On the evening of February 12, 2026, the familiar hum of anticipation filled living rooms across the UK as BBC One aired the latest episode of Dragons' Den. But this was no ordinary episode. Alongside regular heavyweights Steven Bartlett, Deborah Meaden, Peter Jones, and Touker Suleyman, viewers welcomed a fresh yet seasoned face to the Den: Susie Ma, the entrepreneur whose journey from humble market stall beginnings to multimillionaire business mogul is as captivating as any pitch seen on the show.
Susie Ma’s story is one of grit, resilience, and an unshakeable belief in the power of a good idea. According to The Times, Susie was born in Shanghai before moving to Australia, and eventually settling in the UK in 2002 as a teenager. By the age of 15, she was already hustling—selling homemade face scrubs at a Greenwich market to help her mother pay the bills. That early entrepreneurial spark would prove to be just the beginning.
Fast forward to 2011, and Susie entered the public eye as a contestant on The Apprentice. While she didn’t clinch the winning spot, her business acumen caught the attention of Lord Alan Sugar, who invested £200,000 for a 50% stake in her fledgling company, Tropic Skincare. The partnership paid off handsomely. Over the years, Tropic Skincare—fusing tropical botanicals with cutting-edge science and offering everything from skincare and makeup to mother and baby products—grew into a powerhouse brand. By 2023, Susie had bought Lord Sugar out, becoming the sole owner of Tropic, which The Times values at a staggering £70 million. Her personal net worth? An eye-popping £73 million, thanks in part to a £20 million dividend she paid herself in 2025.
Susie’s return to BBC screens, this time as a Dragon, was met with excitement and a touch of nostalgia. Speaking to the BBC about her new role, she reflected: “It’s an absolute honour to join the Den as a Guest Dragon. I started Tropic from a market stall at fifteen, and I know the grit, vision and belief it takes to turn a spark of an idea into something extraordinary. I’m here to back the bold—the next generation of changemakers building businesses with purpose, creativity and courage. Sitting in that iconic chair is a pinch-me moment, and I’m so excited to help brilliant founders bring their dreams to life.”
The episode itself was a showcase of British entrepreneurship at its most inventive and determined. First into the Den were sisters Olivia and Tanyka Davson, pitching Cubbi—a discount platform designed for new and expecting parents. Olivia, nine months pregnant, brought her personal experience to the pitch, describing the financial strain and isolation that can accompany early parenthood. Tanyka, with a decade of communications experience, had built the app’s first version herself, despite having no technical background. Their stats were promising: 20,000 social media followers, 12,000 app downloads, and ambitious revenue targets—though the business was pre-revenue at the time. The sisters sought £50,000 for a 10% stake, hoping to leverage the Dragons’ expertise in marketing, especially on platforms like TikTok.
The Dragons were divided. Touker Suleyman and Peter Jones worried that the business was too narrowly focused, while Susie Ma and Steven Bartlett saw value in that very focus. After some tough love and spirited debate, Susie—herself a new mum—offered the full amount for the 10% stake, an offer the sisters gratefully accepted. As reported by the BBC, Susie’s emotional investment and genuine connection with the founders set a warm tone for the evening.
Next up were Kate Horne and Louise Nicholson, the duo behind Craft & Crumb, an independent baking kit brand founded in 2016. Their mission? Reinvent family baking with creative subscription boxes and seasonal kits. Already in 230 Tesco stores thanks to the supermarket’s accelerator program, their business showed solid traction: over £1 million in revenue and a £66,000 profit. Despite their achievements, the Dragons balked at the modest forecasted profit of just £15,000 for the next year, with Deborah Meaden remarking, “this is a business for you,” and declining to invest. Sometimes, even a good story needs a sharper edge to win over the Den’s titans.
The Den then welcomed Richard Peter and Erica Pugh, founders of CompoCloset. Their eco-friendly, waterless, and odorless composting toilets target the growing market for RVs, boats, and tiny homes. Their latest innovation, the S1 Dry Flush Sealing toilet, seals waste in compostable bags, aiming to make chemical-laden flushing a relic of the past. With £700,000 in turnover last year and sales in North America and the UK, the pair sought £100,000 for 3% of their business. The Dragons tested the product—Peter Jones, to much laughter, found it a bit small!—but ultimately, most were out, citing concerns over industry adoption and long-term profitability. Peter Jones did make an offer: the full amount, but for a hefty 20% stake. The founders declined, unwilling to give up that much equity.
Last to pitch were brothers Martin and Tomas Rosinski from Northumberland, presenting OnlyCat—a smart, AI-powered cat flap designed to prevent cats from bringing prey into the house. The device uses an AI camera to keep the flap locked and sends owners a video alert. With over £2 million in revenue and £750,000 in pre-orders at the time of filming, their business had clear momentum. They sought £200,000 for a 4% stake, highlighting their unique algorithm as a barrier to entry. The Dragons grilled them on profitability and scalability. Steven Bartlett and Deborah Meaden both offered £200,000 for 12.5%, while Touker Suleyman offered half the money for 10% if another Dragon joined. After some negotiation, the brothers accepted Steven’s offer, with Steven declaring, “You’ve got a deal!”
Amidst the pitches, another business headline made waves: Coleen Rooney, the well-known Liverpool figure, increased her shareholding in Applied Nutrition, a sports nutrition and wellness brand she’s been an ambassador for since 2024. According to BBC, Rooney co-created an exclusive product range and expressed her excitement about the company’s expansion into new markets.
As the credits rolled, it was clear that this episode of Dragons' Den was more than just entertainment. It was a testament to the diversity and tenacity of British entrepreneurship, from market stalls to million-pound turnovers. Susie Ma’s journey—once a hopeful pitching her idea, now an investor supporting others—served as a powerful reminder that sometimes, the boldest dreams really do come true.