Meet the winners of Falmouth’s annual Dragons’ Den event

InkForge Studios: I’ll be Brave, Tomorrow

InkForge is a game development and publishing studio, aiming to bring players transformative narrative experiences. Their latest game, ‘I’ll be Brave, Tomorrow’ is a first-person narrative adventure game, telling the story of a sick child in hospital. It will be available on Steam, with a percentage of the profits going to Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity. 

What’s the big idea? 

TOM: InkForge Studios started out as a side business to allow me to publish my own side projects onto the biggest gaming storefront - Steam. After releasing my first title, SEMU, I noticed how many fantastic student projects were being forgotten about, as the process of publishing games is not incredibly intuitive. After convincing Archie Crampton to join as Technical Director, we got to work publishing student games, as well as setting up a small team to develop a new title in partnership with Great Ormond Street Hospital. Now we are a dedicated team of 5, with huge ambitions of making the next big narrative game!   

How are you going to use the investment from the Dragons? 

ARCHIE: Within the next year we plan to have release our biggest game to date, ‘I’ll be Brave, Tomorrow’, whilst also being deep into developing our next title and hopefully publishing 2-3 student-made games. The investment from dragons is specifically to fund our promotion of I’ll be Brave, Tomorrow. With the entire amount being used to take the team to the biggest UK’s Gaming Conference: Develop Brighton. This will be used to help network as a business, as well as creating a platform which we’re collaborating with Great Ormond Street to promote the idea of Gaming for Good. 

How did you prepare for the Dragons' Den event and did anything surprise you during the pitching process? 

ARCHIE: Our preparation for Dragon’s Den was a quick turnaround, as the day before we attended our first event as a business (Imagination Unleashed, in Truro). However, before the event we spent around two hours running through the slides and trying to calm ourselves (Mainly our founder, Tom Hunt) to ensure we came across confident and professional. 

Reflecting on your experience in the Dragons' Den event, what advice would you offer to aspiring entrepreneurs preparing to pitch their own ideas? 

Before the event, try to make yourself as calm as possible. A stressful pitch, regardless of how great it is, will come across messy if you’re not able to relax!  

Ben Perkins: Ben Makes

A blacksmith and jeweller, Ben uses traditional and ancient techniques to create unique pieces made from steel, silver and more. Ben has been featured on the BBC, as well as nominated for the Cornwall Chamber of Commerce 30 under 30 2024. 

What's the big idea?

My business idea I presented to the dragons was making personalised jewellery, which I’ve been developing over the last few years. For example, making rings and necklaces with sand from peoples favourite Cornish beach or the fur or ashes of their pets. I aim to capture personal stories in each piece I make, with my mission to create genuinely unique customised jewellery.  

How do you envision your business evolving in the next year? 

With the investment from the Dragons, I plan to invest in tools for increased efficiency, new materials for product innovation, email marketing for customer retention, increased participation with in-person fairs, website maintenance, improved sustainable packaging, and exploring paid advertisements. I’ll also focus on developing new designs to appeal to a wider audience, particularly tapping into the growing interest from men in the jewellery market. 

How did you prepare for the Dragon’s Den event and did anything surprise you during the pitching process? 

I prepared by utilising the tools and sessions that the employability team had to offer. I spent lots of time planning and finalising my pitch with lots of practice run-throughs to ensure I was confident when presenting to the dragons. I was pleasantly surprised with the approachable friendly nature of the dragons and their engaging questions which opened up some great thought-provoking conversations.  

What advice would you offer to aspiring entrepreneurs preparing to pitch their own ideas? 

I’d recommend practicing presenting your pitch to friends or family so you’re able to understand how it feels to present to an audience and gain important feedback of how you might be able to improve. On top of this, I’d say it’s really important to make the most of the sessions provided by the employability team since they’re a great way to help you get on track with your journey to presenting to the Dragons. 

Freya Pretty: Inclusive Solutions

Inclusive Solutions is a consultancy business to assist smaller business and event organisers with accessibility. 

Tell us a bit about yourself 

I am a third year Creative Events Management student, who also happens to have been Hard of Hearing since the age of 8 (cause unknown). I am a hiker, a reader, a keen player of Ultimate Frisbee, with a strong passion and love for British Sign Language and the world of accessibility. 

Tell us a bit about your business idea 

Inclusive Solutions is a soon to be accessibility consultancy company for event organisers around the UK. It stemmed from my belief that events have such power to bring people together and make them smile, and what a shame that couldn’t be spread to others with disabilities. I have a lot of knowledge and background in the field of accessibility; it is one of my strongest passions to see a world where everybody can enjoy themselves. My company will offer a personable approach to helping events improve themselves accessibly. 

How do you envision your business evolving in the next year and what is your plan for utilising the investment from the dragons? 

Within the next year, the £1,500 investment from the dragons will be going towards 5 different qualifications derived from the ‘International Association of Accessibility Professionals’. Whilst obtaining these, I am conducting a series of pilots with event organisers and their events. This will help me continue to build on my already existing knowledge and experience and begin reaching out into a network so my business can take off strong. 

How did you prepare for the Dragon’s Den event and did anything surprise you during the pitching process? 

What was a lovely surprise was the camaraderie felt between all of us finalists. I fully expected the atmosphere to be quite a competitive and tense one, but sitting amongst the other entrepreneurs, hearing their stories, and viewing their products, I genuinely wanted everyone to win. There wasn’t an idea in the room I wouldn’t back. We walked in as competitors, but we walked out as friends.

Reflecting on the event, one of our Dragons, Ananya, said: “From sustainability to creativity - everything was on offer. Such a great collection of student pitches made us realise how hard the shortlisting job must have been for the employability team. I am looking forward to more such inspiring events.”  

All students received support and coaching sessions leading up to the event. Marcus Simmons and Claire Rose from Launchpad Futures provided invaluable guidance, helping participants refine their pitches and strategies for success. 

The Employability team continues to offer ongoing support sessions for all applicants, ensuring that every student, regardless of the outcome, receives tailored guidance and one-on-one advice to further develop their business ideas. We can’t wait to see what these students achieve next.

Learn more about the Employability Service at Falmouth University