Dragons’ Den Star Sara Davies Invests In Adam Peaty’s AP Race
Sara Davies – a businesswoman who appears on the British reality TV business programme ‘Dragons’ Den’ – has invested in AP Race, the global swimming brand co-founded by Adam Peaty and Ed Baxter.
Davies started out in business in 2005 when she founded ‘Crafter’s Companion,’ which supplies crafting products, in her bedroom while studying at the University of York.
In 2019 she joined the panel of ‘Dragons’ Den,’ the BBC show where entrepreneurs pitch business ideas in a bid to secure financial investment.
l-r: Jim Rumley, Amit Aggarwal, Sara Davies, Adam Peaty & Ed Baxter: Photo Courtesy: AP Race
Davies also competed in the same ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ series as Peaty in 2021, lasting a week longer than the triple Olympic champion with the pair the sixth and seventh contestants voted off the show.
She’s mentored Peaty in business over the past few years and has also coached Baxter – the AP Race CEO – through the company’s significant growth phase which has included expansion into Saudi Arabia.
In addition to Davies’ investment, Amit Aggarwal is also receiving funding from Amit Aggarwal, formerly of professional services network PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), who has joined as board chair.
The pair join the likes of triple Olympic medallist Matt Richards who has poured more than the minimum investment of £25,000 into AP Race.
AP Race was established in 2019 when Peaty and former training partner Baxter came up with the concept of AP Race clinics, where swimmers are coached by Olympic and world champions and taught how to race.
They also stage the AP Race International at the London Aquatics Centre on Bank Holiday weekend in May every year.
Davies said: “I’m beyond thrilled to invest in AP Race because I really believe in what the business does and what it stands for. Adam has all of the attributes that I look for in an entrepreneur – passion, vision and of course bucketloads of drive, while Ed is an exceptional operator and has already taken the company through several successful years of growth. I’m excited to be supporting him at the helm of this business as he takes it to the next level. AP Race has a very exciting future ahead!”
Aggarwal added: “Adam and Ed have created a really exciting proposition which starts at the grassroots and continues through to elite competition. I look forward to supporting the team as they internationalise the business and build a global brand.”
Baxter added: “After launching a multitude of projects across the UK, in 2024 we took a huge step and expanded into the international market. Over the next few years, we have ambitions to grow our projects both domestically and internationally and, with our first successful investment raise and the addition of Amit to our board, we will be able to turn those visions into reality.”