Independent product guide to Dragons' Den · Every availability claim is checked
Skinny Tan productDeal made in the Den

Season 11 · Episode 1

Skinny Tan

a natural self-tan and cellulite lotion

Skinny Tan, a natural self-tan and cellulite lotion, appeared on Dragons' Den in season 11. We track what happened after and whether you can still buy it.

The ask£60,000for 10% of the business
Implied valuation£600Kask / equity
On-air resultDeal agreed
Founders: Kate Cotton, Louise Ferguson

The pitch

What walked into the Den

Kate Cotton and Louise Ferguson brought Skinny Tan to Dragons' Den in season 11, which aired in 2013.

In the pitch, Skinny Tan asked the Dragons for £60,000 for 10% of the business, valuing the business at about £600,000.

After the show

What happened next

On air, Skinny Tan agreed a deal of £60,000 for 10%, backed by PiersLinney,KellyHoppen. The terms are quoted from the aired episode as public record.

Our read

The Hub verdict

Ten percent for £60,000 is the headline, and the Dragons met it exactly. That holds Skinny Tan's valuation at £600,000, one of the punchier numbers a self-tan brand could ask two investors to accept, yet Kate Cotton and Louise Ferguson gave up only a tenth of the business to get there.

Piers Linney and Kelly Hoppen came in jointly, and a shared cheque on such a small equity slice tends to mean both saw a fast-moving consumer product they could each add something to. Keeping 90% while raising real money is close to the ideal Den result for a founder.

A high valuation defended for only a tenth of the company.