The BBC business programme Dragon's Den was inspired by the Japanese television show Money Tigers.
Money Tigers was a Japanese format in which entrepreneurs presented business proposals to wealthy investors, seeking financial backing in return for an ownership stake. The format established the basic dramatic structure later used by Dragon's Den: a presentation, questions from investors, negotiation, and the possibility of rejection.
The British programme is part of a wider international franchise known in many countries as Shark Tank or Dragon's Den. Although the investor nickname varies by territory, the core concept remains the same. The Japanese title is sometimes confused with the later international titles because the show is best known to British and American viewers through its adaptations.
The BBC version retained the central investment format while giving it a specifically British panel, presenter, and production style. Money Tigers therefore represents the format's Japanese source rather than the name of a British spin-off or a nickname for the BBC investors.