Smith produced and directed a pilot for the British version of Dragon's Den for the BBC after the corporation took an option on the format which was created by Nippon TV in Japan.
In Japan, the show was a cult late-night series where young businessmen and women would ask for money from five rich individuals.
The Japanese show was created when Nippon TV asked in-house producers to come up with low-budget ideas.
The clever twist of asking the 'Dragons' to invest their own money in fledgling businesses kept costs low.
The original 'Dragons' were Duncan Bannatyne, Doug Richard, Peter Jones, Rachel Elnaugh and Simon Woodroffe.