Nippon TV originally created the television format adapted as the British series Dragon's Den.
The format began in Japan under the title Money Tigers. In that programme, entrepreneurs presented business proposals to successful investors, who decided whether to provide funding in return for a stake in the business. The basic idea became an international television format.
The British version retained the central features of the Japanese original while giving the investors the title “dragons.” This distinction matters because the British programme is not an entirely independent invention, even though its panel, branding and presentation are specific to the United Kingdom.
Nippon TV is a major Japanese broadcaster and television-production company. The format later inspired or supplied the basis for versions in countries including Australia, Canada and the United States. Shark Tank is the American adaptation, not the name of the original Japanese programme.