Theo Paphitis is the entrepreneur who owned and developed the British stationery retailer Ryman before becoming a dragon on Dragon's Den.
Paphitis acquired Ryman in 1995 and expanded the business from its established stationery base. He later became associated with other retail brands, including Robert Dyas and Boux Avenue, giving him a strong retail perspective in the den.
He joined the UK programme as a dragon in 2005 and remained a regular investor for several series. His approach often focused on whether a product could secure shelf space, attract repeat customers and scale through distribution.
Ryman should not be confused with the American novelist Ryman or with the unrelated country-music venue chain bearing a similar name. In the Dragon's Den context, the relevant business is the British stationery retailer founded in the nineteenth century and later expanded under Paphitis.