The UK show Dragon's Den is based on the Japanese programme Money Tigers.
Money Tigers was created by Nippon Television and established the central format in which entrepreneurs pitch business ideas directly to potential investors. The UK adaptation retained the confrontational negotiation, requests for equity and possibility of receiving no deal.
The Japanese title is often translated or described in English as Money Tigers. International versions subsequently used different names, including Shark Tank in the United States, while keeping the same underlying concept.
This origin explains why the UK programme is part of a much larger television franchise rather than an entirely separate invention. The investor panel and business stories vary by country, but the pitch structure remains recognisable.