Optical Designer Believes He’s Found A Gap In The Market | Dragons’ Den

[Music] Next to face the dragons is Leicester-based Optical designer Tony Meshu who believes his invention could Be a huge money spinner well I think It's a great product because it works And it's patented and so I've got a lot Of protection I could be a global winner If it's handled the right way Some fancier cycling glasses well the Tennis balls aren't there for I came up With this idea while playing tennis and Having problems hitting High shots in The Sun and I had an idea for something That was like a peep hole that would Allow you to see the ball even with Sunlight but will Tony's pitch be a Clear winner in the den [Music] Hello Dragons I'm Tony miss you I'm here to seek an investment of forty Thousand pounds in exchange for a 20 Share in my patented anti-blinding Eyewear Sun Clipper now US Highways Research shows that many accidents occur Because in the sunlight the driver is Temporarily blinded so current Technology just doesn't work fully Effectively the car visors in your car Are okay but if you change direction in The sunlight you really should adjust Them and you don't want to be doing that You want to be focusing on the road Ahead Sun Clipper is a low-tech solution

To the sun blinding problem it's Basically a clip-on shade That blocks light entirely from unwanted Directions but allows a clear view of Directions of Interest essentially Lights That song to put on and that takes out All the blinding And you take them off and you're so that Is Sun Clipper so you're most welcome to Try it if you want An Illuminating pitch from Tony Matthew Who's asking for forty thousand pounds In return for 20 of his anti-glare Sunwear range alright so Here it goes plus but in spite of the Simplistic design yeah it does block it There appears to be some confusion as to What Tony's product actually is A sun Clipper in a bit with a logo on it Mine's broken Time for Peter Jones to clear things up Tony I've got my glasses on here that You've given me yeah Tony yes sorry these are the glasses Nothing to do with your product There's nothing to do with the product It's a platform and your product is this That Clips over the top glasses which Covers a third of the glasses yes that's Right and it blocks the sun because it's Solid exactly but it adjusts to your Personal eye distance as well and that's Hence why you've got these adjustable

Things for your pupils exactly they're To adjust for your eye distance most of The time they're going to be in the Middle but they slide they're fully Adjustable does it work the same light If you put some tape across it yeah cut A couple of holes in for your pupils and It'd have the same effect you could do But but you wouldn't have a pattern for That and I've I've design registered That as well to stop people doing a Simple version so it's quite well Protected There must be a better way though and Have you looked I mean Deborah I think You're lovely but if you look to look Have you seen Deborah what are you say With the glasses I think Deborah is Lovely as well But they don't they don't look great Peter Jones casts doubts over the Aesthetic appeal of the product and it Seems that Sarah Davies also has some Concerns over the practicalities of the Peepholes I would be worried driving the knees Because they're supposed to enhance my Vision while I'm driving yet I would say A good 40 percent of my vision is Completely impaired there is some Vertical adjustment to allow you to lift That up basically you squeeze the nose Adjuster and that will push everything Up too so Tony just pick up what Sarah's

Saying so I'm here I was looking at Sarah and then I tried to look back at You I can't see you so with my face here Whereas whereas normally I've got Peripheral vision I can't see you at all you're not there No the pony's not there Tony where are You well I can see you very well so You're looking straight at me that's Different isn't it yeah yeah well so but My peripheral vision normally I can see So I can see Peter yeah and I can see Tuka in the minute I put this on I mean Tony you're lovely but you're the Only thing in my world right now they've Gone completely this makes it worse Surely no it doesn't that is nothing to Do with the sun clip of that it's due to The the type of sunglasses because any Frame that's wrapped around like would Block your vision if you take that off That is not covering much of the frame And and you see what you're forgetting You've got a vertical adjustment on the Nose Bridge which if you feel that it's Blocking too much light you you can Raise it the entrepreneur successfully Defends his product against a rigorous Cross-examination from Deborah meaden Took a Suleiman now wants to shift the Focus to Tony's track record in eyewear Just just give us a bit of background How you got here are basically running An optical design company for tens of

Years right I'm a one-man band but I've Worked for major companies throughout The world including Oxford University on Lighting virtual reality goggles Anything to do with Optics and lighting I might have designed it and something Changing my personals thanks to this is Recently I became a father for the first time Congrats congratulations when most People are dealing with roses in the Garden let's say I won't give you any More details but he's three years old And I love him to be you're never too Old and I want to make him proud so this Is part of making him proud of me for The for the future Strong credentials and a noble cause Have put Tony in a positive light in the Eyes of the Dragons Now tej laalvani wants to find out if The product is better at blocking out The Sun than the current solution for Drivers What does this do that a normal car Visor doesn't well what it does is Because it's on your head if you turn a Corner in the direction the light Changes you don't have to do any Adjustment whereas a sunrise if you Change direction you'd have to be Adjusting it so it's much safer but Tony When you're driving a car right the Sun's not always on your eyes right so

The amount of time it takes to put the Sun Riser down you've got to Fumble find Your glasses from from the side of the Car while you're driving try and put Them on correctly without blinding Yourself and then two minutes later try And take them off while you're driving But you're making an asset I wear them All the time when I've you're wearing it Throughout your journey I don't be Wearing this throughout my journey even If it's not Sunny I'd rather just use a Sunrise in terms of convenience right I think you're making too much of that Point There's lots of car accidents that are Occurring right now and the sun visors Have been around for a long time and They're not stopping it Well see I think it may be a good Product but I can't see it it's Unfortunately it's not something for me So good luck that I'm out Teslalvani struggles to share Tony's Vision for his invention and becomes the First dragon to bow out Is this the end of the road or cantuka Suleiman see a successful future on the Horizon for the entrepreneur I don't doubt that um There's something there But designers sometimes Have got to work with some of the bigger Brands that produce the end product

So my advice to you is use your IP work With big Brands to include your Technology in their glasses let them do The marketing let them do the production Because you've got the patents and get Royalties So don't despair But I'm not going to invest them out Okay I think if your product does come out And it ends up saving a life then it's Done a great thing isn't it yeah right Whether this can turn into a business I Very much doubt I'm not convinced that there's a huge Opportunity to make money So for that reason sadly I'm out I can only judge on what I see and I I Put these on and it I felt really Restricted and and maybe that was just Me but because of that I won't be Investing although I did rather like the Idea of investing as somebody who Dressed rather like a bond character in A good way thank you but I won't be but So I'm out shame for me but I accept Them the sky falls in on Tony as three More dragons drop out in quick Succession and it looks like Sarah Davies is heading in the same direction I just can't see it being adopted on a Mass level there's a reason this doesn't Exist in the market currently and it's Because there's just not a big enough

Need for it As an investment definitely not one for Me today so I won't be investing and I'm Out you look nicer in real life and that Are doing the glasses no no on Television although they do on Television I'll take that as a Compliment Okay bye-bye With the prospect of investment now Firmly in his rear view mirror Tony Walks away empty-handed but he has Managed to leave a lasting impression That's the weirdest backhanded Compliment isn't it you look great in Real life yeah I think he's basically Saying I look rubbish on the Telly don't Take it personally they see the world Through Roars tinted The dragons didn't connect with my Product and I kept comparing it to Sunglasses but they're not supposed to Be sunglasses Deborah didn't understand That peripheral vision was to do with The frames which you'll you'll get that On all frames so she wasn't completely Wrong about that actually I kinda Maybe

Your First Funnel Challenge
Quickly Launch Your Idea And Turn It Into A Business That You're Proud Of In Just 90 Minutes A Day!

(This Can Work Even If You Currently Have No Tech Skills, Don't Have A Product, Or Have No Idea What A Funnel Is Yet...!) 

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