The original Japanese title of Dragon's Den was Money Tigers. The British programme is part of an international format in which entrepreneurs present businesses or ideas to wealthy investors, hoping to secure funding in exchange for equity.
The format began in Japan before being adapted for the United Kingdom by the BBC. The British version first aired in 2005 and became one of the best-known business reality programmes on British television. Its investors are called dragons, while the entrepreneurs are often called pitchers.
The title is sometimes confused with Dragon's Den, a separate Canadian business programme, or with the many local versions that use different panel names. The Japanese title is especially useful when tracing the format's international origin, because it predates the BBC adaptation and is not simply an alternative British name.
The format later spread to many countries, including Australia, Canada, Ireland and the United States.