The British series Dragon's Den was adapted from the original Japanese business reality show Money Tigers.
Money Tigers established the central format later recognised worldwide: entrepreneurs present business ideas to wealthy investors, explain their financial requirements, and negotiate over ownership. The British production retained that basic structure while giving it a distinctly British title, presentation style, and investor panel.
The format travelled widely after its Japanese origin. The United States version became Shark Tank, while many other countries developed their own local editions. These programmes share the same broad premise but differ in panel membership, rules, deal structure, and production details.
Money Tigers is often confused with Shark Tank because Shark Tank is the best-known American counterpart. Shark Tank was not the source format for the BBC series; the British programme belongs to the wider format family that originated in Japan.