Nailsea-based entrepreneur enters the Dragons’ Den!

Nailsea-based entrepreneur enters the Dragons’ Den!

Chris Frappell, a young inventor from Nailsea and founder of Tru-Tension, a manufacturer of motorcycle products, will star on BBC’s Dragons’ Den this weekend.

Chris, 26, said “It was such an amazing and exciting experience pitching to the Dragons. The show will give my brand and products more exposure than a small business that started in a garage in Nailsea could possibly imagine. I simply cannot wait for the show to air!”.

Last Summer, Chris was selling his products at Nailsea’s International Motorcycle Show at the Royal Oak.

The inventor has designed and produced a wide range of products for all kinds of motorcyclists, from tools and cleaning products for commuters and adventure bike riders, to lubricants and accessories for high performance racing.

Chris’ remarkable story is not just about business challenges. The entrepreneur, who attended Nailsea School, was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis at the age of 6, regularly overcoming ill-health to develop innovative new products like Chain Monkey, his unique motorcycle chain tensioning tool that first caught the BBC production team’s eye. The product also helped Chris win £2,000 from the Cystic Fibrosis Trust following his success at the Bright Ideas Awards in 2016. He said “I don’t let it stop me, I’ve always wanted to grow a business. It motivates me more than anything, and I love the buzz I get from it every day. I hope my story inspires others with difficulties like mine”.

On the outcome of his time in the Den, Chris commented “As much as my friends, clients and customers keep begging me to tell them the results, I’m not allowed to say anything, so they’ll have to wait and see if we can pop the champagne or not!”.

Tru-Tension will be featured on Dragons’ Den on Sunday 11^th February at 9pm on BBC 2.