The investor panel on the British TV show Dragon's Den is called the dragons.
The name comes from the programme’s title and represents the wealthy businesspeople who question entrepreneurs about their products, finances, sales and plans for growth. A contestant who receives an offer may negotiate the amount of investment and the percentage of ownership offered in return.
The dragons are not a fixed group. The panel has changed repeatedly since the British series began, with regular investors, departing investors and occasional guest dragons appearing in different periods.
The wording is specific to the British version. The American adaptation of the same broad format uses “sharks” for its investors, while other national versions use different names. Entrepreneurs on Dragon's Den therefore pitch to dragons even when the business idea itself has no connection with fantasy creatures.