Mark Champkins

Mark Champkins (born 25 April 1977), is a UK designer and inventor who gained public recognition after successfully participating in the BBC television show Dragons' Den.

Background

Mark studied Manufacturing Engineering (MET g.2000) at the University of Cambridge, and Industrial Design Engineering^[1] at the Royal College of Art (RCA g.2002) in London.

Whilst at the RCA Mark designed a range of Self-Heating Crockery making use of the Phase Change Material Sodium Acetate Trihydrate (SAT). The crockery enable users to instantaneously heat plates, cups and bowls to sixty degrees celcius by pushing a button that started a phase change reaction withing the crockery. The items could be recharged and reused by washing them in hot water or a dishwasher.

In 2002 the crockery was Awarded British Invention of the Year and featured on a number of TV science programs such as BBC Television'sTomorrow's World, the Discovery Channels' "Whats the Big Idea", and CNN News.

After Graduating from the RCA Mark worked at The Helen Hamlyn Research Centre (HHRC), a on 12 month research project to investigate how good school design can improve standards of education in the UK.

In 2004, Mark won a business Award from NESTA (National Endowment for Science Technology and the Arts) and founded Concentrate Design, a company that develops products to help pupils to concentrate at school children.

In 2007 On the Dragons Den, Champkins won investment of £100,000 from Peter Jones (entrepreneur) in return for a 40% stake in his business.