An entrepreneur’s revolutionary alcohol-free beer business previously rejected in the Dragons’ Den is now worth £12 million.

Mark Wong, a former Canterbury schoolboy, has sold a million cans of Impossibrew in the past year, a drink he invented to replicate the ’two pint feeling’.

But while the ex-St Edmund’s School pupil impressed judges with the flavour on the hit BBC programme in 2022, they believed his business was too premature for investment and the market already overcrowded.

Undeterred, the 28-year-old and his team soon shored up investors from further afield, harnessing technology to overcome the stumbling block.

Using a website called Crowdcube, an investment crowdfunding platform, they hoped to raise investment worth £500,000.

Yet within just 24 hours of going live, they attracted 836 supporters investing an eye-watering £1,284,151.

Mr Wong told KentOnline: "Dragons' Den was a pivotal moment for us.

“While we didn't secure investment, the experience gave us something far more valuable - validation that we were creating something people truly wanted.

“The response following our appearance was incredible, showing us there was a genuine appetite for a third choice beyond just drinking and not drinking.”

Impossibrew lager and pale ale is designed to help drinkers relax and unwind by replicating the traditional ‘two-pint feeling’ but without drowsiness or impairment.

Mark’s pioneering ‘functional beers’ have now won several awards, including the UK’s best non-alcoholic beer at the prestigious 2023 World Beer Awards and a gold medal at the London Beer Competition.

Now the business has been independently valued at £12 million but Mark still thanks Dragons Den for raising its profile.

Mark says the Crowdcube funding will be used to develop its patent-pending Social Blend™ technology.

Impossibrew is said to be unique because it gives drinkers a natural feeling of relaxation, without the alcoholic content.

It has been developed with the support of the chair of pharmacology at Durham University, Dr Paul Chazot.

It uses a blend of active botanical ingredients like L-Theanine, Ashwagandha and various others.

This unique combination, says Mark, is crafted to boost serotonin levels and promote relaxation, replicating the "one or two-pint feeling" without the negative effects of alcohol, including a hangover.

But it all started in his teens when he developed a passion for beer and wine, and then became one of the highest-scoring French wine scholars aged 18.

Yet in 2019, a devastating health diagnosis forced him to stop drinking entirely.

Frustrated by existing alcohol-free options that couldn't replicate the authentic experience of traditional beer, Mark discovered an ancient Japanese text from 1211 AD - the Kissa Yojoki - detailing natural herbs with powerful relaxation properties.

Now his experts have partnered it with modern technology to produce the ground-breaking beverage.

“The first week of January saw the first six-figure revenue week in the company's history and we’ve consistently doubled year-on-year for three consecutive years,” says Mark.

“I'm excited to tune into Dragons' Den this season and see the next wave of British innovation.

“While our journey took a different path than expected that day, the Den was undoubtedly a launching pad for what Impossibrew has become.

“Sometimes the best opportunities come from hearing 'no' and turning it into motivation to prove what's possible."

Mark has returned to his old school in Canterbury, most recently about six months ago, to talk to pupils about his business success and entrepreneurship.