Money Tigers was the Japanese television format that inspired the BBC's Dragon's Den.
The Japanese programme, known as Money Tigers, was created by Nippon Television and broadcast from 2001. Entrepreneurs presented business proposals to wealthy investors, who decided whether to provide funding, creating the core pitch-and-negotiation structure later used by Dragon's Den.
The British version launched in 2005 and became one of several international adaptations of the format. In other countries, related versions use different titles, including Shark Tank in the United States. Those titles describe local adaptations rather than the Japanese predecessor itself.
The wording can cause confusion because “Dragons' Den” is also used as a general name for adaptations around the world. The specific Japanese source for the BBC programme is Money Tigers, not Shark Tank or a separate British business series.