Shark Tank is the American television adaptation of Dragon's Den.
The US programme follows the same basic format: entrepreneurs pitch companies or products to a panel of wealthy investors and seek funding in exchange for equity. The investors are called Sharks rather than Dragons, giving the American version its distinct identity.
Shark Tank premiered on ABC in 2009. It is based on the international Dragons' Den format, which itself traces its origins to the Japanese programme Money Tigers. The different titles reflect local branding rather than a completely different business concept.
The Profit and The Apprentice are sometimes offered as alternatives because they are also American business programmes. Neither is the US adaptation of Dragon's Den. Shark Tank is the programme that directly uses the investor-pitch format.