BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Embark Veterinary Inc. announced today that they raised $4.5 million in funding to expand their canine genetic testing suite for pet parents, breeders, and veterinarians. In partnership with the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, Embark currently offers the world’s most advanced canine DNA test, promoting long-term animal health and wellness.
The new round brings Embark’s total funding to $6.5 million since the company’s inception two years ago. The latest round was led by Founder Collective, Freestyle and ThirdKind, with participation from Bill Maris' new fund Section 32, Anne Wojcicki, and SV Angel.
The Embark Dog DNA Test is the most comprehensive pet genetic test on the market, designed by the world’s leaders in dog and consumer genomics. The test tracks over 200,000 genetic markers, offering ancestry analysis as well as an extensive overview of both genetic disease risk and heritable traits, allowing users to understand their dog’s health, plan for their pet’s future and provide their dog with the best personalized care possible.
Embark’s Founders, Adam and Ryan Boyko, have made dog drool a family business. Over the past decade, the brothers have traveled the globe, fetching thousands of saliva DNA samples from pups in Croatia, Fiji, India, Peru, Qatar, Uganda, and a dozen other countries. While they enjoy working in the lab and doing field research around the globe, Adam and Ryan have always wanted to share their work and improve the lives of dogs in homes across the world. They founded Embark to bring cutting-edge science and insights directly to pet owners.
“Embark is making real strides in our understanding of dog genetics to get to healthier, happier, longer-lived dogs. Ultimately we are ending preventable disease in dogs. This additional funding enables us to expand the research to accomplish that goal,” says Ryan Boyko, CEO and Founder of Embark. “We’re looking forward to developing new features that consumers and breeders need to make genetic information useful, fun, and engaging in their everyday lives.”
Four out of ten dogs suffer from a hereditary condition—and Embark is on a mission to help inform and educate dog owners to make smarter choices in both care and breeding to eradicate inherited conditions and help dogs live longer, healthier lives. Since its launch in May 2016, Embark has a growing database of tens of thousands of dogs and has delivered thousands of dog owners information about their pet’s breed, traits, and genetic health dispositions.
“Embark's direct-to-consumer genomics for dogs is grounded in research and focused on eliminating preventable canine diseases -- providing a level of precision that hasn't been possible before in dog genetic testing,” says Embark investor Bill Maris, founder at Section 32. “Dog owners now have a one-stop-shop for health, trait and breed testing using a comprehensive research-grade platform that also provides invaluable information to breed clubs and researchers looking to improve canine health.”
The new funding will allow Embark to further provide more tools that allow breeders to take advantage of the latest genetic advances to breed the companions of tomorrow. Additionally, today Embark announced that they have relocated their pet-friendly headquarters to the Boston area, the home of digital health and biotech innovation.
“Boston has world-class universities, institutes, and companies that we are excited to recruit from and partner with,” says Boyko. “We are looking to grow our science, engineering, marketing, and customer service teams.”
To learn more about Embark’s Dog DNA Test, please visit http://www.embarkvet.com.
You can download hi-res images of Embark’s Dog DNA Test here.
ABOUT EMBARK
Founded in 2015, Embark Veterinary offers the most comprehensive pet genetic test on the market, designed by the world’s leaders in dog and consumer genomics. The test tracks over 200,000 genetic markers, offering ancestry analysis as well as an extensive overview of both genetic disease risk and heritable traits. Embark empowers customers to understand their dog’s health, plan for their pet’s future, and provide their dog with the most personalized care possible.
Headquartered in Boston, MA. Find out more at Embarkvet.com, and follow us on Facebook or Twitter.
