Did Basepaws Survive After Shark Tank? The $50M Cat DNA Empire?
For years, human DNA companies mapped our ancestry while canine startups decoded our dogs, leaving the millions of cat owners in the United States completely in the dark regarding their pets’ genetic health.
When Anna Skaya walked into the Shark Tank with a simple cheek swab for felines, she promised to map the unknown territory of cat DNA.
The Bottom Line (Executive Summary)
- The Deal Survived: Basepaws successfully closed its on-air deal with Kevin O’Leary and Robert Herjavec, leading to massive immediate growth and a specialized line of COVID-19 tests for cats during the 2020 pandemic.
- A Massive Exit: In June 2022, the corporate giant Zoetis acquired Basepaws for over $50 million, securing Kevin O’Leary one of the highest percentage returns in Shark Tank history.
- Where They Are Now: Basepaws operates as a highly successful subsidiary of Zoetis, expanding beyond cat DNA to offer advanced oral microbiome tests and full dog DNA testing kits.
What is Basepaws?
SEO Quick Answer: Basepaws is an at-home pet genetics company that provides DNA and oral microbiome testing kits for cats and dogs, allowing owners to identify breed traits, genetic markers, and potential health risks.
Often described as the “23andMe for pets,” the service requires a simple cheek swab which owners mail to a laboratory for comprehensive genomic sequencing.
| Industry | Pet Health & Wellness |
| Founder(s) | Anna Skaya |
| Core Product | At-home DNA and microbiome test kits for cats and dogs |
| Retail Price | $69 (Oral Health) to $399 (Whole Genome Sequencing) |
| Target Audience | Pet owners, veterinarians, feline and canine genetic researchers |
The Founder Behind Basepaws
Anna Skaya did not stumble into the pet tech sector by accident. Before launching Basepaws, she built a robust resume in the high-stakes digital startup sector.
Skaya originally co-founded MyCityDeal in the UK, a daily deals platform that Groupon quickly acquired. Following that acquisition, she transitioned to lead Groupon Russia, taking on full profit and loss responsibilities for the massive regional market.
Despite her success in corporate tech, Skaya possessed an entrepreneurial streak that kept her hunting for unexploited consumer markets.
The core idea arrived around 2016. Human genetic testing companies like 23andMe and AncestryDNA were experiencing explosive consumer growth.
Dog DNA companies, such as Embark and Wisdom Panel, were also gaining serious traction among pet owners. Yet, cats, the second most popular pet in the United States, were entirely ignored by the scientific community.
Feline science lagged significantly behind canine research. Feline genetics lacked institutional funding, leaving millions of cat owners without actionable data regarding their pets’ ancestry and breed-specific health risks.
Recognizing a massive gap in a multi-billion-dollar pet care industry, Skaya founded Basepaws. She invested $350,000 of her personal funds and secured a $3 million convertible note to build the technology, laboratory infrastructure, and intellectual property necessary to map feline DNA accurately. She wanted to give cat parents the exact same actionable medical data that dog owners enjoyed.
Basepaws’s Shark Tank Pitch & Deal
Skaya appeared on Season 10, Episode 21 of the Shark Tank. She strode onto the carpet seeking a $250,000 investment in exchange for 5% equity in her burgeoning company, placing a $5 million pre-money valuation on the business.
At the time of filming, Basepaws operated primarily out of a Los Angeles lab space where Skaya personally oversaw the DNA extractions and testing protocols.
The tension in the room shifted when she laid out the financial reality of the business. In just 10 months, Basepaws had moved 2,500 kits, generating roughly $200,000 in revenue.
The profit margins were highly attractive: it cost $25 to produce and process a single kit, which retailed to consumers for $95. She confidently projected $400,000 in sales for her first full year of operations.
Kevin O’Leary, usually highly critical of early-stage startups that burn cash on research and development, immediately grasped the recurring revenue potential of a massive proprietary genetic database. He made a rapid initial offer of $250,000 for 8.3% equity, plus 1.7% in advisory shares, effectively a 10% slice of the pie. This aggressive, yet surprisingly fair offer from “Mr. Wonderful” forced the other Sharks to pause. Robert Herjavec also saw the vision and matched O’Leary’s exact offer.
Skaya wanted both Sharks on her cap table. She needed Herjavec’s operational scaling expertise and O’Leary’s aggressive marketing reach.
After a tense back-and-forth negotiation, she convinced the two titans to partner up. They agreed to split the deal: $250,000 for 10% equity, with each Shark putting up $125,000 for a 5% stake.
| Season/Episode | Season 10, Episode 20 |
| Initial Ask & Valuation | $250,000 for 5% ($5 Million Valuation) |
| Sharks Present | Mark Cuban, Kevin O’Leary, Lori Greiner, Robert Herjavec, Daymond John |
| Notable Offers | Kevin O’Leary ($250k for 8.3% + 1.7% advisory), Robert Herjavec ($250k for 8.3% + 1.7% advisory) |
| Final On-Air Deal | $250,000 for 10% equity (Kevin O’Leary & Robert Herjavec partnered, taking 5% each) |
Did the Basepaws Deal Actually Close?
Yes, the Basepaws deal successfully closed off-camera. While many on-air handshakes dissolve during the grueling legal and financial due diligence phase, Basepaws passed scrutiny with flying colors.
Following the episode’s premiere in 2019, the company experienced the classic “Shark Tank effect.” Sales skyrocketed almost immediately.
Skaya leveraged the partnership without delay, attending O’Leary’s exclusive business summit in Miami alongside top managers from Facebook and Amazon Launchpad to optimize their digital marketing and distribution strategies.
This aggressive post-pitch scaling allowed the company to expand from direct-to-consumer website sales onto massive retail channels like Amazon.
By early 2020, as the global pandemic altered consumer habits and supply chains, Basepaws proved its agility. The company temporarily pivoted its laboratory resources to develop COVID-19 test kits specifically for cats.
When they returned to the show for an update segment in Season 12, Skaya revealed the core DNA business had grown tenfold since her original pitch.
Basepaws After Shark Tank: The Current Update
Fast forward to today, and Basepaws operates on an entirely different level. They are no longer a scrappy Los Angeles startup piecing together a small feline database.
In June 2022, Zoetis (NYSE: ZTS), the largest animal health company in the world, acquired Basepaws to strengthen its portfolio of precision animal health solutions.
The acquisition allowed Basepaws to scale its research and development dramatically. Operating under the deep pockets of the Zoetis umbrella, the company expanded its product lines far beyond standard breed identification.
As of today, their product roster includes an Oral Health test that identifies active signs of dental diseases using the oral microbiome ($69), a comprehensive Breed and Health DNA test checking for over 115 genetic markers ($129), and a premium Whole Genome Sequencing kit currently priced at $399.
Perhaps the most significant post-Shark Tank development was their expansion into the canine market. Originally marketed purely as a feline product, the company leveraged Zoetis’s massive veterinary network to introduce dog DNA and microbiome testing.
This strategic pivot put them in direct competition with established canine genetics firms, but their advanced clinical backing from a global pharmaceutical player gave them a unique edge in the veterinary clinic space.
What is the Net Worth and Valuation of Basepaws?
Because Basepaws is now a subsidiary of Zoetis, a publicly traded corporation, its exact standalone valuation is not publicly reported on quarterly earnings calls. However, we can construct a highly accurate financial picture based on the details of their 2022 exit and recent investor statements.
During a Season 14 Shark Tank update segment, it was revealed that Zoetis acquired Basepaws for over $50 million. According to a report from Business Insider, Kevin O’Leary confirmed that his Basepaws investment became one of his most profitable bets in Shark Tank history. His stake reportedly returned 20 to 35 times his original investment, depending on the exact deal structure and pre-acquisition dilution metrics.
If O’Leary maintained his 5% equity slice at a flat $50 million exit, his $125,000 investment would have yielded roughly $2.5 million, exactly a 20x return. If earn-outs and performance bonuses tied to the Zoetis deal pushed the final acquisition price closer to the $70 million or $80 million mark over the subsequent years, that would account for the higher 35x return estimates.
As for founder Anna Skaya, her estimated net worth comfortably sits in the multi-millions. By maintaining a controlling interest in the company through multiple funding rounds leading up to the eight-figure corporate acquisition, she secured significant wealth while ensuring her company’s long-term survival.
Is Basepaws Still in Business?
Yes. Basepaws is fully operational and thriving in as a key subsidiary of Zoetis.
Their website remains highly active, processing thousands of DNA samples monthly and frequently updating their consumer portal with new genetic health reports.
Anna Skaya stayed on post-acquisition to run the Basepaws business unit within the larger Zoetis corporate structure. Today, she resides in Miami, Florida, managing the brand’s strategic vision while also serving on the board of Petco Love, a non-profit organization dedicated to animal welfare initiatives.
Where to Buy Basepaws?
Securing a kit is easier now than ever. Thanks to the global supply chain infrastructure provided by their parent company, Basepaws maintains a dominant retail presence. Consumers can purchase their full suite of feline and canine tests directly through the official Basepaws website.
Furthermore, their kits are consistently stocked on major e-commerce platforms like Amazon and Chewy, often featuring next-day delivery options. Veterinary clinics across the United States also stock their advanced microbiome and dental tests, allowing pet owners to consult directly with their local vets regarding the complex genetic results.
Top Basepaws Alternatives in the Pet DNA Market
While Basepaws dominates the feline market and offers strong veterinary backing for their new dog products, the broader canine genetic sector remains fiercely competitive. If you are looking for alternatives, two major players stand out:
- Embark Veterinary: Widely considered the gold standard for consumer dog DNA testing, Embark partners directly with Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. They offer highly accurate breed identification and screen for over 250 genetic health risks, making them the primary competitor to Basepaws’s canine division.
- Wisdom Panel: Owned by the massive conglomerate Mars Petcare, Wisdom Panel is the oldest player in the game. They offer incredibly fast laboratory turnaround times and boast the largest commercial database of dog DNA in the world, making their specific breed detection highly granular.
