Award winning entrepreneur Hilary Devey CBE, the founder of The Pall-Ex Group, investor and business partner in bed manufacturer Duvalay and former Dragons’ Den star, has died following a long illness, aged 65.

Hilary sadly passed away on 11 June in Morocco, her PR agent has confirmed.

While on the TV show Dragons’ Den, Hilary invested in Duvalay back in 2011, where her input and investment helped the mattress brand on its way to further innovation and international expansion as well as diversification into wider trade and domestic markets.

Part of this growth included the Hilary Devey Collection of beds and mattresses, that combined Duvalay’s passion for affordable sleep perfection with Hilary’s meticulous flair for lavish and indulgent design.

In 2019, Hilary sold Pall-Ex to its management team after building it up to a £10m+ firm from its launch back in the 1990s.

Commenting on her passing, Duvalay co-founders Liz and Alan Colleran said: “Over the weekend we received the extremely sad news about the passing of our investor, business partner and friend, Hilary Devey.

“Back in 2011 we appeared on the BBC’s Dragons’ Den to pitch our idea to five Dragons, one of those being the fiercely wonderful Hilary. Hilary believed in the potential of our (then) small family business and we were fortunate enough to receive her backing in the den.

“From then on, both her and her team have played a huge role in our business, offering invaluable advice, and mentoring us along the path to the business we are today.

“Hilary, thank you for your endless support, guidance, and most of all extreme kindness and generosity. You were one of a kind and will be truly missed.

“Rest in peace, Hilary.”