From Feline Genetics Startup to Pet Genetics Leader: Top Shark Kevin O’Leary’s All-Time Favorite Product, Basepaws, Reappears on Shark Tank with Big Updates

Acquired by Zoetis, Basepaws returned on Dec. 2 for its third appearance to discuss its rapid growth and plans for next year

Basepaws Founder and CEO Anna Skaya (left) and Zoetis CEO Kristin Peck (right) give Top Shark Kevin O’Leary a virtual high-five while filming the third appearance of Basepaws on ABC’s Shark Tank. The episode aired on Dec. 2, 2022 and highlighted the company's milestone year and its acquisition by Zoetis – the world’s leading animal health company. (Photo: Business Wire)

LOS ANGELES--()--Basepaws, the brand that introduced the world’s first at-home Breed + Health Cat DNA Test, returned to ABC’s Shark Tank on Friday, Dec. 2. This update marks the company’s third appearance on the show—a rarity for most brands—bolstered by top Shark Kevin O’Leary’s recent remarks on the Basepaws Cat DNA Test as his all-time favorite Shark Tank product. Founder and CEO Anna Skaya highlighted 2022 as a milestone year for Basepaws and shared plans for growth in 2023. Skaya was joined by Kristin Peck, CEO of Zoetis—the world’s leading animal health company. Basepaws was acquired by Zoetis Inc. for over $50 million in June 2022, and the company plans to launch a new direct-to-consumer (D2C) dog product next year.

“I love being a part of the Shark Tank family. This show has given Basepaws so much, allowing us to not only share our work with the world but, most importantly, empower pet parents to take informed action that helps them proactively care for their pets,” said Skaya. “Together with Shark Tank, Basepaws and Zoetis are calling widespread attention to the value of at-home genetic testing and how it can provide deep insight that translates into pets living better lives, even longer.”

When Basepaws first appeared on Shark Tank in 2019 during the show’s 10th season, Skaya delivered a pitch that demonstrated the exponential growth potential of pet genetic testing. With a few thousand Cat DNA Tests sold and a predicted revenue of $400,000 in the company’s first year, Skaya entered the Tank seeking $250,000 in exchange for 5% ownership. From the airing of that episode to the end of 2021, Basepaws grew to more than $3 million in revenue. The company projects significant growth in 2023 under its new parent company, Zoetis.

“When Anna Skaya first came on Shark Tank, I thought that cat DNA testing was the craziest idea I’d ever heard,” said O’Leary. “But she claimed that Basepaws could help extend a cat’s life—and it turns out, she was right. Cat owners across the nation agree and continue to prove Basepaws as one of the most successful brands to ever appear on Shark Tank.”

Zoetis Acquisition

The acquisition of Basepaws in 2022 serves to advance Zoetis’ portfolio in precision animal health. Zoetis highlighted that the genetic insights Basepaws offers can support a better understanding of an individual pet’s risk for disease and can lead to more meaningful engagements between pet owners and veterinarians and a greater likelihood for the early detection and treatment of disease.

“Basepaws has done an exceptional job using Shark Tank as a platform for bringing greater awareness to unmet needs in pet health, especially for cats,” said Peck. “Our investment in Basepaws leverages their feline genomic and oral microbiome databases—the world’s largest—which will augment Zoetis’ R&D pipeline and game-changing innovation in petcare.”

Basepaws 2022 Holiday Deals and Upcoming Dog Products

Through Dec. 26, Basepaws is offering discounted rates for all three of its cat products: $60 off their Breed + Health Cat DNA Test with code XMAS, $30 off their Oral Health Test with code DENTAL30, and $100 off their Whole Genome Sequencing Test for cats with code WGS100.

In 2023, Basepaws will launch a new direct-to-consumer (D2C) dog DNA test for pet parents on its website as well as on Amazon and other consumer channels. Basepaws tests go beyond breed by screening for hundreds of genetic markers associated with a pet’s risk for disease. Genetic health insights are prioritized in customers’ digital reports, which provide a clear roadmap for making empowered, proactive decisions for the long-term health and wellbeing of their pets.

Sign up for announcements about Basepaws’ upcoming dog products here.

About Basepaws

Basepaws is a petcare genetics company that builds early detection health risk tests based on genetic and microbiome data. Basepaws is committed to companion animal health research, and it has the world’s first at-home genetic testing platform for cats—the solid foundation upon which it is building a new product portfolio for dogs. Founded in 2017 by Anna Skaya, the company is based in Los Angeles. For more information, visit www.basepaws.com.

About Zoetis

As the world’s leading animal health company, Zoetis is driven by a singular purpose: to nurture our world and humankind by advancing care for animals. After 70 years innovating ways to predict, prevent, detect, and treat animal illness, Zoetis continues to stand by those raising and caring for animals worldwide – from livestock farmers to veterinarians and pet owners. The company’s leading portfolio and pipeline of medicines, vaccines, diagnostics and technologies make a difference in over 100 countries. A Fortune 500 company, Zoetis generated revenue of $7.8 billion in 2021 with approximately 12,100 employees. For more information, visit www.zoetis.com.

Release Summary

Basepaws returned to ABC’s Shark Tank on Dec. 2. Founder and CEO Anna Skaya highlighted 2022 as a milestone year for Basepaws and shared growth plans.