In the British television show Dragons' Den, what percentage of a business is called its equity stake?

In the British television show Dragons' Den, an equity stake is the ownership percentage offered to an investor.

Entrepreneurs on the programme usually ask the dragons for a specific amount of money in return for a stated percentage of their company. That percentage represents the investor's ownership interest, rather than sales, profit or the total cash value of the business.

For example, an offer of £50,000 for 10% equity implies that the entrepreneur is valuing the entire company at £500,000 before considering the other terms of the deal. The final agreement can change after negotiation, and an on-screen deal is not necessarily completed after due diligence.

Equity is frequently confused with turnover or profit. Turnover is revenue from sales, while profit is what remains after allowable costs. An equity stake instead describes control and ownership in the company itself.