Money Tigers was the Japanese business-investment programme that inspired the UK version of Dragon's Den.
The Japanese programme, known as Money no Tora in Japanese, established the central idea of entrepreneurs presenting business proposals to successful investors. Contestants sought money in return for an ownership share, creating the confrontational but commercially focused pitch format later adapted in many countries.
The British title replaced “tigers” with “dragons,” using a different animal metaphor for powerful investors. This is why the UK programme is not an original format created independently by the BBC, even though its presenters, locations and panel developed a distinct British identity.
The format spread internationally through adaptations with different names, investor panels and broadcasting arrangements. The best-known British conventions include calling the investors Dragons and asking entrepreneurs to state exactly how much money they want and what percentage of their company they will offer.