Beauty entrepreneur Cecily Coops secured a £40,000 investment for her sustainable haircare brand Selkie on Dragons' Den, with four Dragons ultimately backing her business. She originally sought investment from one Dragon in exchange for a 12.5 per cent stake, but left with a 20 per cent share split between Deborah Meaden, Peter Jones, Steven Bartlett and guest Dragon Jenna Meek, founder of REFY.
Surprised by Peter Jones's offer
Speaking exclusively to The Mirror after the show, Coops revealed her surprise when Peter Jones offered a deal split with Steven Bartlett: a 10 per cent business stake for £40,000, which was less than she had originally asked for. "The thing that really surprised me was Peter offering me a better deal than I'd asked for. That never happens, and coming from someone like him, an absolute icon and an incredible businessman, I could hardly believe it!"
Coops, a long-time fan of the show, shared her impressions of the Dragons: "Peter and Stephen were so engaged with my brand. Jenna is a force of nature. Deborah is firm but very fair and I find her incredibly inspiring." She admitted Deborah Meaden "actually scared me the most, but only because I respect her so much, and she's got a completely no-nonsense way about her. Susie was the toughest on me and there were a couple of points I didn't agree with, but that's what the Den is for, and I'd rather be pushed hard than politely nodded at!"
Backstage shoe drama
Coops revealed that Deborah was the Dragon she was most keen to work with before the show, citing their shared passion for sustainability. She also confessed to a backstage mishap: her shoe broke about an hour before she entered the Den, forcing her to hobble through her pitch. "You really are just thrown into the Den - walking in and seeing their faces for the first time is something I'll never forget," she said.
Since filming, Coops has stayed in touch with some of her new investors. "I've stayed in touch with a few of them since filming and it's all been really warm and I've seen some of them in person since, which says everything really," she said.
From idea to investment
Coops, who has a Masters in chemistry, developed the idea for Selkie four years ago while living in a shared flat, searching for a shampoo and conditioner that nourished her scalp without harsh chemicals or single-use plastics. She joined forces with a B Corp manufacturer to create a powder-to-liquid haircare product. Customers add tap water to refillable bottles, creating liquid formulas with no single-use plastic waste.
Before securing the investment, Coops had generated £50,000 in revenue from a repeat customer base. She told the Dragons: "We've already demonstrated demand and generated £50,000 of revenue from growing our loyal, repeat customer base. Dragons, the future is sustainable, the future is Selkie."
After the show, Coops quit her corporate job to focus on Selkie full time. Since then, the business has appeared on a TV shopping channel and joined a beauty accelerator backed by Boots and TikTok Shop. Her plan is for Selkie to become a household name for natural, sustainable haircare.
