BBC Dragons’ Den Star Backs SKIN Beauty App Entrepreneurs
London-based entrepreneurs, Flinty Bane and Ben Barter, creators of tech start-up, SKIN, have secured investment from BBC Dragons’ Den star, Sara Davies, to help their skin-care and beauty price comparison app reach a global market. The two friends, who brought their money-saving concept to life during the first lockdown, appeared on the show on 21st March to secure backing for their tech innovation, designed to give consumers access to the very best deals in skincare, make-up, fragrance, hair care and grooming products. The pitch resonated with Sara Davies, who jumped at the chance to back the business – which is connected with thousands of brands and the UK’s biggest beauty retailers – offering £50K for a 10% share of the company.
“Entering the Den was unbelievably exciting and nerve-wracking.
We do have plenty of experience pitching for investment – but presenting to a row of high-profile investors on TV is a totally different ball-game. I’ve watched Dragons’ Den since the early days and was delighted when Sara joined the show, bringing a refreshing professional slant. “I’m over the moon that we’re going to be working alongside Sara to grow our business. I believe SKIN is going to revolutionize the way we shop for beauty – with Sara’s backing, there’s no stopping us,” said Flinty Bane, SKIN founder. When Sara made us an offer we were absolutely elated. It was clear that she understood our business and mission. As a target user, she could instantly recognize the joy and benefits our app will bring to beauty consumers,” added Ben Barter, co-founder of SKIN.
Flinty and Ben first met when they worked together in London creating global B2B networking events, and quickly realized that they were a great professional partnership. When the lockdown was announced in 2020, it felt like the perfect opportunity to take the entrepreneurial leap. Flinty had been dreaming of developing the idea for SKIN for years, as something obvious she felt was missing for the consumer. As a lifelong lover of beauty products, fascinated with the choices of her friends and family, Guernsey-raised Flinty’s idea for an app that would let her know when her favorite products were on sale, had been brewing for a number of years. When she shared her idea with commercially-minded Ben, originally from Buckinghamshire, he immersed himself in learning about the beauty sector and seeing the size of the opportunity agreed she was onto something. The team poured all of their energy into designing the app and raising the funds to create an app that would be intuitive, beautiful and easy to use – giving consumers a pleasurable, money-saving experience and retail partners a clear reason to collaborate.
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