North East couple brave TV Dragons’ Den star in bid for investment

A County Durham entrepreneurial duo is set to face the formidable Dragons on BBC’s Dragons’ Den this week.

Zara Paul and Aaron Morris, founders of Choppity, a Belmont Business Park-based company that offers a web-based AI video editing platform, are gearing up to pitch their innovative start-up in the hopes of securing investment.

The married co-founders launched Choppity in 2023 with the aim of streamlining the video-editing process for podcasters and businesses. The Durham-founded platform has already been adopted by notable companies such as ITN, Autotrader, Turtle Bay, and Sonatype, boasting features like AI subtitles that automatically add captions to podcast clips, and Magic Reframe, which adjusts landscape podcasts into portrait or square formats to ensure all speakers are visible.

Before stepping into the Den, the couple expressed their aspiration to attract investment from entrepreneur Steven Bartlett, host of the highly popular podcast ‘Diary of a CEO’. Representing the LGBTQ+ community, non-binary contestant Zara described the upcoming appearance as “important and deeply personal”.

Reflecting on the experience, Zara said: “It was an unforgettable moment to be in that room, presenting something we’ve worked so hard on. The setup felt incredibly stripped back – just the two of us and a screen in front of the five established entrepreneurs. It was both nerve-wracking and exhilarating.

“The startup world, and the media more broadly, often feel bare of LGBTQ+ representation, especially for gender non-conforming and trans founders. I hope this moment inspires others to pursue their ambitions and know they belong here too.”, reports Business Live.

In a LinkedIn post, the firm announced: “After months of secrecy, we’re so excited to finally reveal the news. Watch the episode this Thursday 16th January, 8pm on BBC 1 to find out what the Dragons thought of Choppity. For those that have been following our company’s journey for a while, I hope you have fun watching this episode! ” They expressed their gratitude by saying, “We’re extremely grateful for the opportunity to showcase Choppity on a national stage. To all of our users, customers and supporters, thank you for helping us get here.”

The entrepreneurs are set to feature in the second episode of the new series of Dragons’ Den, airing at 8pm on Thursday on BBC One.

North East couple brave TV Dragons’ Den star in bid for investment
Choppity co-founders Aaron Morris and Zara Paul on Dragons’ Den
(Image: Choppity/BBC)

View news Source: https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/north-east-couple-brave-tv-30780831

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