The BBC's Dragon's Den is based on the Japanese television programme Money Tigers.
Money Tigers originated in Japan and established the format in which entrepreneurs pitch businesses to wealthy investors. The investors question the entrepreneurs, negotiate over valuation and equity, and may offer their own money in return for a stake. The British adaptation retained this basic structure while developing its own panel, tone and production style.
The format travelled widely after the Japanese original. In the United States, the related adaptation is known as Shark Tank, while many other countries use local versions of the Dragons' Den title. Shark Tank is therefore a sister adaptation rather than the programme from which the British format originally came.
Dragon's Den began on BBC Two in 2005. Its “dragons” are investors, not fictional creatures or actors playing characters, and the deals shown on screen remain subject to later due diligence.