As Series 23 of Dragon’s Den continues, it’s my turn to write the IP blog this week. It’s been a while but having seen some fantastic innovation and ideas so far, I was excited to get stuck into episode 6…and it didn’t disappoint. Guest Dragon this week was Susie Ma, skincare CEO and admirable philanthropist.
I knew I’d seen Susie somewhere before, and a quick Google search reminded me that she was the runner up in BBC’s Apprentice in 2011 and secured Lord Sugar’s investment, before building one of the fastest growing beauty brands in the UK!
But it’s not only Susie who is on a mission to create ‘a healthier, greener, more empowered world’ - tonight’s entrepreneurs had an eye on the environment too.
I spy, with my eco-eye
I recently completed my Carbon Literacy training and something must have stuck, because the two pitches that caught my eco-eye this evening both had an environmental element to them:
From bin to win: Kompo’s clever conversion
Founder Ben McGirr introduced his brand ‘Kompo’– a food waste disposal which turns food waste into plant fuel with just one touch. He quickly named Deborah Meaden as his preferred Dragon, before asking for £86,000 for 20% equity in his business.
Ben’s bin sparked quite the intellectual property (IP) debate! I watched, wide-eyed as the Dragons battled over the value of IP in this business, so of course I had to include it in my blog!
Peter was first to mention IP specifically, after Susie asked all the right questions about ownership. It turns out the manufacturer owns the IP (patent) behind the machine itself, but Ben has protected his brand, registering a trade mark for his logo with us in 2025.
“If you want to build a business, a proper business, you need the IP” said Dragon Peter Jones. Steven Bartlett agreed that the IP ownership was important and declared himself out.
You can find out more about applying for a patent in our guidance.
Keeping it green, Susie offered all of the money for 40% of the business. They negotiated & settled on 35%. The likely reduction in methane emissions because of their handshake can only be a good thing for our planet and for climate change (see, I was listening in my carbon literacy course!).
Eco cupboard comebacks
Third into the Den were Helen & Phil, married couple and business partners from Cheshire and founders of ‘Rehome’, an online marketplace for pre-owned kitchens, bedrooms and bathrooms. When I heard that they were so far responsible for saving over 14,000 tonnes of carbon waste in their rehoming mission, I leaned in for more. Helen and Phil asked for a £100,000 investment, in exchange for a 5% share of their business.
A quick search on our trade mark register showed that they too have protected their brand, as of 2023. A sustainably-savvy move.
But the spending on their website mentioned in the pitch seemed to have set the business back profit-wise - and it got me thinking about copyright within websites.
Copyright automatically belongs to the creator in the UK, but Helen and Phil don’t seem to hold the rights to their website. The platform is owned by someone else and they pay a fee to licence it. Licencing your IP can be lucrative, proving potential worth.
Our comprehensive guidance pages explain more about how copyright licensing works:
How copyright protects your work: License and sell your copyright - GOV.UK
Licensing intellectual property - GOV.UK
Keeping sustainability simmering (see what I did there?) Deborah made an offer for 15% of ‘Rehome’ and it was swiftly accepted - a happy ending for all concerned.
If you’ve enjoyed this blog, sign up to receive emails when we publish more and if you’re in business yourself, you can find out more about how to protect your IP, in our handy step by step guide.
Disclaimer:
The purpose of the IPO's Dragons' Den IP blog is to help identify the IP in entrepreneurs’ pitches and highlight how IP works, or could work, in the real-life examples featured. IPO’s authorship of this blog does not constitute its endorsement or sponsorship of any products, individuals or businesses referenced within it.
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