Money Tigers was the Japanese programme that originated the Dragon's Den television format.
The Japanese show created the key premise later used by Dragon's Den: entrepreneurs enter a studio, explain a business proposal and request money from a panel of wealthy investors. The investors can question the proposal, negotiate terms and decline to participate.
The title is a common source of confusion because the British adaptation uses “dragons,” while the original Japanese programme used “tigers.” The name therefore belongs to the source format, not to the British panel or its investors.
The concept travelled widely through licensed adaptations. Different countries changed the title, panel and local business references, but preserved the central contest between an entrepreneur seeking capital and investors assessing commercial potential. In the United States, the related adaptation is called Shark Tank.