixAlbum is a website that offers unique, patented software that will digitally mix the tracks you want to buy and download.

Since we last saw Ian he's successfully made deals with some of the biggest labels in the music industry to supply their tunes to Mixalbum. He's in touch with dragons Deborah and Theo on a regular basis and says the den experience has given him the chance to indulge his passion: "It's allowed me to follow my dream of a career in the music industry… Whereas before I was a boring patent attorney now I can mess around with dance music to my hearts content."

One business minded viewer of the Where Are They Now programme contacted Ian to explain how his software would be useful for aerobics instructors who need continuous music for their classes. A few technical adjustments later and Fit32 was launched, giving fitness fanatics the opportunity to make mix CDs of their favourite tracks at speeds to suit the exercise they're doing. Ian's franchised the business to the USA this year and hopes to transfer his success to the European market in the near future.

Last update: 05/06/08

Yogabugs:

YogaBugs is a trade-marked company that trains teachers to teach children's yoga classes.

Since leaving the den Fenella and Lara have sold 24 Yogabugs franchises all over the UK and are busy providing hands-on training and constant support to their franchisees. With a new programme, Yogad Up, aimed at 8-12 year olds and a commitment to offering non-competitive exercise to children, the duo are making links with sports partnerships and early learning alliances up and down the country.

After seeing the business on Dragons' Den a literary agent contacted Fenella and her book, aimed at "anyone really interested in sharing an enthusiasm of yoga with children", is now available in all major bookstores.

Fenella says that "the dragons have been the most fantastic stamp of approval" and is excited about expanding the business further, "Our goal is really to get the UK market absolutely humming and successful and then slowly start to pilot international projects in places like the US and Canada and New Zealand but also in Europe. The lovely thing with this style of yoga is language isn't a particular issue."  

Last update: 11/06/08

Itsa

A beach bag which pulls inside out and unravels to become a towel to put on a sun lounger.

Since we last saw David he has built on his successful sales in British shopping centres with Itsa now available in 10 countries across Europe and North America.

After setting up a company in Turkey to source the factories for manufacture David has been able to keep tight quality controls whilst simultaneously opening the business up to international distributors. Asked if there have been any gloomy patches, David answers "There hasn't been any if I'm to be honest… I'm going to sound really boring, but I mean every day is exciting!" 

The confident entrepreneur has a sunny outlook for the future of the business, hoping to build on their success in the corporate sector providing branded Itsas for big clients including exclusive hotels and big beauty brands. Coming soon to the expanding range will be versions for football supporters and one featuring game boards to play chess by the pool. 

Last update: 11/09/08

EasyXchair:

A multi-gym in a chair.

After the den Peter went back to the drawing board, redesigning the EasyXChair to make it more simple to operate as he explains: "I'm working on a new type of system which won't need weights anymore and to my way of thinking is a revolutionary system. It's lightweight and it develops a resistance from 6 to 60 kilos just the same as an ordinary weight stack."

Peter has ditched the leather armchair and says his new unit can be attached to any chair, including office swivel chairs. He hopes to get back in the den when he's satisfied with the second incarnation of the EasyXChair. Although he admits "An inventors life is a nightmare!" he remains extremely dedicated to the product, even remortgaging his house to pay for the patents.

Last update: 10/06/08

EggXactly:

A toaster for eggs which uses a silicone element instead of water.

Richard Fairleigh and Peter Jones saw the ingenuity behind James' defective demonstration and invested in the den but the deal fell through shortly after. Despite this and difficulties in manufacturing the heating elements, James has persevered with EggXactly seeking information in some unusual places as he explains: "One of the amazing things was we stumbled across a product that was vaguely similar but for a totally different military application. And nobody would tell us where it was made because it was an official secret!"

James has now cracked the problems and EggXactly is going into production here in Britain this summer. James accepts that the past two years have been "a hard slog" but he's looking forward to getting the product on the market with a springtime launch next year. With 4,000 online pre-orders already James is feeling optimistic: "We've done fantastically well, it's obviously an idea that people are ready for I think. "

Last update: 05/06/08

Totally Different:

Disposable, fitted toilet seat covers for use in toilets outside of the home.

Against the Dragons' advice, Jacquie's first move after the den was to invest in new stock. This turned out to be a good decision however as her fully flushable seat cover is now selling through a variety of mail order companies and independent chemists in the UK.

Jacquie explains that Totally Different might not be everyone's idea of a hot product but to a niche market it's very valuable: "We're still getting a lot of calls from Europe and all over the world because we know that our products are not widely available."

Looking forward, Jacquie says her next tasks are to break into the supermarket and vending machine sectors. 

Last update: 10/06/08

The Generating Company

The Generating Company produces new and innovative contemporary circus shows for receiving venues, corporate entertainment and provides training and education.

Paul impressed Peter and Theo with his pitch for The Generating Company and has since developed shows for Butlins in the UK and Universal Studios in Japan. With their own rehearsal space in East London, Paul's team has expanded to 15 core members who are busy developing shows for P&O cruise ships and a casino in Singapore as well as a 300 performer water show to be staged in Southern China in May 2009.

Paul says: "The Dragons have carried on giving us good advice and trying to push things our way when they can, we are on a much sounder financial footing than we ever were. We're also developing premises in South West France which will be a residential place where artists can actually live while we're producing shows."

With major projects in the pipeline Paul is confident about the future and says his aims are now "to completely take over the world from the point of view of circus and grow tenfold towards security; paying the Dragons back their money and making some profit." 

Last update: 17/09/08

Yakibox

An all in one table top box with hotplate, grill, bowls, sauces and chopsticks for cooking Japanese style.

The Dragons enjoyed David's cooking in the den but none were prepared to invest and Yakibox remained a one-man operation on our last visit.

David's hopes to sell the kit through a large department store did eventually come to fruition though he admits it was harder than he'd expected: "You think it'd be a dream and you'd make your millions once a department store takes you on but it introduces a whole new world of administration and problems which aren't necessarily the things you got into business for"

Despite setbacks importing the food, packaging delicate items and pressure on the small business to deliver large orders, David is positive about the experience and the doors it has opened to him as a design consultant. The Yaki range has also expanded into pancake and dumpling kits and David has used the profits to pursue another dream: learning to fly a helicopter. The entrepreneur is producing a DVD with his instructor and hopes the project will take off.

Last update: 17/09/08

Bedlam Cube :

A new company whose purpose is to create the most challenging and exciting 3-D puzzles for an international market.

Rachel and Theo pledged investments and although the deal didn't work out Danny did secure a bank loan to get the Bedlam Cube selling through online retailers and a leading London toy store.

Danny has always aimed to be green in business and according to him, the brave decision to move all of his manufacturing outside of China paid off: "for every China-made cube we sold, we sold about three or four British made ones so it was a real shift in consumer habits".

The toy inventor has also set up a sister company to Bedlam Cubes called Crazee Thingz, developing puzzles and toys for the international market. His ultimate dream is to bring production back to Britain: "There used to be two or three different toy factories in Britain but then everything moved abroad and I'm trying to reverse that trend. Prices in China are going up and transport costs are going up and if you can make something in Britain you don't have to sit on piles and piles of stock, you can just order to order."

Last update: 17/06/08

Orikaso:

The original fold-flat tableware.

The Orikaso team had expanded and the products were selling well in America when we last saw Jay but sales couldn't be sustained as he explains: "Essentially it grew at a phenomenal rate but then what happened we actually filled the channel with stock as it were… everybody that wanted to buy an Orikaso product in the US bought one and then we saw a dramatic tail off in sales. Or at least that's our theory, we don't actually know what happened"

Jay has since taken a completely different path and is now in the process of establishing himself as a technology consultant, looking at how technology can benefit society and empower local communities. Asked whether Orikaso was a positive experience Jay tells us that it has grown his confidence and given him new direction.

He says: "My best moments since the den now are actually finding myself in a completely new business environment that's incredibly challenging and enables me to use my brain on a daily basis and actually look at how my thinking can help out in society"

Last update: 08/10/08

Smarty Pants:

A range of children's underwear, personalised with 100 popular names and 20 generic designs.

Claire left the den without investment and when we last saw her she had moved to new premises to accommodate her stock. The children's range of Smarty Pants sold well at country shows and Claire took the business to the next level, opening a shop in Sheffield's Meadowhall centre. Claire declares "the whole of Sheffield's got their name on their pants!"

Unfortunately Smarty Pants were caught in last year's floods but Claire has a positive outlook for the future. Having successfully delivered small print runs for large companies in the Yorkshire area she hopes to expand the business into the corporate area as well as opening a second shop:

"The one that's going to open in Doncaster's going to be a coffee, juice and milkshake bar inside a print shop… because we create it there and then on the spot customers always go, ‘oh we'll go and get something to drink and then we'll come back' and I thought well, why don't I give them a drink?"

Last update: 17/09/08

Rakastaka:

A device that solves the problem of storing drinks bottles and cans in domestic fridges.

Stef has been working tirelessly on his business since we last saw him, funding the expensive patents process by continuing his private hire driving. With a granted European patent and order for 60,000 units from a drinks company in Ireland he's now feeling positive.

"I'm probably the slowest entrepreneur out there because it's been two and a half years since I was on the show… but it's still pressing ahead and I'm really confident, more confident now than I've ever been I think" says the Sussex inventor.

Stef has two new products that keep your cans and wine bottles in order: "I will say the wine size version is absolutely stunning because we've not just created the Rakastaka which will fit all standard wine bottles, we've got print on it… it's almost like a wine dictionary printed out on the Rakastakas themselves." Stef's hoping to wow department stores, supermarkets and wine clubs with this new addition and further expand Rakastaka's reach.

Last update: 18/06/08

The Big O:

Pre-packed branded delicatessen style olives.

The last time we saw Alex she'd sourced a new factory in Belgium and had partnered with a Dutch Food Company to get her delicatessen-style olives to market. The last year has apparently been "a long old slog" according to Alex but with the company structure organised and testing complete on a ‘more premium' product The Big O is being relaunched.

Alex explains the plan: "We're starting in the UK, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Holland and Switzerland but we're going to focus on Holland and the UK first to set up a model that can be replicated for the franchisees"

With ambitious targets for distribution, Alex is feeling positive about The Big O's future and thinks the Dragons were wrong not to invest. She says: "As far as the Dragons are concerned, they will have missed out on a fantastic opportunity because it's all going in the right direction."

Last update: 17/09/08

Wonderland Magazine:

A high-end, high-quality Fashion and Visual Culture magazine for both men and women of distinguished tastes.

Huw was busy putting together the second issue of Wonderland last time we caught up with him and has continued to successfully publish the magazine, celebrating it's third anniversary this year with a redesign.

When he entered the Den, Huw was seeking funds for more than just one magazine and has expanded his publishing business with the launch of the biannual Man About Town, which he tells us is aimed at "men with very high disposable incomes interested in the best that life has to offer."

Huw describes his post-Den experience as overwhelmingly positive and, with the support of his Dragon mentor, plans to further expand the business with some new ventures. He says "One could argue that Peter was very lucky or possibly very savvy to invest in me and my idea but either way he will definitely stand to gain out of it."

Last update: 10/09/08

Destination London:

A board game where the object is to drive taxis around London's tourist attractions picking up fares.

Rachel tells us she's been on a business rollercoaster since her appearance with the Dragons. Having experienced both highs and lows, she is now feeling confident: "The brand continues to grow in strength. We've got a really secure foundation now to move forward, so it's very exciting times."

On top of pursuing global distribution deals for her Destination games, Rachel is looking to the future and says development work is now moving into the interactive sector: "We're looking at handheld versions, mobile phone applications, an online version..." Rachel also continues to enjoy sharing her entrepreneurial experience with others on the public speaking circuit and through TV appearances including CBBC's Beat the Boss.

Last update: 24/06/08

Baby Dream Machine:

A machine that rocks the pram or crib that a baby sleeps in.

When we last saw Graham he was selling his portable pushchair rocker himself and his business partner inventor Barry Haigh had retired. Since then Graham has successfully launched a website that sells Baby Dream Machines alongside other top brand nursery products.

Graham has also acted on the Dragons' advice, working hard to bring the unit's base price down. With the help of Barry he has also developed the product range and the pair will launch a rocking crib in the autumn.

Graham now works with a team of inventors and investors to get pioneering products on to the market, as he explains; "I've got about six inventors that I'm working with now, all with fantastic ideas that they don't have a clue what to do with. I'm actually becoming a mini Dragon in my own right!" Current developments include a device that maintains the heat of your bath water and a waterproof television for the bathroom.

Last update: 18/06/08