Shaun Pulfrey invented the Tangle Teezer hairbrush that was later presented on the BBC's Dragon's Den.
Pulfrey developed the brush after working as a hairstylist. Its design used flexible teeth intended to separate hair with less pulling, particularly when hair was wet or tangled. He first presented the idea on Dragon's Den under the name Hairbraid, but the Dragons did not invest.
The pitch is often remembered because rejection did not prevent the product from becoming successful. Pulfrey continued developing and marketing the brush, and Tangle Teezer became an internationally sold haircare brand.
A common mix-up is to treat the programme appearance as the moment the company received funding. In fact, the business grew after the unsuccessful pitch. The story is therefore frequently cited as an example of an entrepreneur building a major company without a Dragon's investment.