Nippon TV created the Japanese television format adapted as Britain's Dragon's Den.
The format originated in Japan under the title Money Tigers, a programme in which aspiring entrepreneurs presented proposals to wealthy individual investors. Nippon Television Network Corporation, commonly known as Nippon TV, developed that format before it was licensed for international adaptations.
The British production retained the essential idea of a business pitch followed by direct questioning and negotiation. Its investors became known as Dragons, while entrepreneurs sought money in return for an ownership stake in their businesses. The format's simplicity helped it travel successfully across television markets.
The Japanese origin is sometimes mistaken for the country of the British programme's production or for another Japanese broadcaster. Britain's Dragon's Den is a local adaptation, not the original series. The wider franchise has also been known by different titles in different countries, including Shark Tank in the United States, even though the business-pitch concept is closely related.