Business booms for Shropshire inventor who defied the Dragon's Den

A Shropshire inventor who turned down two offers worth £200,000 on hit TV show Dragon's Den today said business was booming after enduring a turbulent two years.

Andrew Reeves, of Bicton Heath, Shrewsbury, appeared on the BBC Two show in 2007 when he and his then business partner Dave Thomas received - and then rejected - offers from "Dragons" Peter Jones and Theo Paphitis for their games and puzzle product Isis Adventure.

They turned down the offers from the millionaire businessmen because they were demanding a 50 per cent stake in the business.

However, Mr Reeves said he knew the product, which even attracted the attention of TV star Jonathan Ross, was going to be a success.

Just weeks after appearing on Dragons Den he signed a one million dollar contract with an American firm, Sharper Image, to market the product.

This was followed up with a second 500,000 dollar order but disaster struck in 2008 when the American firm, which had a billion dollar turnover, went bust.

Mr Reeves said: "We stopped everything for that order but about four or five months in they said sorry guys we've gone under.

"It really crippled us and we had to fall back having to cut staff, premises and costs and we started again with Sonic Games and I think we have just about turned the corner."

He added: "Apart from the Isis Adventure we have also got other products that are more easily mass produced."

The entrepreneur said the series of games and puzzles is available on the company's website as well as stores such as Harrods and Selfridges & Co.

The Isis Adventure won a legion of fans after it featured on the Jonathan Ross show in 2006 where the comedian joked about how difficult the puzzle was to solve.

The Isis Ball is an interactive mind puzzle which involves trying to open an alloy metal ball which is constructed in layers and covered in Egyptian hieroglyphics.

People who buy the products such as the Isis and Isis II, known as the Ramisis, can also join a global treasure-hunt to find pyramids containing gold and silver coins which are buried in locations all across the world.

By Russell Roberts