The British series Dragon's Den was inspired by the Japanese business programme Money Tigers.
Money Tigers established the central format in which entrepreneurs pitch business ideas to wealthy investors and negotiate for financial backing. The BBC adapted that structure for a British audience, replacing the original panel with British business figures known as dragons.
The format is based on a simple but flexible exchange: a presenter states a funding request and an offered percentage of equity, after which the investors question sales, costs, intellectual property, competition and valuation. They may make competing offers, combine their money or decline to invest.
Shark Tank is a frequent mix-up because it is another adaptation of the same broad format, rather than the Japanese programme that directly inspired the British series. Dragon's Den subsequently became an international television franchise with versions in numerous countries.