The Japanese business show that inspired the UK television series Dragons' Den was Money Tigers.
Money Tigers was a Japanese television format in which entrepreneurs presented business proposals to wealthy investors. The UK adaptation retained the central idea: contestants ask for investment by offering a percentage of their company.
The format became internationally successful after being adapted in several countries. In the United Kingdom, the programme is known as Dragons' Den, while the US adaptation is Shark Tank. The investor panel and presentation style vary between versions, but the basic negotiation structure remains recognisable.
A common mix-up is to identify Shark Tank as the original programme. Shark Tank is an American adaptation, not the Japanese source format. Dragons' Den first brought the format to British television in 2005, with entrepreneurs pitching directly to a panel of investors.