Which original Dragon's Den investor created the Yo! brand after founding Yo! Sushi?

Simon Woodroffe created the Yo! brand after founding Yo! Sushi.

Woodroffe launched Yo! Sushi in 1997 and later developed the broader Yo! brand, which extended the name beyond the original restaurant concept. The brand became associated with modern Japanese dining, compact service formats and a distinctive visual identity.

He was one of the five original Dragons when the British programme began. His entrepreneurial career also included work in design, hospitality and the YOTEL hotel concept, showing how he repeatedly applied compact, design-led ideas to customer experiences.

The Yo! brand is not the same thing as the Japanese television format that inspired the British programme; that format is commonly identified as Money Tigers. Nor should Woodroffe be confused with Doug Richard, whose background was in technology entrepreneurship and investment.