From ‘Pathetic’ to Prosperous: How These Dragon’s Den Entrepreneurs Defied the Odds to Strike £10 Million Gold!

Imagine walking into a den of dragons, armed with nothing but a simple idea and a cheeky grin—only to be met with fierce criticism and scathing remarks. This was the reality for Rachel Watkyn, who strolled into the iconic Dragons' Den in 2008, full of optimism for her sustainable packaging business. Yet, who could have predicted that this so-called ‘pathetic’ idea would transform into a hefty £10 million-a-year powerhouse? While Duncan Bannatyne dismissed her vision as something an eight-year-old could craft better, it turns out Watkyn had the last laugh. Fast forward fifteen years, and her Tiny Box Company is thriving, reshaping perceptions around eco-friendly practices. So, what does that say about the so-called experts evaluating the next big thing? Sometimes, the biggest successes come from the humblest beginnings, proving that those who see beyond the box can really think outside it! LEARN MORE.

The Dragons’ Den is full of wealth, expertise and business knowhow.

But pretty much no one knew just how successful one of the rejected businesses would become.

During a 2008 episode of the BBC show, Rachel Watkyn entered the Den with her sustainable packaging business.

And at the time, it was labelled as ‘pathetic’, whilst most of us parrots at home probably would’ve agreed.

But how wrong were we after the Tiny Box Company went on to become a mega £10million-a-year business.

Though Duncan Bannatyne absolutely slated it: “I think it’s ridiculous that you’ve come along with what you call a business, that you describe as ethical and recyclable materials and you produce a box which my eight-year-old daughter Emily could make better at school, the ends don’t match up, the lines aren’t straight.

“It’s pathetic, it really is.”

Contestant Rachel Watkyn was left distraught by the comments (BBC)

Just because he wasn’t onboard doesn’t mean the other Dragons weren’t, as Watkyn and her business partner walked away with £60,000 worth of investments by Peter Jones and Theo Paphitis.

And she’s absolutely had the last laugh of it.

Fifteen years on from her Dragons’ Den experience, she told ITV Meridian: “They were brutal, they were absolutely brutal.

“On the show, I didn’t have any confidence. Off camera, I just knew that ‘Etsy’ was becoming more and more popular and ‘Not on the High Street.’

“There was a movement of a lot of start up companies and I knew that they would all need packing like I did.”

She was totally right; her company now makes over 1,500 products for nearly 200,000 customers.

Making £10 million a year, Watkyn finds it ‘hilarious’ that not everyone understands her business.

It seems Rachel had the last laugh (Instagram/@rachelwatkyn)

“It’s really funny when people come into the warehouse and don’t know why they’re here, or are coming for something else, they’ll say ‘what do you sell then?’ And we’ll say ‘boxes.’”

People ‘just don’t get it’ when she explains they sell ‘empty boxes’.

Watkyn added: “One of the dragons said that eco-friendly packaging would never be mainstream.

“But everything people buy comes in a bag or a box or some kind of packaging, and if we can help business switch from plastic or less environmentally friendly solutions to more environmentally friendly, then the job’s done.”

Despite the confusion and the slamming of the business being ‘pathetic’, Watkyn was actually awarded an OBE in 2024 for her work in sustainability, ethical business growth and exports.

Additional words by Jess Battison.