Tangle Teezer is a British company that manufactures hair care products, most notably hairbrushes. It was founded by Shaun Pulfrey, a hairdresser, and its first product was launched in 2007. The first and signature product, a detangling hairbrush dubbed "The Original" eventually achieved cult popularity and received the Queen's Award for Innovation in 2012,[1] and International Trade in 2014,[2] as well as reaching the Sunday Times Fast Track 100 in 2013 and 2016.[3][4]

History

Tangle Teezer was founded by its inventor Shaun Pulfrey, who started his career as a hair colorist in 1978. He has worked at Pierre Alexandre, Toni&Guy, Nicky Clarke, and Richard Ward salons throughout his career.

In 2003, Pulfrey began to research and develop his idea for a detangling hairbrush to create the world’s first professional detangling tool.[5][6]

In 2005 Pulfrey remortgaged his flat in Brixton, London for six months' worth of capital (£25,000) to finance the product launch.[6][7]

In May 2005 Pulfrey published I Wanna Be Blonde, a book sharing his insider hair coloring tips.[8]

Pulfrey appeared on Dragons’ Den in 2007. He pitched "The Original" detangling hairbrush to Peter Jones, Duncan Bannatyne, James Caan and Deborah Meaden. Pulfrey offered 15% of Tangle Teezer for £80,000 but was rejected. Jones labeled the brushes ‘hair-brained’, Caan said they were a ‘waste of time,’ and Bannatyne said he wanted to ‘pull [his] hair out.’ However, when the episode was aired, the Tangle Teezer website crashed due to public demand,[6][9] with 1,500 orders placed.

In 2008, Boots began stocking the brushes, and by 2009 sales had reached £500,000.[10]

In 2011, sales hit £2.2 million, further growing to £28.6 million in March 2016, having expanded into 70 international markets.[10]

In July 2021, Pulfrey sold a majority stake in Tangle Teezer to Mayfair Equity Partners for approximately £70 million.[11]

References

  1. ↑ "Full list of 2012 Queen's Award winners | Financial Times". Financial Times. 22 April 2012. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
  2. ↑ "List of 2014 Queen's Awards for Enterprise winners | Financial Times". Financial Times. 21 April 2014. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
  3. ↑ "Tangle Teezer: A Brush with Success". Data Plastics Injection Moulding. 30 September 2013. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
  4. ↑ Team, The Startups (11 April 2016). "Sunday Times reveals names of British businesses with fastest-growing profits". Startups.co.uk. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
  5. ↑ Coleman, Alison (15 April 2016). "Celebrity endorsements saved Tangle Teezer a fortune, says CEO". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
  6. 1 2 3 Munbodh, Emma; Speirs, Kathleen (24 June 2021). "Tangle Teezer owner made £30m after Dragon's Den knocked back idea". Daily Record. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
  7. ↑ "Hairdresser's brush with success". Financial Times. 29 November 2013. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
  8. ↑ Pulfrey, Shaun (2005). I Wannabe Blonde. Artnik. ISBN 978-1-903906-58-3.
  9. ↑ Dann, Kitty (23 August 2014). "Small business in the spotlight: Tangle Teezer". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 13 April 2016.
  10. 1 2 Coleman, Alison (15 April 2016). "Celebrity endorsements saved Tangle Teezer a fortune, says CEO". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
  11. ↑ "Mayfair Equity Partners backs management buy-out of Tangle Teezer". Private Equity Wire. 2 August 2021.
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