Kitt Medical emergency allergy medication, which can be used on someone having anaphylaxis (Photo: Kitt Medical)[Missing Credit]
Their subscription-based sales model includes online training in the use of the kit, which has so far been completed more than 15,000 times. In their Dragons’ Den appearance, the duo particularly impressed Deborah Meaden and Steven Bartlett, who each invested £37,500 for 3.5 per cent of the company.
During the first 20 minutes of their pitch, before the first Dragon, Meaden, showed serious interest in it, the pair were “terrified”.
“Before going on, we spoke to many different entrepreneurs who had been on the show to prepare ourselves, pitched non-stop to each other in the month leading up to it and memorised all the stats and figures,” Zak said.
“But the show is an hour of unsolicited questioning on camera, so you never know how it’s going to go. After Deborah said she loved the idea, followed by Steven, we began to feel better.”
The pair were invited backstage after their pitch to speak with the dragons, who “were so friendly and they told us just how excited they were to dive in and get going with us,” James, who grew up in Stanmore, said.
Since their appearance, Kitt Medical has been experiencing an explosion of interest, receiving “hundreds” of inquiries from schools, businesses and offices around the country.
Each time one of their kits is used, they are digitally notified of where it was used, who used it and for what allergy to help them “paint a picture” over time of the UK market and to identify regions which could benefit most.
During the interview with Zak and James, they received the 12th alert of their product being used to potentially save a life.
“Each time we get an alert it’s an emotional hit,” James said. “And also fear, hoping that everything is going to be ok. And when it is, it’s incredibly validating.”
Zak Marks (left) and James Cohen[Missing Credit]
The first time they ever got an alert, six months after the first kit was dispatched to a site, was for a 14-year-old girl who had used it after mistakenly eating the wrong kind of cereal bar after a dance rehearsal.
“That first time was before we even moved into offices and I sort of freaked out and froze, alone in my room,” Zak said. “We called each other, and I basically burst into tears.”
The entrepreneurs have received multiple awards so far, including the London Mayor’s Entrepreneur Award, Santander X and the Conduit Young Innovator.
Zak said: “Throughout my life, my allergies have often been misunderstood, stigmatised and even joked about, but anaphylaxis, a severe allergic reaction, can cause serious harm or even death.
“I’ve always wanted to increase awareness and access to allergic medication, and to build a positive movement surrounding allergies, and now that we’re doing that, it’s incredibly rewarding.”
According to surveys, 44 per cent of British adults suffer from at least one allergy, with numbers expected to rise.
