Tim Binnington is the founder of the hairbrush brand Manta and recently appeared on BBC One’s Dragons’ Den with his wife, Dani. If you haven’t tuned into Dragons’ Den before, it’s a prime-time show where aspiring entrepreneurs pitch business ideas to a panel of seasoned multi-millionaire investors (the dragons). There’s a lot to gain and we hear it was a make-or-break moment for the innovative beauty company.
The Dragons’ Den breakdown
Deborah Meaden, one of the dragons, says, “It’s a great product.” Peter Jones, another dragon, sought to be an equal partner with the couple in exchange for the nearly half a million pounds they wanted. Ultimately, after considering their offers, Tim and Dani turned the dragons down and left empty-handed. The dragons may have missed a serious opportunity here. We hear that in 2007, the dragons also turned down the Tangle Teaser, which was clearly a mistake.
Tim says, ‘There are millions of people suffering from hair breakage and thinning hair, who Manta can help. Sadly, the dragons were more interested in the money rather than solving the problem.’
Background
Tim has been a professional hairdresser for over 25 years. He created the Manta brush for his wife Dani, who lost her hair while suffering from a life-threatening illness. As her hair grew back, she wanted to treat it gently to minimize breakage. Tim combined hands-on experience with the latest materials and technology to develop a brush to reinvent how we treat our hair. A Manta is gentler than a regular brush and should feel more like when you run your fingers through your hair. Manta could be an excellent option for clients with thinning or damage-prone hair.
Tim and Dani are a duo to watch, with Manta winning a Queen’s Award for innovation and a list of press and industry awards. We look forward to seeing the hype around Manta kick off even more.
As well as pioneering the innovative hairbrush brand, Tim and Dani are Little Princess Trust ambassadors.
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