The pitch
What walked into the Den
Guy Portelli brought Guy Portelli Sculpture Studio to Dragons' Den in season 6, which aired in 2008.
In the pitch, Guy Portelli Sculpture Studio asked the Dragons for £70,000 for 25% of the business, valuing the business at about £280,000.
After the show
What happened next
On air, Guy Portelli Sculpture Studio agreed a deal of £80,000 for 25%, backed by Peter Jones, Theo Paphitis and JamesCaan. The terms are quoted from the aired episode as public record.
Our read
The Hub verdict
Here is a genuinely uncommon line in the record: Guy Portelli walked out with more money than he asked for. He pitched his sculpture collection at £70,000 for 25 percent, a £280,000 valuation, and left with £80,000 for that same 25 percent, three Dragons, Peter Jones, Theo Paphitis and James Caan, backing it together.
When the cash rises while the equity holds, the effective valuation actually improves in the founder's favour, nudging the business's implied worth from £280,000 up toward £320,000. That is the opposite of the usual Den squeeze, where Dragons push for more equity, not less. It is worth savouring as a piece of deal math.
The rare pitch where the Dragons paid over the asking price.
