Duncan Bannatyne founded the Bannatyne Group.
The Bannatyne Group became known for operating health clubs, spas and hotels across the United Kingdom. Bannatyne built the business after earlier entrepreneurial ventures, including work in care homes and other service industries.
He joined the Dragons’ Den panel in the first series and became associated with a direct, commercially focused style of questioning. His business interests also made health, fitness and leisure proposals especially relevant to his investment profile.
The Bannatyne Group is sometimes confused with national gym chains such as The Gym Group or PureGym. Those are separate companies. The answer is the business group carrying Bannatyne’s own surname, rather than any company in which he may have invested or with which he competed.