Touker Suleyman and Sara Davies exchanged some tense words in the latest episode of Dragons’ Den, with the pair battling it out to be selected as an investor.
The two business experts became embroiled in a row about their different approaches to investing, with Suleyman blasting her claims as “rubbish”.
It came as the BBC business show aired this week’s episode on Thursday, February 13. The instalment saw entrepreneur Hayley Hanigan hoping to impress with her child-friendly travel idea.
“Hi, Dragons, I’m Hayley,” she began confidently, adding: “I’m a mum of four young children.
“I am the founder of Tiny Explorers, and I’m here today to ask for £50,000 for an investment in my business – and a 10% percent share.
“As parents, you amass a huge amount of expensive items. Some of the most expensive items are the ones that you take for travel.
“During our first family holiday, I enjoyed 10 hours of small limbs kicking me across the flight, only to land in Florida to realise that they’d taken my buggy at the gate and I wouldn’t get it back until baggage reclaim.
“So carrying two small, tired children through an hour-long passport control queue, hoping that my buggy had made it with us… We get to the car rental place, and they’ve only got one of the two car seats for the children.”
Sara Davies wasn’t thrilled by the prospect of working with Touker Suleyman
BBC
Describing her lightbulb moment, she continued: “I wondered why someone didn’t offer a short-term rental of these items.
“In January 2022, Tiny explorers went live, with five cabin approved strollers. We now have a product range of just under 100 items. We have two years of six-figure revenue behind us.
“And we’re here today to explain our vision that we would love to integrate with travel booking platforms.”
Mother-of-two Davies was immediately intrigued, and took a liking to Hayley herself.
“Do you know Haley? I would love to mentor you – you are a breath of fresh air,” she praised.
“I’m a firm believer in you are a product of the people you surround yourself with, and I think my life will be better for having you in it.”
Dragons’ Den star Hayley was keen to have both Sara Davies and Touker Suleyman on board
BBC
The TV personality, 40, went on: “I totally get the market. I totally have been a consumer for this, and I know I’d use had this been around when my kids were little.
“I can see so many areas you could take the business. I can see the journey ahead of you, and I can see all the pitfalls I’ve made on that journey, you could learn from my mistakes.
“I would love to make you an offer, and I’d love to offer you based on what you have asked for, because I think it is a really fair ask.
“So I would give you all the £50,000 you’ve asked for, for the 10 percent you’ve offered.”
While Steven Bartlett chimed in to add: “Great offer,” there was another waiting in the wings.
“You’ve got a great offer,” Suleyman agreed before probing: “But is it the right offer?”
He added: “Is it a mentor you want, or is it somebody that could really, strategically help you? That’s where I come in.
“Because I think you’ve got two businesses here. You’ve got one business, which is a travel business.
“You’ve got a bigger business fitting homes out when people are moving in short term lets. And I’ve got all those estate agents in central London – actually all of them I’ve got a relationship with. But it comes at a price.”
As the rest of the Dragons seemed uneasy, Bartlett quipped: “Here comes the vampire…”
“I’m not going to do the 10 percent – so I will give you £60,000 for 20 percent,” 71-year-old Suleyman chimed.
“So just to clarify, Touker is offering £60,000 for 20 percent,” Bartlett interjected.
“And Sara is offering £50,000 for 10 percent,” Hayley noted, to which Suleyman argued: “But I know what else I could bring you.”
Toukey Suleyman blasted Sara Davies’ Dragons’ Den claims as ‘rubbish’
BBC
Seemingly coming to a decision, Hayley shared: “I would love to have the mentorship from both of you, and to have you both on board.
“Would you consider working together? That would be value to the business by having 10 percent from both of you – for £50,000.”
While Suleyman seemed willing to accept, Davies admitted: “Honestly, Hayley, if you wanted to take the business down the avenue that Touker talked about, moving more away from the kind of core of the business and the model that you’re looking to work with, moving away from your core to that, and I’m not sure what that’s the business I would look to invest in.”
She continued: “I personally think you have a fantastic business model, and I think the next stage is just executing that business model. So personally, I don’t think that you need to give away more of the business.”
Offering a five-word piece of advice and a dig at her co-star, she confessed she doesn’t believe Touker is “bringing anything to the table”.
“That’s rubbish,” Suleyman hit back. “I didn’t say that I was going to change your business.”
Hayley, who stuck to her vision, asked again for the two to consider working together, which Davies eventually agreed to, with Suleyman adding: “Why not?”
