The Dragon's Den - Finals

On Thursday 11th July, in the Theatre, we were down the best few groups, who were as follows.

Alonso Rosado, Scott Campbell: The Box of Destiny (Recycling)
Nicole Regalado, Diana Silva: The Electric Counter (Electricity)
Ryu Ishizawa: The Printing App (Waste)
Marco Caipo, Sebastian Ross: The Bin Puzzle (Recycling)
Olive Ash, Briana Velaquez: The Bottle Squasher (Recycling)
Silvia Zamorra, Mia Siu, Sofia Lukac: (Transport)
Alex Butrich, Mark Adamy, Bart Bulos, Santiago Ortiz: A Plant In Every Room (Green Areas)
Kyle Bergen, Victor Sam, Mateo Gutierrez: The Eco Arcade (Recycling)

In the intimidating venue of the empty, echoing theatre, each group had one minute to make their pitch, then face a maximum of five minutes of questions from the Dragons: Mr Bhoja on the numbers, Mr Halford on the engineering and Miss McGregor on the economic viability of the product. It is fair to say that the Dragons held nothing back, and a few of the contenders returned to their chairs having defended their ideas superbly, but looking like they been in a boxing match.  

Once all the pitches had been delivered, the Dragons had time to deliberate, and offered feedback to each of the groups. They then asked four more groups to present their ideas again, focusing more specifically on their projected costs, where they had drawn their information, the viability of their idea in the long term.  

It all looked and sounded something like this:

After these grueling rounds, emotional highs and lows the judges were able to deliver their verdict. Ryu's Printing App in 3rd, Silvia, Mia and Sofia's Green Loyalty Card in 2nd, but many many congratulations to winners Nicole Regelado and Diana Silva, whose Electrical Counter was the unanimous winner. To quote from Mr Andrew Cino's email a few moments ago: "Congratulations to everyone on what seems to have been a very engaging and stimulating event. Nicole’s and Diana’s idea is brilliant in its simplicity yet powerful potential. Let’s make this idea a reality as quickly as possible. Well done to everyone involved!"

Winners: Nicole and Diana

Many many thanks again to the superb judges, Mr Halford, Miss McGregor and Mr Bhoja, who grilled the students to within an inch of their capabilities - as they were asked to do! - and to all of you who took part in this session.

More photos to follow later, as well as Nicole and Diana's summary of their product. 

The Dragons - Mr Leigh Halford

Leigh Halford

Since birth he has tried to touch the sky. Perseverance is everything,
remember if you aim low you never miss, but if you aim for the moon
and miss you still get to burn up in the atmosphere, making a rather
pleasant fireworks display for your friends and family… and people who hate you as well.

Details

Background Engineer, teacher, visionary, hero.
The road to success Graduated with honours from the University of Hard Knocks.
Relevant experience as a Dragon Once designed and marketed an invention to remove splinters from the feet of Durrell’s Vontsira, a marsh dwelling carnivore found around Lake Alaotra in Madagascar. Amongst others.

Q&A

Name: Leigh Halford
Born: Centre of the known universe, AKA Evesham
Family: Yes
Hobbies: Making scale models of famous buildings out of toenail clippings
Describe yourself in three words: Magnificent, perspicacious, sesquipedalian 
Estimated wealth: Loads-a-moneeey
The one thing I look for in entrepreneurs  For me it is important that they have all their own limbs. If they have to be missing one, nothing more than a toe… oh and ideas.
Worst job I've had: Working in an abattoir
Favourite film/play: Spice World… A classic depiction of the cut and thrust of corporate politics in the late 1990s.
Favourite holiday destination: Big cities
Favourite sport, team and player: Conkers, Ray Kellock 2010 World Champion… A true inspiration for all conkerers around the world
Things that interest me in a business idea: Does the idea identify a problem? Does it solve the problem? This is what I look for in a design.

Leigh’s pitch advice

For impressing in a pitch Design should be clean and efficient. If your design makes the task more complicated then it is a bad design. Remember an elegant solution is always the better option. 

The Dragons - Miss Victoria McGregor

Victoria McGregor

From a very early age Victoria McGregor knew she would run one of the finest Economics departments in Latin America. At only 27, she had achieved her dream.

Details

The road to success: Started out in Bristol teaching Marketing to the fat cats of Hewlett Packard and British Aerospace.  Undertook my teacher training PGCE whilst lecturing an FE college. Then, motivated by money, I worked my way up in two insurance companies one in England selling Buildings insurance and one in Australia selling health insurance.  I made my fortune in bonuses from selling insurance to old people who didn't need it.

Relevant experience as a Dragon: Have judged a panel of stock brokers at Bahrain Stock Exchange directed by the American Chamber of Commerce and have written a business plan and break even chart for a successful languages school. 

Q&A

Name:.Victoria McGregor
Born: 1993
Family: Plenty
Hobbies: Lots including yoga, running and fortune-teller
Describe yourself in three words: Mum likes me 
Estimated wealth: Squillions
The one thing I look for in entrepeneurs: a good attitude (willing to learn)
Worst job I've had: Door to door sales
Favourite film/play: The Thomas Crown Affair
Favourite holiday destination:.Thailand
Favourite sport, team and player: Hockey
Things that interest me in a business idea: Anything original
Best advice you've been given: Be yourself.  The people who mind don´t matter and the people who matter don´t mind. It is nice to be important but more important to be nice.

Vicky’s pitch advice

For impressing in a pitch

I am looking for an authentic entrepreneur, someone who will take a risk and really believe in their idea and themselves.  They will put all their energy, money, heart, mind and soul into getting their product or service to market. The best pitch will be someone who has considered their market, financial position, human resources and have proactively considered the pragmatic constraints of producing their product keeping sustainability in mind.