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Look for bar Mate on AmazonFull story →Nick Cross, Richard Hadden and Sebastian Stoddart pitched an automated tap designed to pour a pint hands-free, aimed at cutting queue times in busy pubs.
The automated tap was aimed squarely at cutting queue times in busy pubs, a problem the trade has thrown a lot of technology at over the years.
The Pitch And The Backing
The trio asked for £50,000 for a 30 percent stake, and the record shows both Deborah Meaden and Theo Paphitis went in together to back the idea.
Getting two Dragons on board after a mixed reception from the rest of the panel is a reasonable sign that part of the room saw genuine commercial promise in an automated bar tap, even where others were not convinced.
What The Product Was Up Against
Automated pouring equipment has to survive a punishing environment, cleaning regimes and licensing rules before a landlord will put it behind the bar, which is a far slower route to market than a consumer gadget faces.
That is a long way from the pitch itself, where two Dragons were willing to fund the full £50,000 on the strength of the demonstration alone.