Five investors typically sit on the Dragon's Den panel during a pitch.
The programme's central image is an entrepreneur facing a row of five wealthy businesspeople, each capable of asking questions or making an investment offer. The panel may change across series, but the standard setup uses five dragons in the Den.
Having five investors creates the possibility of competing offers, different valuations and contrasting commercial opinions. A contestant may receive interest from one dragon, several dragons or none of them.
The number is sometimes confused with versions in other countries, where the size and name of the investor panel can differ. It also does not mean that all five investors will make an offer. Five describes the usual panel arrangement, not the number of deals guaranteed for each pitch.