大象传媒

Hayrat delivers a confident pitch to the Dragons, demonstrating his spine exerciser to them and explaining how it mimics the horizontal stance and exercise of animals who walk on all fours.

He finishes by inviting the Dragons to try his machine, and Shaf Rasul steps up to the challenge. Hayrat tells Shaf to try to relax and fly, which causes fellow Dragon Julie Meyer to burst into laughter and urge Shaf to 鈥淔ly Shaf, fly!鈥�.

Julie is quick to get back to business though and questions Hayrat about how he came to be involved in this business. Hayrat explains that his father developed the product after many years of back pain and that it is his father who is director of the company. Hayrat is representing the company but his father has come along with him as his advocate.

Julie also questions Hayrat about their target market and seems pleased to learn that the product is not just for people who have back pain as it can also be used to provide a workout and strengthen core muscles.

For Shaf though the main concern is over the product鈥檚 protection. He asks to see Hayrat鈥檚 evidence of the product鈥檚 patents. Hayrat introduces his advocate, his father, who provides the Dragons with the necessary paperwork.

However, Julie is concerned to see that the patent was issued in 2005 and questions the duo over why they have not made more progress with the business in the four years since the patent was granted.

They explain that they haven鈥檛 achieved many sales yet as the product is very innovative and so will take a lot of advertising for users to understand it.

For Shaf the solution to this is obvious: he asks why they haven鈥檛 simply licensed the product to a big gym equipment brand. Hayrat explains that whilst they have licensing offers coming in on a weekly basis they don鈥檛 want to give up control of the business.

This answer doesn鈥檛 please Shaf though who asks whether they would rather get 2% of a million sales or 100% of the four sales they have currently made. A recalcitrant Hayrat admits he would obviously go for the first option.

However, his grilling isn鈥檛 over yet as Shaf asks to see a copy of these offers. Shaf fails to be impressed by these, saying that they almost look fictitious and asks to see something official on headed notepaper. But Hayrat and his father are unable to provide further evidence for him.

Julie Meyer explains that she is only interested in products that will become big fast. She is concerned that they want to keep tight control of the product, which may hold them back from making money. For that reason, she鈥檚 out.

Shaf Rasul is next to deliver a blow to the pair, telling them that he has a very bad feeling about this business proposition as they are not interested in licensing. He says that he will give them a couple of contacts for major gym manufacturers but that he personally is out.

The deal done in the Den: No investment.

Last updated: 29 July 2009