A Dragons’ Den contestant shared what happens after the show (Image: BBC)
A contestant on revealed what happens after you receive that all important investment.
Last year, Jayne Sibley and her husband Martin Orton appeared on the programme to pitch their business, Sibstar, a debit card and mobile app designed to support those financially vulnerable.
The entrepreneur, who hails from Winchester, created Sibstar while caring for her mum, who suffers from dementia. Jayne explained how she watched her mother spend her life savings on things she didn’t need, prompting her decision to launch the app in 2023.
Sibstar allows families to safely manage everyday spending, without taking away someone’s control. The business was backed by Sara Davies and Deborah Meaden, who said the app could “transform lives”.
Jayne and her husband ended up securing £125,000 for their business.
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Jayne Sibley appeared on Dragons’ Den alongside her husband in 2024 (Image: BBC)
Speaking exclusively to Express Online, Jayne revealed what happened after they received the investment.
She said: “Immediately afterwards when we were in the den after taking the deal, all five of the dragons stood up and clapped. They all came over and gave us a big hug. They were incredibly supportive.
“That’s really motivating as a founder because you’ve just put yourself out there, and for me I was telling my personal story which was pretty nerve wracking, so to have that motivation from these influential people, even though they didn’t invest, that is really motivating to walk away with that.”
After leaving the den, Jayne explained that contestants have to go through another due diligence process with the dragons team which can take up to a few months.
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Jayne founded Sibstar while caring for her mum, who was diagnosed with dementia (Image: BBC)
Jayne revealed that they are still in regular contact with Deborah and Sara, who are always on hand to help with anything they need.
“It’s really up to us to build that relationship with Deborah and Sara,” Jayne explained “We loop them in and ask for help when we really need it.”
She continued: “We are absolutely in regular contact with them both. Deborah’s been great with all of the partnership stuff for us and Sara’s been great on creating lots of social media content for us and championing us from a consumer perspective.
“When we were in the den, she talked a lot about her family experience with dementia and she’s very personally motivated to support us. Sara gets all of her entrepreneurs together every year for a two day workshop where we share knowledge and we meet each other again.”
Jayne added: “They’re both super engaged. Like any relationship, it’s about building that trust and credibility.”
Jayne and Martin received investment from Deborah Meaden and Sara Davies (Image: Sibstar)
Despite admitting how hard it was sharing her personal story in the den, Jayne hopes that Sibstar can change the lives of anyone who is caring for someone vulnerable.
The star declared: “It was harder for me personally because the business was really founded on me and mum. Anyone who’s a caregiver for someone with dementia or looks after anyone who is vulnerable, it’s hard.
“So to go and share my story and for me, one of the most painful times of my life, was hard.”
She went on: “But the reason we set up the business was so that we could help more families like mine so we could have a positive impact and make a difference to the lives of those families who are either facing dementia or looking after someone with mental health issues.
“These are all adults who need some sort of support in some way and if we can make a difference to those lives then that is really what’s motivating to me.”