Start-up Embark Veterinary raises another $4.5 million from investors

Precision medicine, Breast and cancer tests, saliva-based genetic tests and now genetic testing for dogs!

Investors are backing the trend of genetic testing for dogs. Startup Embark Veterinary conducts dog DNA testing through a cheek swab of saliva, similar to human genetics test.

The company announced that it has raised another $4.5 million from investors, which include Anne Wojcicki, founder of a genetic testing startup for humans called 23andMe. It previously raised $2 million.

The company allows pet owners, vets and breeders to learn about the ancestry and disease risk of dogs. The company’s goal is to give pet owners a better understanding of their dog’s health for preventive care and provide insights to breeders. For example, it can provide details about a dog’s family tree which may be especially revealing for rescue dogs. It can also detect whether the dog is a carrier of any specific disease which may help breeders avoid mating with other disease-carrier dogs.

According to the news reported by CNN, Embark Veterinary said it's able to track over 200,000 genetic markers and recognize 175 breeds with its test. It also delivers a breakdown of chromosomes to see which traits come from certain breed types. Results take three to four weeks before they are delivered online. Each test costs $199. In comparison, a human genome test from 23andMe runs $149.

According to American Pet Products, owners spent $66.75 billion on their pets in 2016 in spite of such a high price for a pet test. According to CB Insights, venture capitalists are increasingly financing startups looking to capture a portion of the market. And investors have poured $486 million into pet tech startups between 2012 and 2016.

Embark Veterinary co-founder Adam Bokyo said his company delivers a more comprehensive picture of a dog’s overall health, adding that the firm also delivers raw data so it can be shared with vets or researchers.

 "We want doggie DNA testing to be not something you just do for fun, but we want to use it to push the whole field forward." "There's a research utility for discovering new genetic associations and advancing the field of canine genetics," he said.

Adam, an assistant professor at Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine started the company with his brother Ryan, in 2015. Since then, it’s conducted thousands of dog tests.  

"This new funding lets us expand our research to end preventable disease in dogs -- and expand partnership talks with companies that can help us translate that research into advances for human health," said Ryan Boyko.

The start-up said that it will share anonymous findings with scientists for research with the permission of the customers.