What Japanese television format inspired the BBC series Dragon's Den?

The BBC series Dragon's Den was inspired by the Japanese television format Money Tigers.

Money Tigers was created in Japan as an investment programme in which entrepreneurs presented business proposals to wealthy potential backers. The British version retained the central idea: business owners enter a studio, make a pitch, and negotiate with a panel of investors.

Dragon's Den is therefore part of an international television franchise rather than an entirely original British concept. The format has been adapted in many countries, including the United States as Shark Tank. A common mix-up is to identify Shark Tank as the original; it is an American adaptation that began later.

The British programme first aired in 2005 and uses the British spelling “Den,” while several overseas editions use different titles.