£75,000 Dragons’ Den investment for interiors inventor

Diane Challender, who created Zebedee, an innovative clothes-hanging system for sloped ceilings, has secured £75,000 investment from Dragons’ Den star Sara Davies to support global growth for her business.

Challender, whose background is in real estate, appeared on the show on 7 March, and caught the attention of Davies with her simple idea designed to instantly solve a tricky problem. Davies was happy to back the business, offering £75,000 for a 40% share.

Since the Grimsby-based interiors company launched in 2017, it has enjoyed organic growth.

However, keen to take the business to the next level, Challender – who said she isn’t a fan of being in front of the camera – made the decision to enter the Den with the aim of securing investment from her preferred Dragon, Sara Davies.

Challender 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.”

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.”