Banking on a Brighter Future for Pets
How Gallant is bringing regenerative medicine for animals to the masses
For pet owners, an animal companions’ health is a top priority. Thanks to advancements in veterinary medicine, there are more options than ever to preserve pets’ quality of life, including regenerative therapies.
The goal of regenerative medicine in animals is the same as in humans: to use the patient’s own living stem cells to repair or replace tissue or organ function damaged by age, disease, injury, or congenital defect. While traditional treatments can require invasive procedures or may only manage symptoms, stem cell therapies offer a way to boost an animal’s natural healing abilities to alleviate the underlying injuries and diseases.
However, though it’s been 15 years since the first animals were treated with stem cell therapy, it hasn’t been easily accessible to the average pet owner due to the associated costs and lack of availability. Now, portfolio company Gallant is bringing this innovative science to the pet care market where consumers spend over $18B a year in the U.S. alone.
A Major Player in Pet Tech
Gallant was founded in 2018 by pet tech entrepreneur Aaron Hirschhorn. Previously, Hirschhorn was the Founder and CEO of DogVacay, a consumer marketplace app for dog sitting and dog walking. DogVacay raised $47M from investors, including Benchmark Capital and Andreessen Horowitz and was successfully acquired by Rover in April 2017 to create what is now a $1B pet services company.
Stem Cells For Man’s Best Friend
In building Gallant, Hirschhorn has assembled a team of leading animal health and stem cell banking experts in order to bring regenerative medicine to pets. The company has created the only non-invasive stem cell banking option that uses reproductive tissue from spay/neuter procedures that would otherwise be discarded. Gallant launched its stem cell banking product in November 2019 with both direct-to-consumer sales and veterinary channel sales. On the consumer side, Gallant sells kits to pet owners who then bring them to their veterinarian to collect cells during spay/neuter procedures. The cells are then shipped to Gallant’s lab. The vet channel business allows clinics to offer the products to consumers at the point of care.
| From Forbes: Stem Cell Banking Becomes A Reality For Man’s Best Friend
Supporting the Future of Pet Health
Gallant started their Series A fundraising round in late 2019 and made an appearance on Shark Tank in November. Alumni Ventures Group deployed capital in this round, alongside lead investors Maveron and Slow Ventures, who have significant experience in pet care investments. Our participation was led by Bascom Ventures, with participation from Strawberry Creek Ventures and the AVG Total Access Fund.
Gallant is a leader in their field, with a team rooted in both animal science and the pet care businesses. They have a unique, winning proposition and are creating a valuable consumer brand in a fast-emerging industry. We look forward to helping Gallant realize their potential as they help consumers’ beloved pets live healthier and happier lives.