A Grimsby businesswoman who spotted a gap in the market for a clothes hanging solution in attic rooms has convinced Dragons’ Den entrepreneur Sara Davies to invest £75,000.
Diane Chandeller founded Zebedee in 2017 after moving into a house with sloped ceilings and being unable to find a product that could make use of the space. After creating a device with a spring and a rod to solve the problem she realised there was a gap in the market and spent time refining the system before securing patents and trademarks.
Ms Chandeller, who admits to being camera shy, took to Dragons’ Den in a bid to get North East businesswoman Ms Davies, founder of Crafter’s Companion, on side to take her business to the next level. After impressing with her pitch, the entrepreneur secured a £75,000 injection for 40% of the business.
Ms Chandeller said: “As a former estate agent, I’m used to presenting and selling to people, but despite intensive research, pitch rehearsals and binge watching of previous episodes, nothing could fully prepare me for the reality of entering the Den. I did experience the expected grilling, which was pretty stressful, but I was grateful for all the advice the Dragons had to offer during the pitch.
“I was over the moon to receive an offer from Sara, who I’m looking forward to working with to refine and grow the businesses, and get our smart, space-saving product into the homes of anyone grappling with an awkward, slopey space.”
Sara Davies added: “I love products that provide a genuine solution to a real problem, and I really like how Diane has combined creative thinking with engineering to create a simple answer to a seemingly complicated issue. I was also impressed with her acumen in making sure the patents were in place to protect her invention, and I’m excited to work alongside Diane to support her through the next exciting stage as she goes on to take her product to a global audience.”
Original artice – https://business-live.co.uk/all-about/yorkshire-humber
