The original Japanese title of the format adapted as the British show Dragons' Den was Money Tigers.
The Japanese programme, known as Money no Tora in Japanese and commonly translated as Money Tigers, created the central premise later used by Dragons' Den. Entrepreneurs presented business plans to a group of successful investors, seeking funding in return for a share of their company.
The British version changed the investors' nickname from tigers to dragons, giving the programme a title suited to its own branding and audience. The concept was subsequently adapted in numerous territories, with local versions using titles such as Shark Tank or Lions' Den while retaining the pitch-and-equity structure.
Money Tigers is not the same programme as the British series, and it should not be confused with the later American Shark Tank franchise. The shared format explains why many international versions feature entrepreneurs standing before a panel of investors and negotiating ownership percentages on camera.