Dragon’s Den viewers go WILD over single mother pitching portable toilet for kids
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A single mom unveiling a portable toilet wowed Dragon’s Den viewers last night as they rushed to buy the product online.
Zoë Chapman, the founder of Kiddiwhizz, appeared on BBC1 yesterday to introduce her Whizzer bath product to a group of entrepreneurs.
He thought of the porta potty while caring for his father at the end of his life and potty training his young son, quickly working 16 to 18 hour days to make sure it was a success.
Dragons Sara Davies and Steven Bartlett were impressed by their product and strong work ethic. They gave him £25,000 each for a combined 25 percent stake in their business.
Many viewers were also delighted with Zoë, with one tweet: “Whizzer’s invention on its own is pretty awesome, but Zoë has impressed me so much more.”
Kiddiwhizz founder Zoë Chapman wowed Dragon’s Den viewers last night after launching a portable toilet.
Zoë’s product, the Whizzer, is a portable handheld toilet, which the entrepreneur launched in 2020.
Another wrote: ‘Our three year old, newly potty trained, needs the Whizzer! What a product. Change of game.
A third added: ‘I had tears for Zoe. I’m very happy for her. Another wrote: ‘Just saw the Whizzer launch. It is brilliant!’
One person said: ‘Watching Dragons Den catch up, was it Zoe with the porta potty? Well that made me cry. Very happy when any family caregiver earns a living after caring.’
On the show, Zoë said she was prepared to do whatever it took to make her business a success.
She explained: ‘I work day and night, 16-18 hours a day, so I live and breathe the business.
‘I am a single mother, proud of it. It’s just me and my son, now he is 10 years old. When he was born, I was also taking care of my dad, who sadly passed away.
Many who watched the show were impressed with the product, with some calling it “brilliant.”
‘So I launch the product in his honor. I know you would be proud of me. Everything is going into this, and I’m doing it for my kids, so I hope he’s proud too.’
Walking into the studio, she introduced herself and explained that she was the solo founder of Kiddiwhizz and their Whizzer product.
He explained that he was asking the dragoons for £50,000 in exchange for 10 per cent of their business.
The mother-of-one explained: ‘Seven years ago, I was struggling to potty train my son. I was also providing end-of-life care for my father.
‘I needed to find a product that was compact like a toilet that I could carry for both.
‘I searched but couldn’t find anything so I decided to make my own.
The mother-of-one thought of the porta-potty as she cared for her end-of-life father and potty-trained her young son, quickly working 16-18 hour days to make sure it was a success.
She said it was unlike anything else on the market, offering a useful product for parents who are potty training children.
The dragons were impressed with the product, which they were invited to assemble and inspect on the show.
‘The whizzer is the world’s first unisex eco-friendly portable toilet, with an adult version coming soon.’
The mother-of-one invited the dragons to ask questions, demonstrating how to assemble the cup-shaped product, saying, “It is held at the front of the body.” Once the kid has grass, you can remove the funnel and empty it.
He said he launched the business in February 2020, before discussing how he managed to finance the launch by selling his car and other possessions.
He explained that he ‘hadn’t stopped’, adding: ‘Every element has been designed by me. I have not outsourced anything. Every day is a day to learn.’
Although both Peter Jones and Touker Suleyman expressed interest in the product, neither decided to invest.
Meanwhile, Zoë struggled to remember her numbers when Stephen asked her a question.
She said: ‘This is all to surround myself with mentors. If anyone would give me any advice or accompany me on this journey, I would be absolutely grateful.
I have been through a journey. I have bipolarity and have neurodiverse challenges.
“I just hope people can see that that’s been my super power, I don’t think there are many people who can work a 4 to 6-hour day.”
In the end, it was Sara and Stephen who came together to offer the mother-of-one the investment in the product and decided to work together to bring their different skill sets to their business.
Zoe was ecstatic, leaving the den with £50,000 and the backing of the dragon duo.
She said: ‘I don’t know what to say. I don’t think she’s going to sink for long.
“All I want to do now is Facetime my son and tell him the good news.”