'I fled Ukraine as a refugee - now I've won investment on Dragons' Den'

Yana Smaglo, a courageous Ukrainian refugee, recently made headlines after securing investment on the popular television show Dragons' Den. Fleeing her war-torn homeland with only a small bag of belongings, Yana has established a distribution company named Nenya, which focuses on bringing high-quality Ukrainian products, particularly luxury clothing, to the UK market. During her appearance on the BBC show, which aired on Thursday, Yana successfully pitched her business and received an impressive £80,000 investment from two of the show's dragons, Deborah Meaden and Steven Bartlett. Yana expressed her deep desire to contribute positively to her home country, stating, 'I really wanted to do something for the country of my birth. ' To support her pitch, she brought along some of her employees, who modeled the beautiful clothes that Nenya offers. The three women showcased stylish knitwear and silver necklaces, highlighting the quality and craftsmanship of the products. In her pitch, Yana explained that Nenya serves as a distribution company that represents high-quality Ukrainian products in the international market. She emphasized her mission to assist Ukrainian companies in increasing their sales, supporting the economy through taxes, and creating new job opportunities for Ukrainian refugees in the UK. When asked about her motivation, Yana shared a heartfelt response, saying, 'When you lose everything that you worked for, your home and everything, and you need to build your life again, this is driving you a lot. ' The judges were moved by her story, with Peter Jones describing her pitch as 'heart-wrenching' and Deborah Meaden praising the luxury and beauty of her products. Yana admitted that the most challenging part of her experience was facing the cameras, rather than the investors themselves. Since launching Nenya, Yana has achieved remarkable success, now boasting 98 wholesale partners across three continents and generating an annual turnover of £100,000. Some of the brands she distributes had to relocate their manufacturing from Kharkiv to safer areas in western Ukraine due to the ongoing conflict. Before her journey to the UK, Yana owned her own womenswear brand, and she explained that the name Nenya translates to 'motherland' in Ukrainian. Reflecting on her experience pitching for investment, Yana noted that it was her first time doing so and that it was quite challenging, especially since she had to present in English. The opportunity to appear on Dragons' Den came when the BBC reached out to her, expressing their interest in her business. Yana recalled, 'They told me, 'we found your business and we think it's really good, would you consider taking part? ' I have to be honest, I had never seen it. ' After receiving the invitation, she consulted with her friends, who all encouraged her to accept the offer. Yana felt confident in her abilities, as she had previously run her own business and had a solid strategy in place. However, she admitted that the cameras made her nervous, not the investors. Ultimately, Yana accepted a joint offer from Meaden and Bartlett, with each investing £40,000 for a 5% share in her growing business. Yana's inspiring journey from being a refugee to a successful entrepreneur serves as a testament to her resilience and determination.