The BBC series Dragon's Den uses an investment format inspired by the Japanese television programme Money Tigers.
Money Tigers, known in Japan as Money no Tora, was created as a business-pitch programme in which entrepreneurs sought funding from wealthy businesspeople. The format was later adapted in several countries, including the United Kingdom, where the BBC launched Dragon's Den in 2005.
The British title uses “dragons” rather than “tigers” to describe the investors, but the central structure remains similar: entrepreneurs present a business, request a specific investment, and offer a percentage of equity. The investors can question the proposal and decide whether to make an offer.
Dragon's Den is often confused with Shark Tank because both shows feature business pitches and investor negotiations. Shark Tank is the American adaptation of the same broad format, while Money Tigers is the Japanese programme that originated the international television concept.