12-year-old Dragons' Den entrepreneur pushes industry towards inclusive kidswear
As the fashion industry begins to more seriously address sensory needs in children’s clothing, one of the youngest entrepreneurs ever to pitch on Dragons’ Den will present a solution born from lived experience.
Derby-based startup Comfa, co-founded by 12-year-old Max Palfrey and his father Matt, will appear on BBC One on Thursday 31 July. The duo will pitch their hero product, the Fidget-T—a specially designed T-shirt featuring built-in pop fidgets, encased seams and peel-off tags, created to support sensory regulation and everyday comfort for neurodivergent children.
Max, who is AuDHD (autistic and ADHD), developed the product to help with his sensory sensitivities. "We started Comfa because Max couldn’t tolerate most clothing, and struggled to regulate after a difficult day. We knew so many others felt the same," said Matt Palfrey. "Presenting the Fidget-T in the Den together was a surreal and proud moment for us both."
The pitch comes as mainstream retailers like Primark begin to respond to growing demand for more inclusive and sensory-considerate clothing. Ahead of the back-to-school season, Primark is removing neck labels from more than 50% of its kidswear, including T-shirts, sweatshirts and pyjamas. It’s also introducing flat seam socks, addressing one of the most frequent sources of discomfort flagged by parents.
"This isn’t about creating a new and special range," said Ann Marie Cregan, Trading Director at Primark. "It’s about improving our kids’ clothes, thinking about inclusive design from the very start and removing or sometimes adding features so they work harder for more children and families."
Comfa’s presence on Dragons’ Den is a timely reminder that innovation in this space is increasingly being led by those with direct experience of sensory needs. Max is already recognised as one of the UK’s youngest inventors, with the brand has attracted the likes of Paddy McGuinness as a customer.
