In the British show Dragon's Den, the investor panel members are commonly called the Dragons.
The name comes directly from the programme's title and distinguishes the British version from international adaptations. Entrepreneurs enter the Den, deliver a pitch and then answer questions from the Dragons about sales, costs, valuation and plans for growth.
The term is a label for the investors rather than a formal business category. Each Dragon is an individual investor with a separate background, investment style and level of interest. A pitch can receive no offers, one offer or competing offers from several Dragons.
The most common mix-up is with Shark Tank, the American version of the format, whose investors are called Sharks. The Japanese source programme used a different title and did not establish the exact British terminology.