PEEQUAL co-founders Hazel McShane, from Norfolk, and Amber Probyn, from Ross-on-Wye, will pitch their startup to the panel in the hope of securing investment for their “pee-equality” business.
Their urinals, already used at major events like Glastonbury and the TCS London Marathon, are designed to be three times faster than traditional portable toilets and cut down on queue times for women.
Ms McShane said: “I think everyone was a bit surprised when we backed our truck into the studio and started hauling out the urinal.
Hazel McShane (left) from Norfolk will enter Dragon’s Den this week (Image: PEEQUAL/PA Wire)
“We quickly announced it was freshly cleaned.
“When you’ve watched pitches torn apart on TV, it’s a little nerve-wracking heading to the lift.
“We’re really proud of how we did, though.”
She said: “They asked some really insightful and informed questions and were generally really impressive.”
Ms McShane said the hardest part was keeping their appearance on the show a secret.
She said: “People keep saying ‘you should go on Dragons’ Den’ and we couldn’t say a thing.”
All five Dragons tried out the squat-style toilets, fully clothed.
Ms Probyn said: “They all popped a squat to see how the toilets work, which was amazing.
“I used to watch the programme all the time, but I definitely never thought I’d be on it. It was such an amazing experience.
“Women queue for an hour longer than men each day at festivals. Our urinals are all about pee-equality, and it was great to bring that to primetime TV.”
The Bristol-based start-up developed the urinals after two years of research with women, festival managers, cleaning staff and haulage companies.
The episode airs on Thursday, September 24, at 8pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.