Eat your heart out, Dragons
A BIRMINGHAM businessman turned down by Dragons’ Den says he has been offered £90 million for his company.
Marco Hajikipri was furious when the TV entrepreneurs snubbed his health food business on the BBC2 show. He told Peter Jones he would regret his decision.
The Dragons said he had overvalued his firm at £2 million, but Mr Hajikipri says he has just turned down an offer of £90 million for Professional Gains. Mr Hajikipri, from Great Barr, said: “It’s not worth that yet, but the potential investor has the vision to see what I could be making in a few years time. Unlike the Dragons,” that is.
Mr Hajikipri set up the firms two years ago in West Bromwich, with 20 people preparing 7,000 healthy meals a week delivered to doors. It has now expanded to three units and employs 33 people. Last year he asked the dragons for £125,000 for five per cent of the business.
Marco, 28, says: “The business is now valued at around £16 million, when the Dragons didn’t even think it was worth £2 million. I’ve certainly proved them wrong. I’m glad they turned me down now.”