Is Tech 21 Still in Business? (2026 Update)
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Look for Tech 21 on AmazonFull story →Jason Roberts pitched Tech 21, protective phone and laptop cases built around D30, a material that stays soft in normal use but stiffens instantly on impact, wanting £150,000 in return for a small sliver of equity, before a much larger share was agreed on air with Peter Jones and Theo Paphitis.
The company is thriving, and this counts among the clearest survival stories in this whole set of pitches.
A Much Bigger Slice Than First Offered
D30 was originally engineered for defence and motorsport uses before Roberts adapted it for consumer electronics, and Paphitis and Jones agreed to the £150,000 figure only for a stake roughly eight times larger than what had originally been on the table.
By most accounts the founders simply never followed through with either investor once filming wrapped, opting to build the business on their own terms instead.
From A Studio Prop To A Global Supply Chain
Without any studio funding, the brand went on to strike design partnerships connected to Apple and Samsung device accessories, earning a reputation with carriers and retailers for cases that hold up under genuine drop tests rather than relying on marketing claims.
A newer material called FlexShock later replaced the original D30 formulation, and reported growth over a short stretch reached roughly tenfold, with turnover climbing into eight figures.
Where To Buy It
Stock is available through the company's own site and a range of major US carrier and retail chains, marketed today around laboratory-verified impact protection rather than the single-material gimmick that first got it noticed.
For a pitch whose studio deal never actually closed, this counts among the strongest outcomes the archive has produced.