The UK show Dragons' Den is based on the Japanese television format Money Tigers.
Money Tigers was created by Nippon Television and established the central idea of entrepreneurs presenting proposals to wealthy investors. The concept was adapted for several countries, with local titles, panels and business cultures shaping each national version.
The British adaptation kept the core structure: entrepreneurs request funding, offer a share of their company and answer questions about the business. The investors can make offers, negotiate terms or decline to proceed. This format makes valuation and equity understandable to a broad television audience.
Shark Tank is a separate American adaptation of the broader format and is not the Japanese title behind the UK programme. The similar investor-panel structure explains why viewers sometimes confuse the names, but Money Tigers is the specific source format credited for Dragons' Den.