“Shark Tank” seems like the quintessential American show: It celebrates plucky entrepreneurs trying to get money from already successful business people. There are spirited pitches and tough negotiations. Every episode features winners and losers.

Yet, it’s effectively an import: ABC in 2009 based “Shark Tank” on Britain’s “Dragons’ Den” and Japan’s “The Tigers of Money.” Now, 16 years later, the show is still going strong. The season finale aired recently, and a 17th season is already cleared.

“There are so many elements that connect with viewers,” said Clay Newbill, a show producer since day one. “There’s the wish fulfillment aspect based on merit. With the right idea, grit and determination, you can achieve your dream.”

The chemistry among the Shark Tank “sharks” over the years have also been a key part of the show’s appeal: the over-the-top boastings of Kevin “Mr. Wonderful” O’Leary, the warmth of “Queen of QVC” Lori Greiner, the no-nonsense approach of tech and media mogul Mark Cuban and FUBU founder Daymond John, the bluntness of Barbara Corcoran and the kindness of Robert Herjavec.

We checked in on several inventors to see what impact the show has had on their lives and businesses.

Stress Free Kids, Season 1

Lori Lite appeared on the show Aug. 23, 2009, to pitch a line of books that use stress-relieving techniques to help kids sleep.

She accepted Corcoran’s offer of $250,000 for 50% equity. The show was new, so she had no clue what a good deal was. Corcoran’s offer “knocked me off my feet,” Lite said. “But I knew the chance of getting on air was far greater if I said yes. So I did.” The deal would only kick in if Lite used Corcoran’s money, so she chose not to. Sales of her books improved after her episode aired, and Scholastic signed her up to write more books. For a time, she became a Twitter influencer. Her husband, Rick, started a Stress Free Book Marketing company to help self-published authors.

DDP Yoga, Season 5

Diamond Dallas Page appeared on the show Feb. 21, 2014, to pitch a fitness program based on yoga developed by the former pro wrestler that helped him recuperate from a back injury and stay in the ring for many more years.

He got no bites. At the time of the show, he and his business partner, Steven Yu, were selling books and DVDs. They pivoted to a workout app by 2015 that now has more than 40,000 subscribers.

Southern Culture Artisan Foods, Season 5

Erica Barrett appeared on the show Feb. 21, 2014, to pitch specialty pancake and waffle mixes.

Corcoran offered $100,000 for 28% equity that never closed. Although the deal with Corcoran fell through, Barrett was able to nab a private investor. She went to culinary school, became a chef and made appearances on CNBC’s “The Profit” and multiple Food Network shows, winning “BBQ Brawl” last year. Besides Southern Culture Artisan Foods, she also makes money developing food products for other companies. She also started pizza business Dough Boy with multiple franchise locations.

Buzzy, Season 5

Amy Baxter appeared on the show Feb. 28, 2014, to pitch a device that uses vibration to numb skin in preparation for medical shots.

She had no bites after asking for $500,000 in exchange for 5% equity. Baxter is a doctor who said her primary impetus was to “raise awareness of needle fear.” She continues to sell Buzzy products and did a 2023 TED Talk on opioid use and how the brain processes pain. “We’ve been profitable for eight years,” she said. “My TED Talk boosted sales another 30% year over year.” She is working on a device to reduce lower back pain.

Le-Glue, Season 10

Lee and Tripp Phillips appeared on the show Oct. 7, 2018, to pitch temporary glue for Lego and Lego-like construction.

The sharks loved 11-year-old Tripp, who did most of the heavy lifting during the presentation and negotiating, while his dad, Lee, provided support and advice. O’Leary gave them $80,000 for 50% of licensing until his investment was recouped, then dropped it to 20% equity. O’Leary Ventures still has 20% equity in the company. The Phillips have stuck to direct selling Le-Glue off their website, eBay and Amazon rather than pursue retail or partner with a toy manufacturer. The result: Most of its annual $180,000 to $250,000 is pure profit for a relatively modest amount of work. Lee continues to run a textile lab in Dalton, Georgia. Tripp is a freshman at Kennesaw State University considering finance as a major.

Shower Toga, Season 10

Kressa Peterson appeared on the show March 3, 2019, to pitch A waterproof outfit for people to shower in public outside.

Cuban and Alli Webb offered $80,000 for 40% equity. Peterson remains close to Cuban, who now has a 25% stake in Shower Toga. She said her business sells about 1,500 to 2,000 togas a month between her website and Amazon. She also donates togas after natural disasters like Hurricane Helene and the Palisades fires in Los Angeles. To date, she has not paid herself. (Her husband owns a software company that keeps them afloat.)

Slumberpod, Season 11

Kate Mallory and Lou Childs appeared on Jan. 5, 2020, to pitch blackout sleep tents for babies and toddlers.

Corcoran offered $400,000 for 20% equity but the deal did not actually go through. “It still was a happy ending because on air, we had the deal,” Mallory said. “We also had such positive feedback from the sharks. We were profitable already when the show was recorded in 2020 and had 76% of Slumberpod at the time.” In 2022, Mallory and Childs sold Slumberpod to Artica, an e-commerce technology company. “We did amazingly well,” Childs said, noting that in their final year as an independent company, they generated $9 million in sales. They pocketed enough money for Childs to retire and for Mallory to leave Cox Automotive. They remain advisers to the company.