Scots entrepreneurs happy despite Dragons’ Den blow

TWO young Scots entrepreneurs offered £65,000 funding on television’s Dragons’ Den only to see it withdrawn on a technicality say they have no hard feelings.

Michael Corrigan and David Kellock saw interest surge after TV appearance. Picture: Andy Buchanan

New Dragon Touker Suleyman’s offer on an episode first recorded last April and revoked within 24 hours inadvertently contravened the rules of the programme.

However, Glasgow-based Trtl commercial director Michael Corrigan said yesterday: “We were gutted at the time and would have benefited from the sales doors Touker would have opened for our revolutionary travel pillow.

“But we don’t regret it for a minute. The interest since the show aired has been phenomenal. The phone’s been going off the hook and our website’s lit up like a Christmas tree.”

Corrigan and David Kellock, both aged 28, co-founded the business while studying engineering at Strathclyde University, inventing their Trtl Pillow product in October 2013. They were seeking £65,000 investment from the Dragons for a 10 per cent stake.

Clothing tycoon Suleyman offered a £65,000 convertible loan for 30 per cent of the equity – dropping to 10 per cent after the entrepreneurs paid off the loan.

However, the rules of the Den are that any offers from Dragons must be straight cash for equity so the offer was revoked by the producers.