Home Life Style Dragons’ Den rejected my non-alcoholic beer because they didn’t like the taste, but my business is now worth £12 million.

Dragons’ Den rejected my non-alcoholic beer because they didn’t like the taste, but my business is now worth £12 million.

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Mark Wong appeared on the hit BBC show Dragons Den in 2022 launching his relaxing Impossibrew non-alcoholic beer.

A businessman who was rejected by five investors after appearing on Dragons’ Den has revealed his business is now worth £12million.

Mark Wong was just 24 years old when he appeared on the BBC show in 2022.

He offered his relaxing Impossibrew non-alcoholic beer to Deborah Meaden, Peter Jones, Sara Davies, Steven Bartlett and Touker Suleyman.

Originally from Hong Kong, Mark moved to the UK when he was just 13 with his younger brother, to study while his parents remained on the other side of the world.

After a difficult period where he felt out of place as the only Asian kid at his school, he turned to brewing beer as a way to fit in.

“If you knew how to make a cocktail, how to make a beer, you’d be invited to parties,” he told the Dragons.

Despite making his passion for beer evident, Mark was unable to secure investment from the Dragons, who believed the non-alcoholic beer market was too saturated.

Two years after failing to secure investment from Dragons, Mark set out to crowdfund £500,000 to reinvest in the company based on a £12m valuation.

Mark Wong appeared on the hit BBC show Dragons Den in 2022 launching his relaxing Impossibrew non-alcoholic beer.

But instead he managed to raise £1,284,151 from 836 investors. The company’s sales have also soared: the non-alcoholic beer generated £340,000 in January alone.

‘Dragons’ Den was a pivotal moment for us,’ he told Femail.

‘Although we didn’t get the investment, the experience gave us something much more valuable: validation that we were creating something that people really wanted.

‘The response after our appearance was incredible, showing us that there was a genuine appetite for a third option beyond drinking and not drinking.

‘Three years later, what started in that den has become something extraordinary.

‘January has always been our strongest month, but we are seeing sustained growth throughout the year as more people embrace conscious drinking and look for improved alternatives to alcohol.

‘They’re not just looking for non-alcoholic beer: they want the full experience that an enhanced beer can provide.

“I’m excited to tune into Dragons’ Den this season and see the next wave of British innovation.

Despite his skillful pitch to Deborah Meaden, Peter Jones, Sara Davies, Steven Bartlett and Touker Suleyman, they were not convinced and refused to invest in the microbrewery business.

Despite his skillful pitch to Deborah Meaden, Peter Jones, Sara Davies, Steven Bartlett and Touker Suleyman, they were not convinced and refused to invest in the microbrewery business.

‘While our journey took a different path than expected that day, Den was certainly a launching pad for what Impossibrew has become.

‘Sometimes the best opportunities come from hearing ‘no’ and turning it into motivation to show what is possible.

Mark has come a long way after selling 4,000 bottles in three months and can now boast sales of over 1 million a year.

And he even revealed that if just one of the Dragons had invested in him, his £45,000 would now be worth more than £1m.

Despite some slick speech, all of the Dragons rejected Mark’s proposal, although they admitted that they were general fans of the product.

The Dragons explained that they were concerned that the Impossibrew founder would not be able to make his mark in a saturated market, citing BrewDog’s non-alcoholic options as a blender.

Sara and Deborah expressed concerns about the high cost of beer and how Mark would attract new consumers online.

Mark's Impossibrew was inspired by an ancient Japanese recipe from 1211 AD and combined non-alcoholic beer with traditional Asian relaxing medicinal herbs.

Mark’s Impossibrew was inspired by an ancient Japanese recipe from 1211 AD and combined non-alcoholic beer with traditional Asian relaxing medicinal herbs.

The Dragons explained that they were concerned that Impossibrew's founder would not be able to make his mark in a saturated market and cited BrewDog's non-alcoholic options as the product to beat.

The Dragons explained that they were concerned that Impossibrew’s founder would not be able to make his mark in a saturated market and cited BrewDog’s non-alcoholic options as the product to beat.

Mark showed off his passion for beer, telling potential investors that he had always enjoyed beer, but was forced to give it up for health reasons when he was just 18 years old.

And that’s when he had a stroke of inspiration, he took an old Japanese recipe from 1211 AD and started working on a non-alcoholic beer and included traditional relaxing medicinal herbs.

He told the Dragons that he had been on a mission to combine the relaxing elements of an herbal tea with the flavor of a beer.

He said: ‘I love beer but due to my health I had to give it up two years ago. Since then, I’ve been on an impossible mission to find a healthier alternative to alcohol for when you don’t want to drink but still want to relax with a pint.

“I found the solution when I returned to Asia, where I discovered a whole new world of functional plants that my ancestors brewed teas for their relaxing medicinal benefits.”

Mark impressed potential investors with his success so far and revealed that he had sold 4,000 bottles in three months.

She then offered the Dragons a taste test and they all said they loved the beer and Sara even admitted that she didn’t normally drink beer, but she would be happy to finish her glass.

‘I don’t really like beer, but I could probably sit down and drink the whole glass and you know what? For 49 calories, I could afford to drink the whole glass,” he said.

Touker praised Mark as

Touker praised Mark as “the most credible 24-year-old to ever walk through the Den door”, but added that Mark simply didn’t have enough sales to back up his pitch.

Two years after first appearing on the BBC reality show, Mark managed to raise £1,284,151 from 836 investors and his business has flourished.

Two years after first appearing on the BBC reality show, Mark managed to raise £1,284,151 from 836 investors and his business has flourished.

But after some investigation by the Dragons, concerns were raised about the expensive nature of the beer and whether customers would be happy to pay such high prices.

Steven said it wasn’t the best non-alcoholic beer he’d ever tasted and wondered how Mark would make his product stand out, while Deborah wasn’t convinced by the pint’s relaxing properties.

Sara said: “I think the product is fantastic, I think you’re clearly a great brewer.” But I don’t know if that price will work outside of a £10,000 trial.’

Touker praised Mark as “the most credible 24-year-old to ever walk through the Den door”, but added that Mark simply didn’t have enough sales to back up his pitch.

However, he offered a hand if Mark approached him with any other business, telling him that he would support him immediately, but that the brewing industry was not an area he was familiar with.

But it still wasn’t enough to convince him to part with £45,000 and he said the business simply wasn’t worth enough to be a safe bet as it only turned over £10,000 at the time.

Peter acknowledged that Mark had done everything right in his proposal, but ultimately rejected it, agreeing with his fellow business owners.

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