Britain's Dragon's Den was inspired by the Japanese television format Money Tigers.
Money Tigers was the original Japanese business-pitching programme on which the Dragon's Den concept was based. The central idea was simple but dramatic: entrepreneurs would present their business proposals to wealthy investors and attempt to secure funding by offering a portion of their company.
The British version changed the investor nickname from tigers to dragons, creating the title familiar to British audiences. The underlying negotiation structure remained recognisable, with entrepreneurs answering questions about sales, costs, valuations, ownership and future plans.
A common mix-up is to identify Shark Tank as the original source. Shark Tank is a later American adaptation of the same broader format, whereas Money Tigers is the Japanese programme credited as the direct inspiration for Dragon's Den.