BACUP entrepreneur Piers Linney is to leave BBC Two’s Dragons’ Den after two years.

The cloud-computing pioneer joined Duncan Bannatyne, Peter Jones, Deborah Meaden and Kelly Hoppen at the start of series 11 of the show, in 2013.

Mr Linney, 43, a former pupil of Fearns Community Sports College, is joint chief executive of Outsourcery, a world-leading provider of cloud services. He said he is leaving the long-running show to focus more on his business commitments.

He was responsible for the highest valuation for an investment in the history of the Den, listened to more than 200 pitches and made nine deals.

He invested £100,000 in Lost My Name, a technology start-up focused on children’s storybooks, resulting in the company being valued at £2.5 million. Before joining the show Mr Linney, who now lives in London, qualified as a solicitor specialising in private equity. He also worked as an investment banker and as a manager of venture capital funds.

He is involved with workinsight.org, a not-for-profit venture aimed at creating a digital platform to empower young people with greater access to workplace experiences.

Mr Linney said: “I have enjoyed every minute of my time on Dragons’ Den and feel honoured to have had the opportunity to contribute to such an iconic and long-running television show and to have been the first Dragon with Afro Caribbean heritage. It is the right time for me to move on, although entrepreneurship and diversity are two of my greatest passions so I will continue to focus my energies on supporting both.

“It has been a great experience and a pleasure to share with viewers the growing importance of digital innovation and how the technology and creative sectors are making their profound marks on the evolving landscape of British business.

“Among the entrepreneurs I have backed in the Den, I was especially delighted to have spotted the potential of the full-stack digital publisher Lost My Name, which became the UK’s highest-selling children’s picturebook in 2014 and is already one of the biggest success stories to come out of the Den.”

David Williams, creative director at BBC Entertainment North, said: “Piers has been an inspiration on the show.”