Tangle Teezer

Tangle Teezer is a British maker of detangling hairbrushes, founded by former hair colourist Shaun Pulfrey and based in London. Its brushes use a two-tiered tooth design to work through knots with less pulling, and the company reports selling in more than 75 countries. Since 2024 the brand has been owned by the French consumer-goods group BIC, which acquired it for around EUR 200 million [6].

Sources differ on the founding date. Wikipedia and business press place the company's establishment in 2007 [5][6], while the brand's own about-us page lists 2003 [2] — the year Pulfrey began developing the concept rather than the year the company launched.

Pulfrey worked as a hair colourist from 1978, at salons including Toni&Guy, Nicky Clarke and Richard Ward. Starting in 2003 he researched and developed a detangling-brush concept, and in 2005 remortgaged his flat in Brixton, London, for GBP 25,000 to finance the launch [5].

In 2007 he pitched the first brush, The Original, on the BBC television series Dragons' Den, seeking GBP 80,000 for a 15% stake. The investors turned him down; one called the idea "hair-brained." Despite the rejection, the appearance drove sales — the company's website reportedly crashed after the broadcast with 1,500 orders placed [5].

Growth followed through the 2010s, and the company won a Queen's Award for Innovation in 2012 and a Queen's Award for International Trade in 2014 [5]. It also appeared on the Sunday Times Fast Track 100 list of fast-growing companies in 2013 and 2016. By its 2023 financial year the company reported revenue of GBP 53.5 million [6].

Tangle Teezer has changed hands twice in recent years. In 2021 the private-equity firm Mayfair Equity Partners acquired a majority stake, valuing the company at about GBP 70 million [5]. In 2024 BIC bought the brand for roughly EUR 200 million and now operates it as part of its business [6]. BIC's chief executive framed the deal around building "personalised haircare solutions" alongside the company's existing products.

The company positions its tools as detangling aids that work gently and, as it puts it, "intuitively" without damaging hair, under the tagline "Life, untangled." [2]. Its stated values include innovation, respect "for hair & the planet," diversity across hair types, and simplicity. Products are priced in the drugstore-to-mid range and sold through multiple channels internationally.

The brand's signature product is The Original, the detangling brush pitched on Dragons' Den. The range has since expanded to include The Ultimate Detangler and The Original Plant Brush, a variant the company says is made largely from sustainably sourced castor beans. The defining feature across the line is a two-tiered bristle system: according to a Refinery29 review, the longer teeth work through tangles while the shorter ones smooth the hair [7]. The brushes are marketed for a broad audience, from parents brushing young children's hair to people with hair types ranging from fine to tightly coiled.

On sustainability, the company says more than 90% of its products are now packaged in recyclable cardboard and that it has removed plastic packaging entirely in the UK and US [3]. It runs a brush-recycling programme and has set targets for 2030, including growing its plant-based range to more than 15% of global sales. The brand reports selling 385,000 plant brushes in 2024, roughly double the previous year.

Beyond the two Queen's Awards, the company received a Silver Recycling Award in 2023. In press coverage, Refinery29 described Tangle Teezer as "legendary" and a "holy grail piece," noting the Ultimate Detangler's 4.6-star Amazon rating across more than 49,500 reviews [7].

Tangle Teezer remains an operating brand but is no longer independent: following the 2024 BIC acquisition, it is owned by the French consumer-goods group [6]. Its most recent visible activity includes the BIC deal and a partnership with The Prince's Trust launched the same year.