Students from Habs Boys and Habs Girls showcased their entrepreneurial talent at a memorable Habs Dragons’ Den Grand Final, marking 10 years since the initiative was launched by Khilan Dodhia, partner of investment firm Encore Capital who sponsor the competition. Khilan, together with his business partner Rajesh Shah, has led this initiative since its inception in 2016. The event was attended by a glittering array of special guests. TV and radio presenter Sonali Shah hosted the competition, while the distinguished panel of Dragons comprised Lord Alan Sugar’s adviser and businessman Tim Campbell MBE, tech entrepreneur and government advisor Alex Depledge MBE, and comedian Michael McIntyre.
In a thrilling finale, four student teams took turns presenting their business ideas. After a hotly contested round of pitches followed by some rigorous questions, it was Onkaar (10R1) of Team Ecobuild who came out on top, with Tim and Alex investing.
The other teams competing in the final were joint Team Arova, who presented an infection-detecting plaster, comprising Ayaan (11J2), Joseph (11R1), Oscar (11J2) and Jura (11 Aleph). They were joined by Habs Girls Team Somnia, whose modular scent‑strip sleeping mask impressed the Dragons – Amelie (11 Aesc), Viha (11 Aesc), Kaya (11 Aesc) and Ella (11 Aleph). Rounding out the finalists was Team Aiden, comprising Ishani (11 Ansuz), Arianna (11 Ansuz), Shailen (10S2) and Krishan (10J2), who pitched their AI-based personal tutoring platform. All three Dragons commented on the remarkable financial literacy, presentation ability and innovative thinking on display from all four teams.
Before the Grand Final, a hugely impressive field of 50 teams was carefully narrowed down, and 15 teams were selected to pitch to external judges during initial heats in February. After taking part in pitching preparation workshops led by experienced entrepreneurs earlier in the term, the teams delivered highly polished three-minute presentations. They received valuable feedback on all aspects of their business ideas, enabling them to refine and strengthen their proposals ahead of the later rounds. Seven teams then progressed to the semi-finals, responding confidently and thoughtfully to challenging questions on their business plans. After such a rigorous process over a 12-week period, reaching the final was an achievement in itself and it is clear why the finalists were able to handle the scrutiny of the visiting Dragons so effectively.
The schools expressed their appreciation to Khilan Dodhia, Rajesh Shah, Gemma Lyons, Andrew Bloch, Emma Harvey, Laura Rudoe, Rishi Hindocha, Kerry Nash and Dr Richard Silverman for their time, support and invaluable feedback during the contest.
The event concluded with thanks to all the Dragons, judges, staff and students whose enthusiasm and hard work made the competition such an inspiring showcase of creativity, teamwork and innovation. The contest highlighted the remarkable entrepreneurial talent within both schools and left the audience eager to see what future ventures these students might pursue.
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