The investor panel in the British television programme Dragons' Den is called the Dragons.
The title comes from the programme's central image: entrepreneurs enter a room and present their business proposals to wealthy investors, who may challenge the figures, question the founders and offer investment. The investors are therefore branded as Dragons rather than simply judges or panelists.
This terminology is specific to the British format and to related versions using the Dragons' Den name. The comparable United States programme Shark Tank uses “sharks” for its investors, which is why the two labels are sometimes mixed up. Both shows descend from the same broad pitch-and-investment television concept, but their branding and panel terminology differ.
A Dragon is not necessarily an employee of the business or a permanent member of the panel. Individual investors can join or leave the cast, and guest investors have also appeared. Their common function is to assess opportunities and negotiate possible equity deals with entrepreneurs.