The investors on the UK television programme Dragon's Den are called Dragons.
The name is built into the British title and reflects the format's image of formidable businesspeople scrutinising entrepreneurs and their proposals. Each Dragon may ask about turnover, profit, valuation, intellectual property, manufacturing and the founder's plans for growth.
A successful pitch can produce an offer from one Dragon or several Dragons working together. The entrepreneur then decides whether to accept an offer, negotiate its terms or leave without investment. An offer made on camera is also subject to later checks before a deal can be completed.
International editions often use different names for their investors. The US adaptation uses Sharks, which is why the two terms are sometimes mixed up. In the UK programme, the canonical term is Dragons.