The British show Dragon's Den is based on the Japanese TV format Money Tigers.
Money Tigers provided the core format later adapted for the British audience: entrepreneurs pitch business ideas to wealthy investors and seek funding in exchange for equity. The Japanese programme originated before the international versions, making it the format’s source rather than a British invention.
The title is easy to confuse because many countries use versions of the Dragon’s Den name, while others adapt the concept under different titles. Shark Tank, for example, is the American adaptation, not the original Japanese programme. The shared structure is the important link between these shows.
The British version premiered on BBC Two in 2005 and became one of the best-known programmes in the international franchise. Its distinctive terminology—“Dragons,” pitches and equity offers—helped give the British adaptation its own identity while retaining the investment-negotiation premise.