01/11/2025
Disability app Snowball gains momentum with £80k investment
Simon Sansome, the creator of Snowball, a mobile app that describes itself as ‘the Trip Advisor for the disabled community’ has secured backing from all five moguls on the hit BBC show, Dragons’ Den.
The show that aired on tonight’s showed wheelchair user, Simon, dazzle the full panel of multimillionaire investors with his mobile app. Snowball allows people with a full range of disabilities, including hidden disabilities, to discover accessible services and locations throughout the UK - from parking and petrol stations, to health and hospitality.
Leicestershire-based Simon, who experienced a life-changing injury in 2014, leaving him paralysed from the waist down, came up with the idea for the mobile app, which features user generated content and reviews, after a page he created to raise awareness of accessible spots reached an audience of over 30m people.
He went on to create the award-winning Snowball app for IoS and Android users, which was an instant hit with the Dragons. Peter Jones proposed the £80k investment was split equally among the five Dragons, who all rushed to secure a stake in Simon’s business, each offering £16k for a 5% share.
Simon commented on the result: “When I received a clean sweep of all five Dragons I was in shock. After eight years of hard work, it’s fair to say this was a very emotional moment for me.
“Each one of the investors is going to bring a unique and very special element to my business. Steven has the marketing prowess, Peter the tech know-how, and Touker the retail knowledge. Sara has phenomenal brand-building expertise, and Deborah, as well as spending a lifetime in the leisure and hospitality industry, has a sister who is a wheelchair user, so she has a first hand understanding of the challenges our community can face. It’s an extremely exciting time for Snowball, and this level of investment and expertise is going to help me support a lot of people very quickly.”
Third-party investment has been key in bringing Simon’s game-changing app to market, so when the opportunity to appear on Dragons’ Den came up, he jumped at the chance to secure both financial and strategic input from the A-list entrepreneurs.
Deborah Meaden commented: “In this day and age, wheelchair users and people with disabilities still struggle to identify the most basic of accessible services, and this needs to change. I’m delighted to back Simon and his smart idea to transform the day-to-day lives of people living with disabilities”. Sara Davies added: “The minute Simon entered The Den I was blown away by his story. His grit and determination is something to behold, and it’s no surprise his app is already winning awards and changing lives. I’m excited to help him grow his brand and realise his global ambitions for Snowball.”
Steven Bartlett said: “Simon is such an inspiration. His mission to create better inclusivity for people with a disability is so important and we are looking forward to seeing him drive this forward with this investment”. Touker Suleyman added: “The potential for Snowball is off the scale, and this app is just the start. Simon is brimming with ideas to use his brand to make life better for people with visible and hidden disabilities, and it will be a pleasure to support him on his entrepreneurial journey.”
Peter Jones, concluded: “Simon is no snowflake. He has been through so much over the past ten years, but instead of feeling sorry for himself, he has poured his energy and lived experience into creating a brand that enables people with disabilities to take control. Snowball isn’t just a mobile app, it’s a game changer for the disabled community and I’m proud to have a stake in it.”
Watch Simon face the business moguls on iPlayer.
Apple users can download the app here.
https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/snowball-community/id1624679548
