Levi Roots offered the Dragons 20% of his company for investment on Dragons' Den.
Roots, whose real name is Keith Valentine Graham, pitched his Reggae Reggae Sauce business on the programme. He sought funding to expand production and distribution for a sauce based on a recipe associated with his Caribbean cooking and music career.
The pitch became one of the programme's most recognisable success stories. Peter Jones and Richard Farleigh agreed to invest, helping Roots move from a small-scale operation toward wider retail distribution. The brand subsequently expanded into additional food products and became strongly associated with Jamaican and Caribbean-inspired flavours.
Equity percentages matter because they show the ownership share an entrepreneur is offering, not the amount of money being requested. The 20% figure is therefore distinct from the investment amount and from later ownership changes as a company grows.