What makes a bad hair day worse is a hairbrush that can’t fix it. When this happens, Tangle Teezer may have the solution for you. The hair care company is mostly known for its original hairbrush, which can quickly detangle dry and wet hair. Founder Shaun Pulfrey got rejected on Dragons’ Den, but the company became a massive hit after the show. Today, Tangle Teezer is worth £165 million after getting acquired by BIC in late 2024.
Shaun Pulfrey’s Background
Shaun Pulfrey was born in Grimsby, England. Not much is known about his educational background, but he spent his early career as a hair colorist. He worked at salons like Nicky Clarke’s, Richard Ward Hair & Metrospa, Toni & Guy, and Pierre Alexandre.
This long track record inspired Shaun to write about the haircare knowledge he gained over the years. His book, I Wanna Be Blonde, was published in 2002 and it featured expert hair coloring tips. Not long after that, he went down another path, entrepreneurship.
Founding Tangle Teezer
Pulfrey noticed that there was a lack of products to detangle hair. So, the hair colorist decided to make the first one and started researching and building a unique hairbrush design in 2003.
He developed a three-tier, 400-tooth hairbrush that can fix knotted hair regardless of whether it’s dry or wet. In 2005, Shaun remortgaged his flat to fund the business. Tangle Teezer launched in 2007. The founder had patent issues in getting his product onto the market, but he gave away over 300 samples to get customer feedback.
Dragons’ Den Appearance
Shortly after starting the company, Shaun Pulfrey felt that he needed more capital to scale the business. Thus, he went to Dragons’ Den series five, asking for £80,000 for 15% of the company.
The entrepreneur had a rough presentation and even Deborah Meaden got offended after Shaun assumed that her hair color was not natural. Then, Tangle Teezer’s issues started to unfold, and the Dragons did not like it.
Shaun did his best to defend his company, but things just seemed to get worse for him as the pitch went on. He was mocked and criticized but also got some tips. However, he went home empty handed. In hindsight, not getting a deal is why Pulfrey is worth an estimated £12.4 million.
After Dragons’ Den
Pulfrey got the last laugh after Dragons’ Den. When the episode aired, his website crashed as 1,500 orders were placed. In 2008, Boots took a bet on the product and the business quickly became profitable, with sales reaching £500,000 by 2009. By 2011 the company was doing £2.2 million in sales, and Pulfrey slowly worked his way into wholesalers and built up an enviable celebrity clientele including Victoria Beckham and Cara Delevingne.
Recognition came thick and fast. Tangle Teezer received the Queen’s Award for Innovation in 2012, the Queen’s Award for International Trade in 2014, and made the Sunday Times Fast Track 100 list in both 2013 and 2016. By March 2016 the brand had crossed £28.6 million in sales and expanded into 70 international markets.
In July 2021, Pulfrey sold the majority of his equity to Mayfair Equity Partners in a management buyout that valued Tangle Teezer at approximately £70 million. Under Mayfair’s ownership, the company doubled in size in just four years, with more than 80% of sales now generated outside the UK.
Then, on 11 December 2024, BIC (the French consumer goods giant) acquired 100% of Tangle Teezer for approximately €200 million (around £165m). At the time of acquisition, Tangle Teezer was generating more than €70 million in net sales annually, and operating in 70 international markets in a hairbrush and comb category that BIC values at €4.5 billion globally. CEO James Vowles continues to lead the business as part of BIC, with Mayfair Equity Partners fully exited.
The two-stage exit, selling majority in 2021 at a £70m valuation, then BIC paying nearly three times that just over three years later turned Tangle Teezer into one of the most lucrative success stories ever to emerge from a Dragons’ Den rejection.
