Clapham-born entrepreneur gets £50k Dragon’s Den cash boost for footy shirt enterprise

Alex Street, founder of Mystery Jersey King, has secured a £50K investment from Dragons’ Den star Sara Davies to fuel the growth of his unique football shirt business.

Appearing on the hit BBC show, Londoner Alex – born and raised in Clapham – captivated the Dragons with his venture which sees him and his team sourcing rare and authentic football shirts from across the globe to meet the growing demand from fans of all ages and backgrounds.

The online retail business, which has enjoyed steady year-on-year growth since its launch in 2021, delivers high-quality, distinctive shirts to customers through one-off purchases or a monthly ‘mystery shirt’ subscription.

Sara was impressed by the original concept and Alex’s passion, offering £50K for a 15 per cent stake in the business, which will reduce to 10 per cent once her initial investment is recouped.

Alex, who relocated from London to the East Midlands eight years ago, was inspired to apply after watching an episode of Dragons’ Den, embraced his favourite mantra: “If you don’t shoot, you don’t score.” His pitch resonated with Sara, earning him a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to scale his business with her expertise.

Alex said: “I was nervous walking into the Den, but I decided to stay true to myself and have fun with it. I knew my numbers and had rehearsed as much as possible. Securing backing from Sara Davies, the ‘Queen of the North,’ is a dream come true—she’s the perfect partner to help take Mystery Jersey King to the next level.

“Our UK success has been incredible, and our next big challenge is cracking the US market. Since Sara is already a household name stateside, I’m confident we’ll make it happen.”

Sara Davies said: “Alex is such a character, and his enthusiasm lit up the room the moment he walked in. His vibrant, eye-catching products immediately grabbed our attention, but what really impressed me was his savvy business sense and the massive potential of his idea.

“With an endless supply of unique shirts that sport and fashion fans adore, Mystery Jersey King has global appeal. I’m thrilled to join Alex on this journey and can’t wait to help scale the business.”

Alex and Mystery Jersey King co-founder, Jamie King, plan to use the investment to optimise operations at their East Midlands-based HQ, and boost their buying power, ensuring they can continue delivering exceptional shirts to their ever-growing customer base.

Pictured top: Into the Dragon’s Den. Alex Street delivers his pitch (Picture: BBC)