Fine jewellery brand Kimai, which offers lab-grown diamonds, has secured a 250,000-pound investment from entrepreneur Steven Bartlett in the new series of Dragons’ Den on BBC1.
Bartlett, who joined the TV show in 2022, fought off his fellow dragons Deborah Meaden, Peter Jones and Sara Davies to invest 250,000 pounds in exchange for a 3 percent equity stake in the jewellery brand.
Kimai co-founders Jessica Warch and Sidney Neuhaus opted for Bartlett’s investment to tap into his digital marketing expertise, which they want to utilise for their global e-commerce that is growing at a rapid rate of 120 percent year-on-year, as the online market for sustainable fine jewellery is on the rise.
Commenting on the investment and exposure on the TV show, Warch and Neuhaus, said in a statement: “We know that lab-grown diamonds are the future. Sharing our story on such a huge platform like Dragons Den was a unique opportunity to help spread the word about this relatively new technology, which allows beautiful diamonds and jewellery to be made, without costing the earth.”
Kimai, which opened its first retail store in London in December 2022, offers 100 percent traceable lab-grown diamonds and recycled 18k gold jewellery, including earrings, necklaces, bracelets and rings, and will work with Bartlett and his team to amplify their digital presence, as well as elevate the customer experience at its flagship store.
Bartlett added: “They are two of the most impressive entrepreneurs I have ever seen in the Den. Rock solid on their numbers, vision and convictions. Kind, humble, smart, tenacious and passionate. Annoyingly, really incredible negotiators – which is annoying as an investor but perfect as business partners, so I’m happy to be in business with them. They are the absolute full house.
“I’m going to support them in any and every way I can – I’ll bring a wealth of knowledge to the business as it relates to marketing, innovation, community growth, scaling and I’m planning to use my vast network of contacts to open doors that will help to accelerate their incredible business even more.”
