Derry Green, a businessman who appeared on Dragons' Den, has transformed his fortunes from financial ruin to owning a company with an annual turnover of £2 million. Green featured in series 21, episode two of the BBC reality series, where entrepreneurs pitch to investors including Deborah Meaden, Peter Jones, Touker Suleyman, and Steven Bartlett.
From pandemic crisis to glamping success
At the start of the Covid pandemic, Green faced 'financial ruin' when his European transport business had all its work cancelled overnight. He then started The Secret Garden Glamping, beginning with a glamping pod he built for his children during lockdown. The pod went viral, leading to numerous requests to use it. 'I was on universal credit, we had a mortgage payment break, I had no money coming in. I had nothing to lose,' Green recalled about listing the pod on Airbnb. He then built the first six pods himself.
Dragons' Den appearance boosts business
By 2023, Green entered the Dragons' Den to pitch his thriving business. He secured a £100,000 investment from Deborah Meaden after receiving offers from several dragons. The episode aired in January 2024, and within two weeks, the company generated an additional £500,000 in bookings, as Green told the Naked Founder podcast. 'I thought it would be me on my phone for maybe one or two days before the next episode was on and it would calm down. It was six months before it calmed down and even then, it still never stops,' he said.
Rapid growth and expansion
Green's annual turnover has since increased from £500,000 to £2 million. The company now employs 47 staff and operates five sites across the UK and Ireland. Notably, Green admitted he did not need the investment or advertising from the show. 'If I'm totally honest I didn't go on Dragons' Den for money because we didn't need it and I didn't go for advertising because we didn't really need it. What I wanted was somebody else to tell me I was doing the right thing,' he explained. Since appearing on Dragons' Den, the business has also featured on shows like Four in a Bed and Celebs Go Dating.
