BBC’s Dragon’s Den was inspired by the Japanese business reality format Money Tigers.
Money Tigers was created by Nippon Television and established the central idea used by Dragon’s Den: entrepreneurs present business proposals to wealthy investors, who question the founders before deciding whether to offer funding. The investors generally seek an ownership stake in return for their money.
The British adaptation changed the branding and terminology for its local audience. Its investors became Dragons rather than Tigers, while the tense pitch-room format remained recognisable. Several international versions followed, including Shark Tank in the United States.
A common mix-up is to identify Shark Tank as the original format. Shark Tank is an American adaptation of the same international format family, not the Japanese programme that directly originated the concept. Money Tigers is the specific title connected with the format’s Japanese beginnings.