I found your article about the Dragons Den (
Leader, 7 August) very interesting. I was lucky enough to make a nine-minute appearance on the second series of the programme last year in front of 3.5 million viewers - one of the longer slots. As you quite rightly said, many other people on the show had different types of business ideas, not necessarily technological innovation, so I was happy that the BBC showed an interest in my technological innovation.
My invention was a simple ceiling rose that allows anybody to change a light bulb and eliminates the risk of accident or injury. This would be particularly beneficial to the elderly or disabled, but good design or sustainable technology benefits everybody.
I have the full
patent on my invention and was asking the Dragons for £75,000 to take my demonstration prototype into the next phase of development and turn it into a full pre-production working prototype.
I knew it was a high-risk investment for the Dragons and the chances were that they would not invest. They feel outside their comfort zone when they cannot quantify what is presented to them in monetary terms. James Dyson had this problem when he took his bagless vacuum cleaner prototype into the outside world to try and get people interested in that.
The Dragons did not invest and I believe I gave a good account of myself on the programme. For me the important thing was the exposure, and since the programme I have had good interest from companies who want to talk to me about taking the invention further.
Joe Solera
Swindon, Wilts
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