In the British show Dragon's Den, what do entrepreneurs usually offer investors in exchange for money?

In the British show Dragon's Den, entrepreneurs usually offer equity in their business in exchange for investment.

Equity means an ownership share. An entrepreneur may ask for a specific amount of money and offer a percentage of the company, allowing a Dragon to become a part-owner if both sides agree. The percentage and valuation are negotiated during the pitch.

The negotiation can change quickly when a Dragon challenges the entrepreneur's requested valuation or when several investors compete to participate. A televised offer is not necessarily the end of the process: the proposal normally undergoes further checks before a completed investment can be confirmed.

Equity is different from a loan. A lender expects repayment, usually with interest, while an equity investor accepts ownership and shares in potential future gains or losses. The programme sometimes features alternative arrangements, but ownership stakes are the familiar currency of its pitches.