London entrepreneurs Marisa Poster and Teddie Levenfiche have stirred the interest of the Dragons’ Den panel with their matcha-based green tea energy drink, PerfectTed.

Their appearance on the BBC show attracted investment from two dragons after offers from four.

“It was an intense but generally incredible experience appearing on television,” Ms Poster, 25, told the JC. “Even though in the show our appearance is only 13 minutes long, we were actually there for over an hour and a half of pretty intense grilling. It’s critical to know your business inside and out. But we knew this going in and came prepared.”

Mr Levenfiche, also 25, added: “It’s a massive risk to appear on national television. You don’t know how you’ll come across. You might forget figures, and taste is subjective.”

He and his brother Levi met Ms Poster, originally from New York, when they all attended university in Pennsylvania. The trio identified a business opportunity for a healthier plant-based energy drink that avoids the post-caffeine crash often associated with other energy drink brands.

Dragons Steven Bartlett and Peter Jones were sufficiently impressed by the presentation to each take a five per cent stake in the company for £25,000.

Mr Bartlett said that “once in a while, you have entrepreneurs come into the den that you just have a huge degree of admiration for. And the journey you’re on as young entrepreneurs is a similar journey that I’ve been on as well.”

Fellow dragon Sara Davies observed: “You’ve come in here with an absolutely brilliant product. You two are fantastic and I think if there was ever a case study on how to come into the den and knock it out of the park, you would absolutely epitomise that.”

Ms Poster said the interest had been “a vote of confidence for the product”.

Mr Levenfiche added that “Steven Bartlett especially was a big inspiration to us in starting the brand. For us to get such a positive response from him and for him to say how much he respected us as entrepreneurs meant the world.”

In the 16 months since launching, PerfectTed has been retailed through 3,000 distribution points across nine countries, including 450 Holland & Barrett outlets in the UK. It has just become part of Tesco’s meal deal in 1,200 stores.

After achieving £200,000 in revenue in the first year, up to £4 million is projected for the second.

“I said during the show that our goal is world domination and I stand by my statement,” Ms Poster said. “The future is natural energy so these large players already in the market will have to keep up to meet the changing needs of consumers.”

She and the Levenfiches live together in London and are regular Hampstead Garden Suburb Synagogue congregants.

“We’re all best friends,” Ms Poster added. “The boys are brothers and Levi is my partner. It’s like an episode of Friends.”