Britain's Dragon's Den is based on the Japanese business-pitching programme Money Tigers.
Money Tigers established the central format: entrepreneurs present their proposals to successful businesspeople and ask for capital in return for a share of the company. The title refers to the investors' financial power and competitive presence.
The concept was subsequently licensed internationally. Different countries gave their versions distinct names, including Dragon's Den in the United Kingdom and Shark Tank in the United States. The underlying structure remained recognisable, but the panels and broadcast arrangements varied.
A common mix-up is to assume that Dragon's Den originated in Britain because the British version became especially prominent. Its format lineage is Japanese, and the British programme is one adaptation of that earlier concept.