Dragons' Den series 23: Pitches in tonight's episode 3 include money-saving app Cubbi, and home-baking kits Craft & Crumb
Susie Ma joins regular Dragons Peter Jones, Deborah Meaden, Steven Bartlett, and Touker Suleyman
Dragons’ Den series 23 is back with a new guest Dragon and a fresh batch of wannabe entrepreneurs hoping for investment – so what are the pitches on tonight’s episode?
This week, Susie Ma joins regular Dragons Peter Jones, Deborah Meaden, Steven Bartlett, and Touker Suleyman. The former Apprentice candidate is famous for being the founder and CEO of Tropic Skincare.
She’s earned every penny of her huge fortune, but will she be persuaded to invest in any of the pitches on the BBC One show?
Being offered up tonight is a money-saving app, home-baking kits, an AI-powered cat flap and a fresh take on a portable composting toilet…
Here’s a rundown on the pitches appearing on Dragons’ Den tonight, and where you can find them.
Dragons’ Den pitches tonight: New parents money-saving app Cubbi
Sisters Tanyka and Olivia – and Olivia’s baby bump – are co-founders of Cubbi. It’s a money-saving app for new parents just like Susie Ma (although we doubt the guest Dragon needs to save money!). And this bit is really worth watching just to see the women give Touker some serious sass.
Cubbi is a UK discount platform for new and expecting parents. From pregnancy to 18 months postpartum, users can sign up to join the free platform “making parental leave discounts a thing”. The app offers exclusive discounts for parents with more than 200 brands, as well as savvy money tips.
Olivia and Tanyka founded the business in 2023 after Olivia’s own experience of maternity leave. Like many new mums, Olivia quickly discovered how expensive parental leave could be. With finances stretched, even the smallest treats like a coffee or a pair of jeans to fit her new body, were tinged with guilt.
Out of this frustration came the idea for Cubbi – a platform built to support new and expecting parents with exclusive discounts from family brands. Those with the app can expect instant notifications for new discounts. They’ll be the first to know when new savings drop or limited time offers go live, and can benefit from easy in store savings with QR codes.
The sisters want £50,000 for a 10% stake in their company. Peter congratulates them on a “great pitch”, but questions why they’ve limited themselves to just new mums. New mum Susie Ma totally gets it as a concept and calls them “amazing”, but does she like it enough to invest?
Home-baking kits Craft & Crumb
Mum-friends Louise and Kate hope to whip up a sweet deal with their children’s home-baking kits. Their brand Craft & Crumb sell kits designed for families to home-bake together. They are pitched as “amazing experiences” and combine crafting with baking.
And it’s not just baking either. Their kits include pizzas, chocolate bark, pancakes, and sweetie jewellery. They also sell eco food fun party bags, candy kits, and quirky bakes like the Burger & Chips Cupcake Kit which turns cupcakes into realistic-looking burgers and fries.
Kate and Louise started the business seven years ago from their kitchen tables. And every new kit is tested by their own very harsh critics (their five kids!!).
Their products are already sold in John Lewis, Selfridges, Tesco, and Ocado. Prices range from £10 for biscuit-making kits, to £20 for the chocolate brownie macaron kit. Kits include most of the ingredients you need, give or take an egg or two.
Peter Jones asks “why don’t you just buy a cookie?” But, of course, the rich TV star has probably never had to amuse young children for an afternoon!
The friends want £100,000 in exchange for 3% of their business. And, we know from watching Dragons’ Den for more than 20 years, that the Dragons won’t like the sound of those odds!
Dragons’ Den pitches tonight: Portable composting toilets Compocloset
Richard and Erica are next in the Den to pitch their unique business idea Compoclosets – a fresh take on a portable composting toilet.
The Portable toilets are designed for travelling, boats, living off grid, and motorhomes. The portable toilets aim to deliver convenience, hygiene, and freedom, whether you’re camping, travelling in your van, or looking for an easy on-the-go toilet for seasonal cabins.
The Cuddy portable composting toilet costs £870, while the Lite version is sold for £650. There is also a dry flush sealing toilet for £1250.
They claim to be “odour free”, eco-friendly, waterless, and portable. Composting toilets use natural processes to break down waste without water. Liquids and solids are kept separate: urine goes into a bottle, while solids mix with a natural bulking agent and begin to compost. An agitator helps keep things odour-free and easy to empty. If you’re feeling a bit queasy, remember Erica’s words: “Everybody poops.”
The couple want £100,000 for 3% stake in their business. When Peter Jones tests the product, his stature means he has to reverse in! But will be prepared to invest in the company? And on what terms? Will he be able to open doors for the pair (or toilet seats)?
AI-powered cat flap OnlyCat
Tech-savvy brothers Thomas and Martin unveil their AI-powered cat flap OnlyCat. It’s a microchip cat flap which can detect when your beloved pet is trying to bring in a new friend – such us a mouse, bird, or other beasties.
The AI-powered, app-enabled cat flap lets your cat in, but keeps other uninvited guests out. The brothers tells us that “advanced AI vision technology detects the presence of prey in the blink of an eye and prevents entry”.
The smart cat flap detects when your cats try to bring in prey, and temporarily locks the door. Users can also control entry and exits, allowing you to keep specific cats in overnight, or keep intruder cats out.
OnlyCat connects to your Wi-Fi and the companion app. And it continues to work if your internet goes down. Sounds great, right? If you can afford the price tag, that is. It is a premium product that will set you back £499 on their website. A refurbished model will cost you £450.
The siblings are asking for a rather hefty £200,000 for 4% of the business. Cat owner Deborah calls the price tag “racy” and gives them quite the grilling. But does she want to invest?
5 most successful Dragons' Den pitches of all time
Levi Roots' Reggae Reggae Sauce (series 4 in 2007)
The Jamaican-style jerk BBQ sauce, known for its sweet and spicy flavour, for the four Dragons' salivating. Creator Levi Roots famously appeared on the BBC One series, and performed a song to pitch his sauce. It obviously worked as he secured a £50,000 investment from Peter Jones and Richard Farleigh for 40% of his company.
The Magic Whiteboard by Neil and Laura Westwood (series 6 in 2008)
Magic Whiteboard became iconic when it sparked a five-way bidding war on Dragons' Den. Creators Neil and Laura Westwood eventually accepted £100,000 from Theo Paphitis and Deborah Meaden for their portable whiteboard sheets. It became a highly profitable business, with the founders going on to buy back their shares.
PerfectTed (series 20 in 2023)
Backed by Steven Bartlett, this clean energy drink brand became the most valuable company to ever secure a deal on the show, reaching a $200 million valuation. Sales jumped from £200k to £8.2m in 2024.
Chocbox (series 4 in 2012)
A fire-resistant electrical junction box invented by Peter Moule secured a £150,000 investment from Duncan Bannatyne and James Caan for a 36% stake. The product subsequently became one of the show's biggest successes with over £25 million in sales.
The Snaffling Pig Co. (series 14 in 2016)
Nick Coleman and Andrew Allen pitched their gourmet pork scratchings snack brand, and secured investment from Moonpig.com founder Nick Jenkins. The company has since grown to a valuation of over £11 million.
Oh and don't forget some of the rejects that went on to prove the Dragons wrong – including BrewDog, Trunki, Pasta Evangelists, and Tangle Teezer.
