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''Dragons' Den'' is a
reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring unfamiliar people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early ...
program format in which
entrepreneur
Entrepreneurship is the creation or extraction of economic value. With this definition, entrepreneurship is viewed as change, generally entailing risk beyond what is normally encountered in starting a business, which may include other values t ...
s pitch their business ideas to a panel of
venture capitalist
Venture capital (often abbreviated as VC) is a form of private equity financing that is provided by venture capital firms or funds to startups, early-stage, and emerging companies that have been deemed to have high growth potential or which ha ...
s in the hope of securing investment finance from them. The program originated in 2001 in Japan, where it is known as ''The Tigers of Money'' ( ja, マネーの虎, manē no tora), a pun on "The Tiger of Malaya" ( ja, マレーの虎, marē no tora, label=none), which was the nickname of WWII general
Tomoyuki Yamashita. The format was created and is owned by
Nippon TV
JOAX-DTV (channel 4), branded as , is the flagship station of the Nippon News Network and the Nippon Television Network System, owned-and-operated by the which is a subsidiary of the certified broadcasting holding company , itself a listed su ...
and is distributed by
Sony Pictures Television
Sony Pictures Television Inc. (abbreviated as SPT) is an American television production and distribution studio. Based at the Sony Pictures Studios complex in Culver City, it is a division of Sony Entertainment's unit Sony Pictures Entertainme ...
.
Local versions of the show have been produced in nearly 30 countries, as well as one for the
Arab world
The Arab world ( ar, اَلْعَالَمُ الْعَرَبِيُّ '), formally the Arab homeland ( '), also known as the Arab nation ( '), the Arabsphere, or the Arab states, refers to a vast group of countries, mainly located in Western A ...
; in some countries, more than one version has been aired. The first version to air outside of Japan was the British programme ''
Dragons' Den
''Dragons' Den'' is a reality television program format in which entrepreneurs pitch their business ideas to a panel of venture capitalists in the hope of securing investment finance from them. The program originated in 2001 in Japan, where it is k ...
'', which launched in 2005; in the several years afterward, most versions named themselves ''Dragons' Den'' or variations thereof, though some also used other animals in the title, such as lions. Since the launch of the U.S. version of the show, ''
Shark Tank'', in 2009, many versions have been named ''Shark Tank'' or variations thereof. In versions where the name of the show contains a creature's name, the investors are referred to by that name.
Format
The contestants are usually
inventors, product designers, or service operators who have what they consider to be a viable and potentially very profitable business idea, but who lack funding and/or business acumen. They pitch their idea to five rich entrepreneurial businesspeople, who in most iterations of the show are referred to as "dragons", "tigers" (in the original Japanese show), "lions" or "sharks". Before the show, the contestants have named a specific amount of money that they wish to get along with a percentage in the business that the contestant is offering to sell to the investors. The rules stipulate that if they do not raise at least this amount from the dragons, they get nothing. In return, the contestant gives the dragons a percentage of the company's
capital stock
A corporation's share capital, commonly referred to as capital stock in the United States, is the portion of a corporation's equity that has been derived by the issue of shares in the corporation to a shareholder, usually for cash. "Share capi ...
, which is the chief point of negotiation. The program does not show the entire pitch as scenes are selected and edited from the episode due to time constraints.
The dragons probe the idea further once the contestant has made the presentation. This will either reveal a sound business proposition resulting in an investment offer from one or more of the dragons in return for
equity or a withdrawal from the transaction by either the contestant or all of the dragons. A rejection by the dragons is often given as "I'm out" which is usually triggered (in the investor's opinion) by the investor asking for a larger equity stake in the business than the contestant wants to give up, the contestant's
valuation on the business being too high compared to its overall profits, the product not having any proprietary value, or the investor's belief that they cannot add value to the business. Sometimes the dragons identify troubling facts such as an embarrassing lack of preparation on the part of the contestant, the contestant's lack of business knowledge, their perceived
margins, competitors, insufficient sales, or high manufacturing costs. Contestants often negotiate and barter with the investors. The deals agreed to on the program may or may not actually be carried through.
Versions
''Dragons' Den'' series have been produced in numerous countries. Apart from Japan (where the show debuted) the show names, structures, and styles are based upon the UK version.
Afghanistan
In Afghanistan, the show is called ''
Fikr wa Talash'' (''Dream and Achieve''). The show's purpose is to encourage Afghans to embark on entrepreneurship. It aimed to promote entrepreneurial spirit among ordinary Afghans, with the show giving contestants a lifetime opportunity to pitch their creative business ideas before a panel of business tycoons and walk away with the cash prize of US$20,000.
The show began in 2008 on
TOLO TV
TOLO ( fa, طلوع, , sunrise) is a commercial television station operated by MOBY Group in Afghanistan. Launched in 2004, it became one of the first commercial stations in the country and laid the foundation for an accessible media outlet by o ...
. The first series ended in August 2008, with the final contestant, Faizulhaq Moshkani, winning $20,000 towards his
plastic recycling
Plastic recycling is the reprocessing of plastic waste into new products. When performed correctly, this can reduce dependence on landfill, conserve resources and protect the environment from plastic pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.
A ...
business. At the time of the show, he owned a plastic recycling plant in
Qandahar in southern Afghanistan. After winning, Moshkani shut the factory due to the high cost of fuel to power generators. Instead, he used the $20,000 prize money to move the business to Kabul, where he planned to build a miniature
hydroelectric plant
Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies one sixth of the world's electricity, almost 4500 TWh in 2020, which is more than all other renewable sources combined an ...
to power the new
recycling
Recycling is the process of converting waste materials into new materials and objects. The recovery of energy from waste materials is often included in this concept. The recyclability of a material depends on its ability to reacquire the p ...
plant. Mariam Al Ahmadi collected the runner-up prize of $10,000.
In the second season, a follow-up episode was introduced with the top contestants tracking their progress in their businesses.
The show was produced by Bamyan media with the help of the Moby Group's strategic communications arm, Lapis Ltd, and aired on the Group's most popular channel in Afghanistan, TOLO TV, reaching an estimated 7 million viewers in 2010.
''Fikr wa Talash'' was sponsored by
USAID
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is an independent agency of the U.S. federal government that is primarily responsible for administering civilian foreign aid and development assistance. With a budget of over $27 bi ...
, Roshan telecommunication (the country's leading mobile operator) and Bank e Milli (Afghan National Bank). The host is Ramiz Baktiar. Like the Egyptian version, it was created by Anna Elliot, founder of the NGO Bamyan Media.
Arab world
In the
Arab world
The Arab world ( ar, اَلْعَالَمُ الْعَرَبِيُّ '), formally the Arab homeland ( '), also known as the Arab nation ( '), the Arabsphere, or the Arab states, refers to a vast group of countries, mainly located in Western A ...
, ''Dragons' Den'' was known as ''Dragons' Den: Al Aareen العرين'' (The Den). It was broadcast on the
Lebanese channel
Future Television
Future Television ( ar, تلفزيون المستقبل, ''Televiziyon al-Mustaqbal'') was a Lebanese free-to-air television station founded in 1993 by the Future Movement leader Rafik Hariri, a former Prime Minister of Lebanon. Future TV was al ...
and was hosted by Ibrahim Abu Jawdeh. The show received contestants from various Arab countries.
The panel of Dragons for the 2007 series consisted of:
* Omar El-Quqa
* Ahmad Tantash
* Nassif Karam
* Roger Azar
Egypt
The Egyptian version of Dragons' Den is ''El Mashroua'' ("The Project"). The show was created in 2013 by Anna Elliot, the founder of the NGO Bamyan Media. It was broadcast on the national channel Alnahar and followed by approximately four million people. The program created the largest community of entrepreneurs through a digital platform connected to the show with one million participants. The winner of the first season, Tina Boules, won the sum of 350,000 Egyptian pounds to develop her startup Taqa Solutions, which specializes in agricultural waste recycling and
biogas
Biogas is a mixture of gases, primarily consisting of methane, carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulphide, produced from raw materials such as agricultural waste, manure, municipal waste, plant material, sewage, green waste and food waste. It is a ...
exploitation.
The panel of Dragons consisted of :
* Hala Hattab
* Hisham Al Jamal
Australia
Dragons' Den (2005 version)
The Australian version of ''Dragons' Den'' was broadcast on the
Seven Network
The Seven Network (commonly known as Channel Seven or simply Seven) is a major Australian commercial free-to-air television network. It is owned by Seven West Media Limited, and is one of five main free-to-air television networks in Australia ...
and hosted by
Andrew O'Keefe
Andrew Patrick O'Keefe AM (born 1 October 1971) is an Australian former television presenter and lawyer. He is best known for being the host of the game shows ''Deal or No Deal'' and '' The Chase Australia''. He was also the co-host of '' Wee ...
. Unlike in other versions, the host ran through the outline of the business with the contestant before the contestant began negotiating with the Dragons for a deal. The show was produced by Michael Horrock. The Australian Dragons were:
*Peter Higgins
*
Sarina Russo
Sarina Russo is the founder of The Sarina Russo Group.
Early life
Russo migrated to Australia from Sicily with her family in 1956, and attended St Stephen's Primary School and All Hallows' School.
Career
She worked as a legal secretary and as ...
*
Darryn Lyons
Darryn Lyons (born 19 August 1965) is an Australian media personality, entrepreneur and politician, who rose to prominence in Australia and the United Kingdom as a paparazzo. He held the position of Mayor of Geelong from 2013 to 2016.
Early li ...
*Suzi Dafnis
*Siimon Reynolds
The Seven Network
The Seven Network (commonly known as Channel Seven or simply Seven) is a major Australian commercial free-to-air Television broadcasting in Australia, television network. It is owned by Seven West Media, Seven West Media Limited, and is one of ...
announced in December 2005 that the show would not be back for a second season after poor ratings.
Shark Tank (2015 version)
The format was revived by
Network Ten, under the American ''Shark Tank'' name, for a show that premiered February 2015. It ran for four seasons, until August 2018. The show was hosted by
Sarah Harris. The Sharks for this edition are:
*
Janine Allis (founder of
Boost Juice
Boost Juice Bars is an Australian multinational retail outlet owned by parent company Retail Zoo that specialise in fruit juice and smoothies. Boost Juice Bars was formed in 2000 with the first store located in Adelaide, South Australia The co ...
)
* Andrew Banks (founder of Talent2)
* Steve Baxter (entrepreneur, investor, internet pioneer)
*
Naomi Simson (founder of
RedBalloon)
* John McGrath (founder of McGrath Estate Agents) (season 1)
*
Glen Richards (
Greencross Vets) (seasons 2–4)
Austria
The Austrian version is called ' "2 Minutes 2 Million". It debuted on .
Belgium
The Belgian (
Flemish
Flemish (''Vlaams'') is a Low Franconian dialect cluster of the Dutch language. It is sometimes referred to as Flemish Dutch (), Belgian Dutch ( ), or Southern Dutch (). Flemish is native to Flanders, a historical region in northern Belgium; ...
) version is called
Leeuwenkuil' (''Lions' Den'').
Brazil
The Brazilian version is called ''Shark Tank Brasil — Negociando com Tubarões'' ('Negotiating with Sharks'). It debuted in October 2016. The sharks (investors) have included João Appolinário, Cristiana Arcangeli, Robinson Shiba, Sorocaba (of
Fernando & Sorocaba), Camila Farani, José Semezato,
Carlos Wizard Martins and Caito Maia. Specials episodes included Roberto Justus, Luiza (Magazine Luiza) and others.
Canada
English version
The English-language Canadian version of ''Dragons' Den'' began airing in 2006.
The Canadian Dragons were:
French version
The
French-language version, ' (''In the Dragon's Eye''), began airing in 2012, hosted by
Paul Houde
Paul may refer to:
*Paul (given name), a given name (includes a list of people with that name)
* Paul (surname), a list of people
People
Christianity
*Paul the Apostle (AD c.5–c.64/65), also known as Saul of Tarsus or Saint Paul, early Chri ...
.
Past and present dragons include:
*
Dany Vachon
Dany may refer to:
People with the name Given name
A form of the Hebrew words and names '' daniyyel'' דניאל (« God is my Judge ») or ''dan'' דָּן (« judgement » or « he judged »)
* Dany Abounaoum (born 1969), Lebanese alpine skier
* ...
— co-founder of
Impera Advisory Inc
''Impera'' is the fifth studio album by the Swedish Rock music, rock band Ghost (Swedish band), Ghost. Released on 11 March 2022, it was produced by Klas Åhlund who also produced the band's 2015 album, ''Meliora (album), Meliora''. The rele ...
,
PVG Partners LLC
Shanghai Pudong International Airport is one of two international airports serving Shanghai and a major aviation hub of East Asia. Pudong Airport serves both international flights and a smaller number of domestic fights, while the city's othe ...
and
Fusion Immunovative
Fusion, or synthesis, is the process of combining two or more distinct entities into a new whole.
Fusion may also refer to:
Science and technology Physics
*Nuclear fusion, multiple atomic nuclei combining to form one or more different atomic nuc ...
/
NVNC
*
Danièle Henkel — president and founder of Danièle Henkel Inc
*
François Lambert — co-founder of
Aheeva and
Atelka
*
Gaétan Frigon — executive chairman of
Publipage
*
Normand Legault (
Canadian Grand Prix
The Canadian Grand Prix (french: Grand Prix du Canada) is an annual motor racing event held since 1961. It has been part of the Formula One World Championship since 1967. It was first staged at Mosport Park in Bowmanville, Ontario, as a spor ...
,
Just for Laughs)
*
Alexandre Taillefer (
Stingray Digital
Stingray Group Inc. (formerly Stingray Digital and Stingray Digital Group) is a publicly traded Canadian media and entertainment company based in Montreal, Quebec, with offices in the United States, Belgium, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, ...
,
Téo Taxi,
Voir
''Voir'' was a francophone alternative weekly newspaper in Montreal, Quebec, published by Communications Voir. ''Voir'' was founded by Pierre Paquet in November 1986. The first issue of the newspaper was published on 27 November 1986. Later on t ...
,
L'Actualité
''L'actualité'' is a Canadian French-language news and general interest magazine published in Montreal by Rogers Communications until 2016, then by Mishmash (XPND Capital). The magazine has over a million readers, according to Canada's Print Measu ...
, etc.)
*
Serge Beauchemin
*
Martin-Luc Archambault
*
Mitch Garber
China
The Chinese version of ''Dragons' Den'' (中国合伙人 "Chinese Partner") started airing in May 2016 on Shenzhen Satellite TV. The Chinese format is produced by Shanghai-based IPCN (International Programme International Network).
Past and present Chinese Dragons include:
* Bob Xu, co-founder of New Oriental Education and
ZhenFund (season 1–2)
* Annabelle Long Yu, CEO of Bertelsmann China (season 1–2)
* Li Guoqing, co-founder & CEO of Dang Dang (season 1–2)
* Yao Jinbo, Founder & CEO of 58.com (season 1–2)
* Hugo Shong, chairman of IDG Greater China (season 1)
* Zhou Hongyi, co-founder and CEO of Qihoo 360 (season 1)
* Jerry Huang, founder and CEO of Gaudi Capital (season 2)
Colombia
The Colombian version of ''Shark Tank'' called ''Shark Tank Colombia'' began airing on 23 February 2018 on Canal Sony.
Colombian sharks include:
*
Alexander Torrenegra (seasons 1–2)
* Leonardo Wehe (season 1)
* Ricardo Leyva Gutiérrez (seasons 1–2)
* Juliana Barreto (seasons 1–2)
* Frank Kanayet (seasons 1–2)
* Mauricio Hoyos (seasons 1–2)
Croatia
The Croatian version of ''Dragons' Den'' called ' (''Dragon's Nest'') was scheduled to broadcast in May 2007 on
Croatian Radiotelevision
''Hrvatska radiotelevizija'' (abbr. HRT), or Croatian Radiotelevision, is Croatia's public broadcasting company. It operates several radio and television channels, over a domestic transmitter network as well as satellite. HRT is divided into thr ...
and produced by Ocean Film, a local production company.
Contracted Croatian Dragons were:
* Maja Pečarević — owner of Generalturist, the leading and oldest travel agency in Croatia.
* Hrvoje Prpić — owner of Smee d.o.o, bamboo flooring company.
*
Davor Štern — owner of Trade Consulting d.o.o., business consulting company.
* Juroslav Buljubašić — co-owner of Blue Line International, the international maritime company.
* Branko Roglić — owner of Orbico, one of the leading importers and distributors of various consumer goods and toys in Croatia.
A few episodes were filmed but never broadcast for undisclosed reasons.
Czech Republic
In the Czech Republic, the show is called ''Den D'' (''The D-Day'').
It first aired on 31 March 2009 on
Czech TV (
CT1 channel), in a very similar set up to the British version of
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
.
The show is hosted by radio host
Jan Pokorny
Jan, JaN or JAN may refer to:
Acronyms
* Jackson, Mississippi (Amtrak station), US, Amtrak station code JAN
* Jackson-Evers International Airport, Mississippi, US, IATA code
* Jabhat al-Nusra (JaN), a Syrian militant group
* Japanese Article Numb ...
and the dragon investors are:
*
Ivan Pilny
Ivan () is a Slavic languages, Slavic male given name, connected with the variant of the Greek name (English: John (given name), John) from Hebrew language, Hebrew meaning 'God is gracious'. It is associated worldwide with Slavic countries. T ...
– former general manager of
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational technology corporation producing computer software, consumer electronics, personal computers, and related services headquartered at the Microsoft Redmond campus located in Redmond, Washin ...
in the Czech Republic, chairman of the board of Czech Telecom and entrepreneur (Series 1 & 3)
*
Marta Novakova
Marta may refer to:
People
* Marta (given name), a feminine given name
* Märta, a feminine given name
* Marta (surname)
:István Márta composer
* Marta (footballer) (born 1986), Brazilian professional footballer
Places
* Marta (river), a ...
– founder and CEO of U&SLUNO software company (Series 1, 2 & 3)
*
Ondrej Bartos Ondrej is a Slovak male given name, equivalent to Andrew. Notable people with the name include:
* Ondrej Duda, Slovak football player
* Ondrej Otčenáš (1987), Slovak ice hockey player
* Ondrej Nepela, Slovak figure skater
** Ondrej Nepela Arena
...
– serial entrepreneur, consultant and venture capitalist, Partner with Credo Ventures (Series 1 & 2)
*
Dana Berova – former minister of
informatics, entrepreneur and business development director of Gartner (1st, 2nd & 3rd series)
*
Tomio Okamura
is a Czech politician and entrepreneur of Moravian Wallachian, Japanese and Korean ethnicity. He founded the Czech political parties Dawn of Direct Democracy and Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD). Since October 2013, he has been a member of the ...
– Czech-Japanese entrepreneur in travel and retail (Series 1, 2 & 3)
*
Michael Rostock
Michael may refer to:
People
* Michael (given name), a given name
* Michael (surname), including a list of people with the surname Michael
Given name "Michael"
* Michael (archangel), ''first'' of God's archangels in the Jewish, Christian and ...
– investment banker and advisor with Venture Investors Corporate Finance (Series 2 & 3)
The Dragons are/were:
Denmark
A Danish version of the show, ' (''The Lion's Den''), began airing in April 2015. The five "lions" in the first season were
Christian Stadil
Christian Nicholas Stadil is a Danish executive and chairman. He owns the sports brand Hummel International, is CEO of Thornico Group and co-author of ''Company Karma''. In 2014 he was appointed honorary professor of creative leadership at the Ce ...
,
Birgit Aaby
Birgit is a female given name, a short form of Birgitta and ultimately a Germanic form of the Gaelic name Bridget. Notable people with the name include:
* Birgit Brüel, Danish singer and actress
* Birgit Collin-Langen, German politician
* Bir ...
,
Tommy Ahlers
Tommy Ahlers (born 18 November 1975 in Haderslev) is a Danish former businessman and politician who was a member of the Folketing for the Venstre political party from 2015 to 2021. He was the Minister of Science, Technology, Information and Hi ...
,
Ilse Jacobsen
Ilse is a common female name, technically a German diminutive of Elizabeth (given name), Elisabeth, functioning as a given name in its own right chiefly in Austria, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland and all of the Scandinavian countr ...
and
Jesper Buch. Only
Jesper Buch remains as of 2022.
Finland
Lion's Mouth (2007)
In Finland, the first version of the show was ', which means the jaws or the mouth of a lion. The show began running on 27 September 2007 on the
MTV3
MTV3 ( fi, MTV Kolme, sv, MTV Tre) is a Finnish commercial television station. It had the biggest audience share of all Finnish TV channels until Yle TV1 (from Yle) took the lead. The letters MTV stand for Mainos-TV (literally "Advertisemen ...
channel and aired for one season. It was hosted by
Anna Sorainen. The local ' (lions) were
Kyösti Kakkonen,
Eero Lehti,
Toivo Sukari
Toivo "Topi" Ilmo Kalevi Sukari (April 8, 1954 in Mynämäki) is a Finnish
Finnish may refer to:
* Something or someone from, or related to Finland
* Culture of Finland
* Finnish people or Finns, the primary ethnic group in Finland
* Finnish la ...
,
Lisa Sounio
Lisa Sounio (born 1970) is a past CEO and chairperson of social networking site Dopplr. She is also the CEO of her own design management consultancy Sonay. She has a background in industrial design management. Early in her career she worked as ...
and
Kaija Ward.
Lion's Den (2013)
In February 2013 the show re-emerged on the
Nelonen
Nelonen () is a Finnish commercial television channel. It started out as Helsinki's local television channel PTV in 1990 on the HTV cable network (now part of DNA Welho), and changed its name first to PTV4. On June 1, 1997, the channel expand ...
channel, this time named ' (''Lion's Den''). The show was hosted by
Kirsi Salo
Kirsi is a Finland, Finnish female given name. Its nameday is celebrated on 24 July. It began to be used in the 1940s, and it reached its peak of popularity in the 1960s and 1970s. As of 2013 there are 23,000 women with this name in Finland.
Ori ...
, and the new lions were
Riku Asikainen,
Jorma Terentjeff,
Ari Lahti
Ari Lahti (born 1963) is a Finnish businessman, owner of KuPS of the Veikkausliiga and President of Football Association of Finland. He is the founder, owner, and chairman of Helsinki-based Ice Capital. He was formerly employed at the Bank of Fi ...
,
Anne Berner
Anne-Catherine Berner (born 16 January 1964) is a Swiss-Finnish business executive, board professional, and the former Minister of Transport and Communications. In 2015, Berner was elected Member of the Finnish Parliament from the electoral distr ...
and
Oskari Lehtonen.
France
The French version is called ''Qui veut être mon associé?'' ("Who wants to be my business partner?"). It debuted on 14 January 2020 on
M6. The second season debuted on 5 January 2022. The investors have been:
* Delphine André
*
*
*
Catherine Barba (season 1 only)
*
Frédéric Mazzella (season 1 only)
* (season 1 only)
* (season 2 only)
*
Sophie Mechaly (season 2 only)
* (season 2 only)
* Isabelle Weill (season 2 only)
Germany
The German version is called ' (''The Lions' Cave''). It debuted on 19 August 2014 on
VOX. The German "lions" are:
*
Vural Öger (season 1–2) — Travel entrepreneur
*
Jochen Schweizer (season 1–3) — Pioneer of
bungee jumping in Germany, founder of a German
web portal
A web portal is a specially designed website that brings information from diverse sources, like emails, online forums and search engines, together in a uniform way. Usually, each information source gets its dedicated area on the page for displayi ...
for adventure gifts
*
Lencke Wischhusen (season 1–2) — chairwoman of
German Federal Association of Young Entrepreneurs (BJU),
Bremen head of the
Free Democratic Party
*
Frank Thelen
Frank Thelen (born 10 October 1975) is a German businessman, investor and author based in Bonn.
Career
Thelen was a co-founder of companies such as ip.labs and doo. As of 2014, he is the CEO of venture capital firm e42, now Freigeist Capital, ...
(seasons 1–5) – managing director of a venture capital and private equity company
*
Judith Williams (seasons 1–5) —
shopping channel
Shopping channels (also known in British English as teleshopping) are a type of television program or specialty channel devoted to home shopping. Their formats typically feature live presentations and demonstrations of products, hosted by on-air pr ...
presenter and businesswoman with her own fashion and jewellery lines
*
Carsten Maschmeyer
Carsten Jens Maschmeyer (born 8 May 1959) is a German billionaire businessman, investor, and panel member of the German investment television series ''Die Höhle der Löwen'' ("The Lions' Den"). He is the founder and owner of the Maschmeyer Gro ...
(seasons 3–5) — founder of financial services company
AWD Holding
Swiss Life Select Deutschland GmbH, headquartered in Hanover, is a financial advisory firm offering consultation in insurance, investment and real estate matters.
It was initially created under the name AWD Holding by Carsten Maschmeyer and acq ...
and investor in technology and health care companies
*
Ralf Dümmel
Ralf Dümmel (born 2 December 1966) is a German entrepreneur, managing director of the family business DS Produkte and investor in the VOX founder show '' Die Höhle der Löwen''.
Biography
Dümmel was born in Bad Segeberg, Schleswig-Holst ...
(seasons 3–5) — head of consumer goods company DS Produkte
*
Dagmar Wöhrl
Dagmar Gabriele Wöhrl (''née'' Winkler; born 5 May 1954) is a German politician of the Christian Social Union in Bavaria (CSU). She has served as Chairwoman of the Committee for Economic Cooperation and Development of the German Bundestag. She ...
(season 4–5) — lawyer, entrepreneur, and politician
The first episode of the second season aired on 18 August 2015. The third season launched on 23 August 2016, introducing two new presenters. A fourth season was announced for 2017.
Nico Rosberg
Nico Erik Rosberg (born 27 June 1985) is a German-Finnish former professional racing driver. He competed in Formula One from 2006 to 2016, winning the World Drivers' Championship in with Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport. The only child of Fi ...
replaced
Frank Thelen
Frank Thelen (born 10 October 1975) is a German businessman, investor and author based in Bonn.
Career
Thelen was a co-founder of companies such as ip.labs and doo. As of 2014, he is the CEO of venture capital firm e42, now Freigeist Capital, ...
as an investor on the programme ('The Lions' Cave') in late 2019.
Hungary
The Hungarian version is called ''Cápák között (Among Sharks)''. It debuted on 18 February 2019 on
RTL.
The Hungarian "sharks" are/were:
India
An Indian version of the show began in 2021 on
SET India
Sony Entertainment Television (SET) is an Indian Hindi-language general entertainment pay television channel, that was launched on 30 September 1995, and is owned by Culver Max Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Japanese Sony.
SET India's You ...
. It is hosted by
Rannvijay Singha
Ranvijay Singh Singha is an Indian actor, television personality and VJ. Ranvijay is known for his appearance in MTV Roadies, where he won the show. He was a part of the show from 2004 to 2020, earlier as a gang leader and then as a host. He al ...
.
The seven sharks who participated in season 1 are:
Ireland
An Irish version of the show began in 2009 on
RTÉ One
RTÉ One ( ga, RTÉ a hAon) is an Irish free-to-air flagship television channel owned and operated by Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ). It is the most-popular and most-watched television channel in the country and was launched as ''Telefís ...
, the state broadcaster. It is presented by Richard Curran, deputy editor of ''
The Sunday Business Post
The ''Business Post'' (formerly ''The Sunday Business Post'') is a Sunday newspaper distributed nationally in Ireland and an online publication. It is focused mainly on business and financial issues in Ireland.
Founding to Irish financial crisi ...
''.
The Irish Dragons are/were:
The Dragons have appeared on television in Ireland, in promotion of the series, on ''
Tubridy Tonight
''Tubridy Tonight'' is a talk show hosted by Ryan Tubridy that aired on RTÉ One for five seasons between 2004 and 2009. The programme featured guest interviews (usually three per show), audience participation and live music from both a guest mu ...
'', on
RTÉ One
RTÉ One ( ga, RTÉ a hAon) is an Irish free-to-air flagship television channel owned and operated by Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ). It is the most-popular and most-watched television channel in the country and was launched as ''Telefís ...
.
RTÉ started broadcasting show promos after Christmas 2008 as part of their winter line-up.
The first episode was broadcast on 19 February 2009.
A third season of ''Dragons' Den'' began airing on RTÉ One, on Thursday, 20 February 2011. Norah Casey was the new Dragon for the third season. Episodes at the end of the third season, for the first time on ''Dragons' Den'' in Ireland, showed the Dragons on tour visiting their past investments.
A fourth season of ''Dragons' Den'' was commissioned. Sean O'Sullivan replaced Seán Gallagher. Sean is co-founder at
Avego Ltd
Carma Technology Corporation is a real-time transportation technology company headquartered in Cork, Ireland. Its flagship product, Carma Carpooling, matches users with nearby commuters and enables them to share the cost of driving. Carma also ...
, based in
Kinsale
Kinsale ( ; ) is a historic port and fishing town in County Cork, Ireland. Located approximately south of Cork City on the southeast coast near the Old Head of Kinsale, it sits at the mouth of the River Bandon, and has a population of 5,281 (a ...
.
For the fourth series of Dragons' Den, a live, interactive "Sixth Dragon Game" was developed to be played whilst watching the show, in which viewers are able to decide in real time if they're IN or OUT as the pitches unfold. The "Sixth Dragon Game" is the first live, interactive game for a TV show in Ireland.
Israel
In Israel, ''Dragons' Den'' is entitled ', Hebrew for "The Sharks". It was produced by
Gil Productions
Gil or GIL may refer to:
Places
* Gil Island (disambiguation), one of several islands by that name
* Gil, Iran, a village in Hormozgan Province, Iran
* Hil, Azerbaijan, also spelled ''Gil, a village in Azerbaijan
* Hiloba, also spelled ''Gil, ...
and was broadcast on the now defunct
Channel 10. It was hosted by Guy Zohar and ran for two seasons. In the Israeli version, there were six dragons who rotate their appearance weekly. The first season was broadcast during the summer and fall of 2006 and the second during the summer of 2007.
In 2018 the show wa
renewedby Gil Productions and is now being broadcast on
Keshet 12
Channel 12 ( he, ערוץ 12), also known as Keshet 12 ( he, קשת 12), is an Israeli free-to-air television channel owned by Keshet Media Group. It launched on 1 November 2017 as one of two replacements of the outgoing Channel 2.
History
Is ...
. The show is currently airing its 3rd season on
Keshet 12
Channel 12 ( he, ערוץ 12), also known as Keshet 12 ( he, קשת 12), is an Israeli free-to-air television channel owned by Keshet Media Group. It launched on 1 November 2017 as one of two replacements of the outgoing Channel 2.
History
Is ...
. The show welcomed an entirely new cast, with dragon Amir Eyal from the original iteration of the show returning for the 3rd season.
Japan
Titled , this is the original version. It was created by and broadcast on
Nippon Television from 2001 to 2004. It was the first entertainment programme in the history of Japanese television that dealt with the concept of business investment. During its three-year run, as many as 16 business executives appeared in the programme as Tigers.
Kenya
The premier of Lion's Den was in October 2016 on
NTV NTV may refer to:
Television
* NTV (Bangladesh), a Bengali-language satellite television channel in Bangladesh
* NTV (India), Telugu regional channel
* NTV (Kenya)
* NTV (Mongolia), a television channel based in Mongolia
* NTV (Newport Televis ...
. The show was sponsored by
KCB Group, the largest commercial bank in
East Africa. The format was introduced to Kenya by Quite Bright Films Kenya Ltd (QBF) who produce the show in Nairobi.
The Kenyan Lions are:
* Darshan Chandaria, director and Group CEO of Chandaria group
*
Kris Senanu
Kris Senanu is a Kenyan businessman who currently is the Chief Enterprise Business Officer at Safaricom. Prior to this he was Managing Director of Telkom Digital. Kris was the youngest Telco executive to run a listed ICT company. He was instrume ...
, venture capitalist and MD,
Telkom Digital
* Myke Rabar, entertainment Guru and Founder, CEO o
Homeboyz Entertainment Group* Olive Gachara, businesswoman in fashion, image consultant and Editor in Chief o
Couture Africa Magazine* Wandia Gichuru, businesswoman with own fashion lines and stores
Mexico
In Mexico the series is called ''Shark Tank México: Negociando con tiburones'' or just simply ', Spanish for "Negotiating with Sharks".
The sharks were:
*
Ana Victoria García (season 1) Victoria 147 Women's entrepreneur incubator and training
*
Arturo Elías Ayub
Arturo Elías Ayub (born April 27, 1966) is a Mexican businessman, currently Director of Strategic Alliances of Teléfonos de Mexico, CEO of the Telmex Foundation and director of UNO Noticias.
Life and career
Elías Ayub was born in Mexico Ci ...
(season main 1–2, 3 guest) Director of Strategic Alliances at
Telmex
Telmex is a Mexican telecommunications company headquartered in Mexico City that provides telecommunications products and services in Mexico. Telmex is still the dominant fixed-line phone carrier in Mexico. In addition to traditional fixed-line ...
*
Carlos Bremer (season 1–3) Owner Grupo Financiero Value Stock Brokerage firm
*
Jorge Vergara
Jorge Carlos Vergara Madrigal (; 3 March 1955 – 15 November 2019) was a Mexican businessman and film producer. He was the founder of the multi-level marketing company Grupo Omnilife. In addition to its health products business, Grupo Omnili ...
(season 1–2) Omnilife nutraceuticals and Anhelo movie production
*
Rodrigo Herrera Aspra es (season 1–3) CEO Genomma Labs OTC drugs and skin lotions
* Patricia Armendáriz (season 2–3) Politician, actuary and business consultant
* Marcus Dantus (season 3) Startup Mexico business incubator chain
* Luis Harvey (season 3) Nexxus Private equity and investment banking
Nepal
This series is titled ''Shark Tank Nepal''. Himalaya Television HD has the rights to produce and broadcast the show.
Netherlands
In the Netherlands the show ran on
Nederland 3 for three seasons. The first season was broadcast in May 2007, every Friday at 20:25. The second season was broadcast in May 2008, every Monday at 21:25. Both seasons were hosted by
Jort Kelder
Jort Kelder (born 22 September 1964) is a Dutch journalist, television presenter and former editor of the magazine ''Quote''.
In the 2018-2019 season, he presented the Sunday discussion program Buitenhof for AVROTROS as a replacement for Pieter J ...
. The dragons were:
*
Henk Keilman
Henk is a Dutch people, Dutch male given name, originally a short form of Hendrik (given name), Hendrik. It influenced "Hank" which is used in English-speaking countries (mainly in the US) as a form of "Henry (given name), Henry". People named "He ...
*
Annemarie van Gaal
*
Jan Pieter Melchior (2007)
*
Willem Sijthoff
Willem () is a Dutch and West FrisianRienk de Haan, ''Fryske Foarnammen'', Leeuwarden, 2002 (Friese Pers Boekerij), , p. 158. masculine given name. The name is Germanic, and can be seen as the Dutch equivalent of the name William in English, Gu ...
*
Arjen de Koning
Arjen (also spelled as Arjan) is a given name, a variant of the Dutch/Finnish name Adrian. Arjen (sometimes also Ariën) is derived from the Latin name Adrianus.
The name Adrianus means "native of, from Adria", a place near Venice. Adria is associ ...
*
George Banken
George may refer to:
People
* George (given name)
* George (surname)
* George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George
* George Washington, First President of the United States
* George W. Bush, 43rd Preside ...
(2008)
In 2020 a third season was broadcast on
NPO 1
NPO 1 (''NPO een'', formerly Nederland 1 until 2014) is the first national television station in the Netherlands. It launched on 2 October 1951. It provides public broadcasting and currently exists next to sister channels NPO 2 and NPO 3. Severa ...
, hosted by
Sander Schimmelpenninck
Count Sander Cornelis Schimmelpenninck (born June 26, 1984) is a Dutch nobleman, opinion writer & -commentator, and television presenter. From 2016 to September 2020, he was the editor-in-chief of the magazine Quote (magazine), Quote. Since Septem ...
.
The dragons were:
*
Michel Perridon
Michel may refer to:
* Michel (name), a given name or surname of French origin (and list of people with the name)
* Míchel (nickname), a nickname (a list of people with the nickname, mainly Spanish footballers)
* Míchel (footballer, born 1963), ...
*
Won Yip
Won may refer to:
*The Korean won from 1902–1910
*South Korean won, the currency of the Republic of Korea
*North Korean won, the currency of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea
* Won (Korean surname)
* Won (Korean given name)
* Won Buddhi ...
*
Nikkie Plessen
*
Shawn Harris
*
Pieter Schoen
New Zealand
Initially, the UK and Australian series of ''Dragons' Den'' were broadcast in New Zealand before a local version was produced by
Eyeworks Television. It broadcast on
TV One in 2006 and was hosted by
Rawdon Christie. The dragons were:
* Julie Christie
*
Bob Jones
*
Annette Presley
* Paul Webb
* Barry Colman
Nigeria
Nigeria's adaptation of ''Dragons' Den'' was broadcast weekly in 2008 on the
AIT Network and produced by
Storm Vision
A storm is any disturbed state of the natural environment or the atmosphere of an Astronomy, astronomical body. It may be marked by significant disruptions to normal conditions such as strong wind, tornadoes, hail, thunder and lightning (a thun ...
.
The Nigerian Dragons were:
*
Prince Femi Tejuoso
*
Ibukun Awosika
*
Chris Parkes
Chris is a short form of various names including Christopher, Christian, Christina, Christine, and Christos. Chris is also used as a name in its own right, however it is not as common.
People with the given name
*Chris Abani (born 1966), Nig ...
*Alexander Amosu
*John Momoh
*Tokunboh Ishmael
Pakistan
In Pakistan, the program airs as ''Idea Croron Ka'' and is broadcast on Neo News. It is a joint venture between Chaudhry Muhammad Akram Centre for Entrepreneurship Development (CMACED) at Superior University and Neo News. The first episode premiered on 18 March 2017. The main lead and driving force of this show is Nabeel A. Qadeer who was the Director Entrepreneurship at Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB).
The judges include:
* Salim Ghauri, Founder and CEO of Netsol technologies (Pvt.) Ltd
* Naeem Zamindar, Pakistan Country Director and CEO of Acumen (organization), Acumen
* Humayun Mazhar, Founder, CEO and chairman at CresVentures
Poland
In Poland, the program is called ''Dragons' Den – jak zostać milionerem'' ("How to be a millionaire") and has been broadcast on TV4 (Poland), TV4 since 2011.
The largest investment ever secured on the program was 15 million PLN (US$5.5 million), on 24 April 2011.
The Polish Dragons in 2011 were:
*Maciej Kaczmarski, founder, "Kaczmarski Inkasso companies", "National Debt Register" and "Reliable Company", called the ''king of Polish recovery''
*Anna Garwolińska, head of "Glaubicz Garwolińska Consultants"
*Grzegorz Hajdarowicz, owner of the "Group Gremi"
*Marian Owerko, CEO Bakalland
*Krzysztof Golonka, president of an investment fund "Xevin"
Portugal
The Portuguese version of ''Dragons' Den'' has the American name ''Shark Tank''. It ran for two seasons, from 2015 to 2016, on the Sociedade Independente de Comunicação, SIC Network.
The Portuguese Sharks are:
*Mário Ferreira
*João Rafael Koehler
*Susana Sequeira
*Tim Vieira
*Miguel Ribeiro Ferreira
Romania
There is a Romanian version of the format called ' (Lions' Arena). The Romanian Lions are:
* Marius Ghenea
* Dragos Anastasiu
* Florin Talpes
* Mircea Tudor
* Mihaela Nicola
* Cristina Batlan
* Orlando Szasz
The show started in 2007. It lasted for a few years and then it was canceled.
The show was released again in 2019 under the name ' (Lions' Empire). The new Romanian lions are:
* Dragoș Petrescu
* Mohammad Murad
* Monica Cadogan
* Cristian Onețiu
* Daniela Mariscu
Russia
There was a Russian version of the show called ''KAPITAL''.
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabian broadcaster STV1 showed the BBC version of ''Dragons' Den'' in 2010, then broadcast a local version in 2011. It was called ''التجار'', or "Traders". The dragons were:
* Saleh Kamel
* Ahmed Fitihy
* Nashwa Altahir
* Altaiar
* Alhalafy
Slovenia
The Slovenian version of the show was called ' ("Good Deal"). It was aired by new Slovenian broadcaster Planet TV, owned by Telekom Slovenije. The show was announced in May 2012, and premiered on 11 November 2012.
The Slovenian investors were:
* Branko Drobnak, Procurator at Alta Skupina d.d., an asset management, non-discretional brokerage services, corporate finance services, accounting and audit services company. He is part of The Business Angels Club of Slovenia and non-executive chairman of Acies bio d.o.o, a biotechnology contract research organization.
* Borut Rismal General Manager, CHS d.o.o., a computer peripherals distribution company
* Daniela Bervar Country Manager for Slovenia at Cotrugli Business School and co-owner of MEDIA LAB d.o.o. deal of the day business company.
* Jure Mikuž founder of RSG Capital, a venture-capital management company
* Matjaž Krč, a business angel and managing director at Ideus d.o.o., business consulting services for small and mid-sized companies.
South Africa
''Dragon's Den South Africa'' premiered on 23 September 2014 on Mzansi Magic. In a 2014 episode, Vusi Thembekwayo, one of the Dragons, signed his biggest deal, when he invested ZAR2 million in a Halaal abattoir owned by contestant Johan Jacobs and received a 40% stake in the business. There were two seasons of the show.
The South African "dragons" were:
* Lebo Gunguluza, runs Gunguluza Enterprises & Media which boasts 12 print publications, stakes in numerous hotels and a car-hire business.
* Vusi Thembekwayo, a motivational speaker and CEO of Watermark Pan-African Capital Ltd, with over ZAR4,32 billion in capital.
* Polo Leteka Radebe, CEO of Identity Partners, a small and medium enterprises advisory and fund management services firm founded in 2007
* Vinny Lingham, a serial internet entrepreneur from Cape Town with ties to Silicon Valley.
* Gil Oved, founder and co-CEO of The Creative Counsel, an advertising agency with over ZAR600 million in turnover per year.
In October 2016 the show was renamed to ''Shark Tank South Africa'' and premiered on M-Net.
The "sharks" are:
* Dawn Nathan-Jones
* Vinny Lingham
* Romeo Kumalo
* Marnus Broodryk
* Gil Oved
Spain
The title of the Spanish version is ' (Your Opportunity) and went to air on 30 October 2013 by TVE1, TVE.
Sri Lanka
The Sri Lankan version is called "Ath Pavura" (ඇත් පවුර), which means "Wall of Tuskers". It debuted on Independent Television Network on 24 September 2017. Unlike the other versions, the Sri Lankan version focuses on social entrepreneurs and impact investors.
Sweden
The British version was on air in Sweden for several years on TV8 (Sweden), TV8 and BBC Prime. A Swedish version called ' ("The Dragons' Nest") ran for two seasons, from 2009 to 2010, on Sveriges Television.
The Swedish Dragons were:
* Gunilla von Platen CEO and founder of Xzakt Kundrelation, a telemarketing company (season 1 only)
* Ljubo Mrnjavac sold his fast food company Pölsemannen 2002, then became active in real estate (season 1 only)
* Mats Gabrielsson, who sold his IT firm in the late 1980s for over $100 million
* Douglas Roos, founder and chairman of nyheter24.se (season 2 only)
* Susanna Falkengren cofounder and member of Exipos Invest (season 2 only)
* Sven Hagströmer founder of Hagströmer & Qviberg, HQ, Avanza, Investment AB Öresund and also on the board for the public companies Bilia, Eworks and Insplanet
* Richard Båge, founder of Insplanet, founder and chairman of Mediaplanet
Switzerland
The Swiss version is called "Die Höhle der Löwen Schweiz" (''Lion's Cave'') and uses the same style, design and name as the German version. The first season premiered on July 7, 2020, on the German-speaking channel 3+. A second season was aired on TV24 and featured famous music producer DJ Antoine.
Thailand
In 2018, MEDIA Tank Co. Ltd. licensed ''Shark Tank Thailand'' franchise from Sony Pictures Television to be aired on Channel 7 (Thailand), Channel 7.
* The first season was first aired on 3 March 2019 and last aired on 23 June 2019.
** Shannon Kalayanamitr, Chalermchai Mahagitsiri, Nishita Shah, Rawit Harnausanha, Natavudh Pungcharoenpong, and Krit Srichawla as investors
** Shahkrit Yamnam as guest investor.
* The second season was first aired on 5 July 2020 and last aired on 25 October 2020.
** Natavudh Pungcharoenpong and Krit Srichawla as return investors.
** Bhurit Bhirombhakdi, Bodintorn Juangroongruangkit and Jakkaphong Jakrajutatip as new investors.
** Pattarapon Sinlapajan and Prapol Milintachinda as guest investors.
* The third season will be first aired on 28 August 2022 and last aired on 27 November 2022.
** Natavudh Pungcharoenpong, Krit Srichawla, and Bhurit Bhirombhakdi as return investors.
** Chanapan Juangroongruangkit and Prapol Milintachinda as new investors.
Trinidad and Tobago
The Trinbagonian version of Dragon's Den is called "Planting Seeds". The first season premiered on August 23, 2016, on CNC3. The show ran for four seasons before becoming an online sales platform called
Seed Shops.
The original four investors on the show were:
* Joseph Rahael, managing director for Real Estate at The ANSA McAL Group
* Racquel Moses, CEO at The Caribbean Climate-Smart Accelerator
* Joe Pires, managing director at Caribbean Chemicals & Agencies
* Sheldon Stephen (Managing Direction at Lollabee Group of Companies
Turkey
The Turkish version of Dragons' Den is on BloombergHT. Baybars Altuntaş is one of the dragons.
Ukraine
In Ukraine, the series was called ' (', "Business Sharks") and featured Dragons such as future presidential candidate Serhiy Tihipko.
United Kingdom
''Dragons' Den'' was first broadcast in the UK on 4 January 2005 on BBC Two. Since 2021, after 16 series on that channel, the show has been broadcast on BBC One, with reruns of previous episodes still broadcast on BBC Two. The Television producer, producers are Darrell Olsen and Samantha Davies, and it is hosted by
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
Television presenter, presenter Evan Davis.
The Dragons are/were:
During filming for series 17, Touker Suleyman fell ill with pneumonia and was unable to appear on the show for the second half of the series; Theo Paphitis returned temporarily to cover his place.
In May 2021 it was confirmed that Steven Bartlett (businessman), Steven Bartlett would become the youngest ever Dragon to join the den.