Dragon’s Den, Shark Tank are TV knockoffs of a Japanese original

Before Dragons’ Den in the UK became a global hit and America’s Shark Tank turned startup pitches into mainstream entertainment, there was Manē no Tora (Tiger of Money or Money Tigers). Launched in Japan in 2001 by Nippon TV and Sony Pictures Television, this groundbreaking show introduced the format of entrepreneurs pitching their business ideas to a panel of angel investors.

Little did anyone know that Money Tigers would spark a global trend, influencing how high-growth entrepreneurship is perceived and celebrated around the world. In February 2024, the original backers announced that the 50th version of the franchise would launch in Bangladesh. The 22nd season of Dragons’ Den premiered on the BBC on January 2. And US ABC-TV’s Shark Tank is in its 16th season.

Money Tigers wasn’t just about creating riveting television. Its emergence was rooted in a broader societal and governmental push to transform Japan’s economic culture. Against the backdrop of a traditionally risk-averse society and an economy dominated by large corporations, Money Tigers aimed to normalize and even glamorize entrepreneurship.

It was accompanied by a wider set of government initiatives to foster innovation, boost entrepreneurial activity, and position Japan as a global leader in technology and startups. The show was part of the rise of what my colleague Ramon Pacheco Pardo and I call “startup capitalism,” an age in which startups have played a central role in the competitiveness of market economies.

The origin of Money Tigers

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Japan was at an economic crossroads. The burst of the asset bubble in the early 1990s had led to prolonged economic stagnation known as the “Lost Decade”.

Policymakers recognised the need