The pitch
What walked into the Den
Hornet Energy, out of Laval, Quebec, makes caffeinated gels designed to keep runners and cyclists fueled deep into an effort.
Jérémie Farley and Mahdi Darehshiri brought the brand to season 20, seeking $150,000 for a 10 percent share and putting a $1.5 million price on the whole business.
After the show
What happened next
The company markets itself as Dragon's Den approved, but we found no independent report naming an investing Dragon or stating terms, so that marketing line is not something we can upgrade into a confirmed outcome.
Sales are clearly running. Hornet's Shopify store was live in July 2026 with a working cart and multiple payment options, and its Instagram was still posting, so the gel business is active whatever happened on set.
Our read
The Hub verdict
The 10 percent ask puts $1.5 million on an endurance-gel brand competing in a crowded fuel category. Hornet leans on a Dragon's Den approved label in its own marketing, which is exactly the kind of claim we refuse to launder into a confirmed deal without an independent source naming a Dragon and terms. The live Shopify store and active social feed tell us the product is selling in 2026; the outcome on the night stays unconfirmed until real evidence turns up.
Self-styled Den approved, but outcome unconfirmed
Worth knowing: A brand calling itself Den approved is not the same as a sourced deal, so we log the outcome as unconfirmed and rely on the live store only for current status.
