The BBC business show Dragons' Den is based on a format created in Japan.
The original Japanese programme was Money Tigers, known in Japanese as Money no Tora. It established the central idea used by Dragons' Den: entrepreneurs present business proposals to wealthy investors, who decide whether to offer their own money in exchange for a stake in the company.
The format was later adapted in several countries, including the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and the United States. The British version began on BBC Two in 2005 and uses the word “dragons” for its investors, while other adaptations use different names for their panels.
A common mix-up is to assume that Dragons' Den originated in Britain because the UK edition became especially well known. In fact, the British show is one international adaptation of a Japanese television concept. The programme’s distinctive negotiation scenes, valuation questions and equity offers all come from that format.