i3 - July/August 2019 - 38

Policy

By Heba Mahmoud

habits with just a swab of DNA collected at
home. Once the DNA is collected, owners
send the sample to our offices in California,
where we compare it to other cat DNA to
determine whether specific genes are linked
to disease or physical traits. A cat's DNA
contains more than 20,000 genes, which
are spelled out in a unique genetic code that
is around 2.7 billion letters long. We take this
DNA and use sequencing machines to read
and record these letters to determine the
results. After the owner receives the results,
they will also receive lifetime benefits like
updates, newsletters and articles about
their cat's DNA, so they can stay up to date
on the latest developments.

Q Could you talk about your experience

on Shark Tank?
Going on Shark Tank was amazing, but
it took a lot of work. We had to show that
Basepaws is a successful business in addition to sharing a story that was engaging
and relatable to the viewers. We were
definitely nervous prior to the show, but
the producers and the Sharks were very
nice, which made things easy for us. I also
brought my cat, Koko, with me for the segment and as soon as we both walked into
the Tank, I knew it was going to be okay.
She stole the show!

Anna Skaya
of Basepaws

asepaws Founder and CEO Anna Skaya has developed
the world's first at-home DNA test for cats, a tool
designed to tell owners more about their cat's breed as
well as information about their health and habits. Basepaws collects DNA from the hair and cheek cells of a cat and uses it to analyze important data about the cat's nutrition, environment and
genetics, ultimately enabling the owners to better care for their
pets. i3 recently sat down with Skaya to learn about Basepaws.
Q

How did the idea for Basepaws
come about?
A I've been working at startups since I graduated college, and this is actually the fourth
company that I founded. When we created
Basepaws in 2016, everyone seemed to be
doing at-home DNA tests, but the same
type of testing in the animal space lagged
behind. I loved the idea of focusing in on
genetics and pet health because people
love animals and I felt like they'd want to
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JULY/AUGUST 2019

know more about the most important ones
to them. We decided to create Basepaws, the
first at-home genetic testing tool for cats. By
having access to this, owners can learn more
about their cats and take better care of them
based on their unique genetic makeup.

Q How does the product work?
A The Basepaws test kit helps cat owners

learn about their cats' traits, breed characteristics, and ultimately their health and

Q Could Basepaws potentially improve

genetic testing for animals?
There is so much that we can do with
genetic testing that would contribute to
a healthier and happier life for an animal
as well as its owner. For example, a DNA
test can make it easier to identify which
traits are linked to health conditions like
heart disease and obesity. This information
can save pet owners the time and cost of
trial and error, using veterinary research
to shed light on the best foods for their
specific breed. Additionally, DNA research
has revealed a vast amount of useful, often
life-saving information for humans, and we
want to facilitate those same breakthroughs
for cats. There is so much more that we
can understand about animals that we can
only do through genetic testing. Our vision
is ultimately to help owners better understand what their cats need to be happy and
healthy, which in turn will make their owners happy as well.

I T I S I N N O VAT I O N

Courtesy of Basepaws

FAC E S O F I N N OVAT I O N

https://www.basepaws.com/ https://www.basepaws.com/

i3 - July/August 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of i3 - July/August 2019