A Young Entrepreneur’s Journey
A history-making contestant on the BBC show Dragons’ Den has received support from one of the UK’s wealthiest entrepreneurs following his appearance on the program. In 2023, Shaye Bhattessa-Sharma, then just 15 years old, became the youngest person ever to secure an investment from a dragon. Accompanied by his father Raj, he presented a football board game called Football Billionaire, where players trade goalkeepers, defenders, midfielders, and forwards.
Shaye accepted a £50,000 offer from Peter Jones, 59, in exchange for a 20% stake in the business. However, the following year, he revealed that after a ‘mutual discussion,’ they decided not to proceed with the deal. Since then, the 17-year-old has partnered with John Caudwell, 72, a billionaire and founder of Phones4U, for a new version of the board game. According to The Sunday Times Rich List, John is the 109th richest person in Britain, with a net worth of £1.54 billion.
Philanthropy and Partnership
In 2013, Shaye signed the Giving Pledge, a movement where wealthy individuals commit to donating the majority of their fortune to good causes. Speaking about the new partnership, the 17-year-old told The Mirror in November: “The impression of billionaires is that they’re not always positive. But I know a lot of them give back. John has always been an inspiration.” John added: “It struck a cord with me. Why wouldn’t I help a young guy on his entrepreneurial venture while promoting the charity at the same time? It was no-brainer.”
Perhaps Peter is now regretting not sealing the deal, but it would not be the first time a Dragon has missed a huge opportunity.
A Missed Opportunity
Three years ago, entrepreneur Mark Wong entered the Den on the BBC One competition with his non-alcoholic beer brand Impossibrew, asking for £45,000 for 10% of his company. However, despite an ‘impeccable’ pitch, he was rejected by all five Dragons—Peter, Deborah Meaden, Touker Suleyman, Sara Davies, and Steven Bartlett—as he did not have a proven track record, aka turnover.
Since then, though, Impossibrew has skyrocketed, with a January fund aiming for £500,000 investment reaching £1,575,390 from 1,204 investors. Now, the pre-money valuation of the company stands at £12,000,000, and Impossibrew saw more than £500,000 in sales from January 2025 alone. In fact, the company is selling a beer every 15 seconds on the website, with more than 1 million cans sold in the last 12 months.
Upcoming Episodes and New Contestants
When is Dragons’ Den next on TV?’ The next episode of Dragons’ Den will air tonight at 8pm on BBC One. Fashion mogul Emma Grede, who is the CEO of Good American and founding partner of SKIMS, is returning as a guest Dragon.
She will join Peter Jones, Deborah Meaden, Sara Davies, Steven Bartlett, and Touker Suleyman as a fresh wave of entrepreneurs step up to face the fire. In this episode, two fashion-forward business partners trade brollies for bonnets with their stylish headwear brand. A determined Lincolnshire mum of four champions her range of food-and-drink hampers for every occasion. Meanwhile, a TV and radio presenter from Kent hopes to clean up with her mobile grave-tending service. Lastly, a beauty tech entrepreneur reveals his cutting-edge solution for salon-quality hair dye.
