The air in the Dragons’ Den was thick with tension, but for Matt Kennedy and Eddie Fisher, it was the beginning of something extraordinary. They walked out with investments from Peter Jones and Deborah Meaden, unaware they were leaving a fortune on the table – and sparking a quiet regret in one of the Dragons.
Steven Bartlett, the youngest Dragon, has openly admitted he deeply regrets not investing in Fussy, the natural, sustainable deodorant company. He recalls a distinct feeling during the pitch, a nagging sense of a missed opportunity that has only intensified with the company’s meteoric rise.
“I was sat in the chair, and I could see the regret,” Bartlett confessed. “Sometimes you have that moment where you go, ‘I think I might regret this one,’ but for whatever reason you choose not to invest. That was Fussy.” He now finds himself, somewhat begrudgingly, a devoted user of the product he almost owned a piece of.
Fussy’s journey from a hopeful pitch to a £40 million valuation is nothing short of remarkable. The Dragons’ Den appearance acted as a powerful catalyst, propelling the company forward years ahead of its projected timeline. Within an hour of the episode airing, over 20,000 orders flooded in, completely selling out their stock for three months.
Founder Matt Kennedy remembers the immediate aftermath vividly. “It was monumental in the impact Dragons’ Den had on the business. It basically catapulted us along a couple of years.” He described the intense scrutiny of the pitch process, a two-hour grilling condensed into a ten-minute segment, but ultimately transformative for their brand.
The morning after the show aired, Kennedy and his team were frantically calling suppliers at 6 am, desperately trying to secure more inventory. The demand was overwhelming, a testament to the power of the show and the appeal of their sustainable product.
In just three years, Fussy has exploded from zero to £20 million in revenue. They initially sought £50,000 for 1% equity, valuing the company at £5 million – a valuation that even raised eyebrows among the show’s producers. But their confidence, and ultimately, their results, proved them right.
Kennedy acknowledges the initial disbelief. “I couldn’t even imagine a sum that large,” he admitted. “We were hopeful but definitely not 100% that we were going to do it.” Now, with a solid foundation and proven business model, that confidence has blossomed into unwavering certainty.
Fussy’s founders deliberately challenged the stereotypical image of the all-in entrepreneur. They built their business while maintaining existing careers, taking calculated risks rather than reckless leaps. This approach allowed them to launch with a strong foundation, securing £110,000 in pre-orders through Kickstarter without any paid advertising.
Their vision stemmed from a frustration with existing brands failing to address the pervasive problem of plastic waste. They saw an opportunity to disrupt the industry with a sustainable alternative, and their early success validated their belief.
Looking ahead, Fussy’s ambitions are global. They plan to double in size again this year, with a long-term goal of becoming a multi-hundred-million-pound revenue business. Their focus extends beyond deodorant, envisioning a complete range of sustainable bathroom products – “the apple of the bathroom,” as Steven Bartlett playfully dubbed them.
Beyond the financial success, Fussy has made a significant environmental impact, preventing over 250,000kg of single-use plastic from entering landfills – equivalent to 7 million refills. Their journey is a powerful example of how a commitment to sustainability can drive both profit and positive change.
