The pitch
What walked into the Den
Leigh McFarlane founded the Soap Company of Nova Scotia, a maker of handmade natural soaps, and she appeared in season 20, episode 15.
She was after $400,000 and prepared to give up 20 percent for it, a split that values the little east-coast brand at $2 million.
After the show
What happened next
The Dragons passed, and Leigh McFarlane left without an investment.
Trade is brisk today. The Shopify store carried more than 100 products in July 2026, ran a live promo code, and showed customer reviews dated that same month.
Our read
The Hub verdict
A $2 million valuation on a handmade east-coast soap brand, $400,000 for 20 percent, is the kind of ask that lives or dies on the sales figures behind it, and no Dragon was willing to pay it.
Handmade soap has almost no barrier to entry and thousands of small makers, so a two-million price has to rest on production capacity and distribution rather than the bars themselves. Leigh McFarlane kept building either way. The Shopify store carries more than 100 products, runs live promotions, and shows customer reviews dated within the month, which is a busier storefront than most brands this size manage.
