The British show Dragon's Den was adapted from the Japanese television format Money Tigers.
Money Tigers, known in Japan as Money no Tora, established the basic setup later used by Dragon's Den: entrepreneurs pitch business ideas to successful investors and negotiate for funding. The British version retained the competitive presentation, valuation and equity-bargaining elements while creating its own panel and production style.
The format is often linked in casual discussion with Shark Tank, but Shark Tank is an American adaptation of the wider Dragons' Den format, not the Japanese original behind the British programme. The British title also uses “Dragons” rather than “Tigers” to describe its investors.
The format's international success led to versions in many territories. Despite local differences in casting and rules, the central question remains the same: will an investor offer money for a stake in the venture?