Who doesn’t love babies? They reflect our past and more importantly, the innocence that can exist in humans. But are you afraid of demons?
If yes then you know how smoothly kids transform into evil spirits when travelling. Be it at the airport, railway station, or in the car, they always need something or the other from your well-packed suitcase, messing up everything.
Not to mention that you don’t want your loved juniors to exert themselves and end up carrying them most of the time. You are put to ease by Trunki!!
Trunki is an all-in-one solution for children’s travelling needs. Kids can keep their toys; food etc. in their cute little Trunki and also ride their way through the airport on it. It keeps the kids from taking those demonic turns throughout the journey!
The kids seem to be overjoyed by their new little Trunki but can Trunki exit the Den with Dragon’s money in it?
Trunki at a Glance:
| Idea | Ride-on suitcase for toddlers and preschoolers |
| Founders | Rob Law |
| Asked For | £100,000 For 10% |
| Accepted Deal | Did not get a deal |
| Dragons | None |
| Business status | In Business |
| Episode No. | Season 3, Episode 8 |
Index:
What is Trunki?
Trunki is a miniature trolley bag composed of the same sturdy material used for a usual trolley bag but designed delicately to cater to the needs of preschoolers. A kid could sit on it and be dragged by an adult in airports or railway stations.
It has its zips and corners designed to never hurt kids by any chance. Trunki’s extremely easy-to-use mechanism makes it ideal for preschoolers and even toddlers. Its exterior design can also be quite attractive for the kids of the targeted age group.
Who Is The Founder Of Trunki?
Rob Law is Trunki’s founder and CEO, which he stylizes as the brand behind the much-loved ride-on suitcase for tots. He has also authored his business journey titled “65 Roses and a Trunki” in which he narrates his battle with Cystic Fibrosis, a disease popularly known as ’65 Roses’.
He also shares in this book how he coped with the loss of his teenage twin sister and what inspired him to defy the limits and build a global brand.
Rob had a debacle at the Dragon’s Den but he did not let it affect himself or his business and went on to build a multimillion-pound brand that would be adored by millions of kids worldwide!
Rob is still involved with Trunki as of this day after its acquisition by Heroes.
Did Trunki Get A Deal On Dragon’s Den?
Rob demonstrated his product superbly at the Den and Richard Farleigh even rode one of the little Trunkis. The Dragons had issues with the valuation that Rob had presented them with but they still seemed to be open to investing until one of the Trunkis failed the Theo test!
Yes, you gathered it right!! Theo pulled off the hook on the Trunki with minimal effort and it was damaged beyond repair. This incident threw three Dragons right out of the deal.
Richard Farleigh still seemed interested and asked a few questions to Rob. While answering one of these Rob revealed that he expected the business to pay him back the money he spent building it. This raised serious questions on the business acumen of Rob and he ended up exiting the Den without any offer.
What Happened to Trunki After Dragon’s Den?
Rob did not let the pitfalls of the Den affect him or Trunki. He went on to solve the quality issues in his product and came up with a vertically integrated manufacturing setup in the UK. The revenue of Trunki in the year 2008 jumped to £700,000. It swelled further in the following year. As of 2018, Trunki’s revenue stood at £9.5Million.
Rob went into the Den valuing Trunki at a Million pounds. The Dragons had different opinions altogether, stating that his business at that point was ‘worthless’. Well, that was just about the Den. Trunki was acquired by the British brand development firm Heroes in a deal worth more than £12 Million. Rob continues to head Trunki and expand its reach throughout the globe.
Trunki has since then come up with an entire range of products for kids which have applications similar to the original Trunki. The brand’s popularity is on the rise ever since and it is expanding its global reach at a great speed.
Product Details:
- Trunki is a ride-on suitcase for toddlers.
- It comes in handy when kids need to be carried in airports or similar places.
- It is designed in a way it can be easily used by toddlers.
- It has generous dimensions of 46 x 20.5 x 31cm and an internal capacity of 18 liters.
- It is easily available all across the UK online and offline.
- It can be ordered from anywhere across the globe on Amazon.
Competitors of Trunki:
Although Trunki has an EU design patent, it is quite easy to copy the idea and get away with it by just making a few minor design changes. As soon as Trunki started receiving success, multinational companies in the travel industry like
American Tourister and segment-oriented companies like JetKids by Stokke emerged to compete with the first mover Trunki.
What Is The Net Worth of Trunki?
Rob walked into the Den with a valuation of a Million pounds for Trunki. He had sold 20,000 units of the product till this time, of which 19,000 were acquired by a single entity and the rest by wholesalers.
At the time of the show, Trunki was valued at £1 million as per the founders, but they couldn’t land a deal with dragons. This was washed away by the Dragons deeming him and his ‘joke of a product’ worthless. Soon enough Trunki proved the Dragons wrong and was valued at £2 Million by an angel investor just three years after its Dragon’s Den appearance.
The Briston-based business was acquired by the London-based brand development firm Heroes in a deal that valued Trunki at more than £12 Million.
Is Trunki Still In Business?
Trunki is actively in business as of 2023. It is headed by its founder Rob Law even after its acquisition by Heroes with the same passion and dedication as if it were his own. The business has gained access to the diverse infrastructure of Heroes and all the supply chain issues have disappeared.
Rob and Heroes aim to push Trunki in markets across the globe as the travel industry is gaining pace after the pandemic.
Trunki’s ownership pattern is extremely stable and its CEO is emotionally committed to the brand. All this makes it a recipe of success jam-packed in cute little Trunki carrying on the childhood of Rob and his sister on its back!!!!
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FAQs:
What is the net-worth of Trunki in 2023?
At the time of the show, Trunki was valued at £1 million as per the founders, but they couldn’t land a deal with dragons. This was washed away by the Dragons deeming him and his ‘joke of a product’ worthless. Soon enough Trunki proved the Dragons wrong and was valued at £2 Million by an angel investor just three years after its Dragon’s Den appearance.
Who is the owner of Trunki?
Rob Law is Trunki’s founder and CEO, which he stylizes as the brand behind the much-loved ride-on suitcase for tots. Currently, London-based brand developer Heroes is the majority shareholder in the company.