The global pet food market faces intense competition, projected to hit $103.3 billion in 2023 with continued growth, as Ollie buys a health startup for a poop analysis tool
Because of this growth, many businesses are now going after pet owners ready to spend money on good food to make their pets healthier and live longer.
Ollie, the “human grade” pet food delivery service, is trying something new: AI-powered pet diagnostics. They want to stand out in a crowded market. The company revealed on Thursday that it had bought pet health tech startup DIG Labs for an undisclosed amount. DIG Labs is known for its unique ability to scan and analyze images of dog poop.
DIG Labs was started in 2019 by Tara Zedayko and Jessica Chu. Their main app, Health Check, helps pet owners with digestion issues. The app lets users take a picture of their pet’s poop and get health information about it. This information tells them whether they should see a vet immediately or just keep an eye on things. Health Check uses a huge amount of data, including more than 50 million images of skin, coat, teeth, gums, body condition, and eyes, as well as over 10,000 samples of dog poop. A veterinary expert group reviewed this data.
Ollie added a new service called Health Screening after buying DIG Labs. It lets pet owners send shots of their pets through the app and get expert advice on their health within 24 hours. The new tool offers four types of AI health checks: Dental, Digestion, Skin & Coat, and Weight. These tests can find problems like tartar buildup, stools with the wrong color or texture, sensitive skin, and problems with weight.
Last year, Ollie worked with DIG Labs to make the Health Screening tool work. Ollie said members’ good responses led to a desire to buy the startup and bring the technology in-house. This makes Ollie more competitive with cat health services like Daisy, TTcare, and Whistle, which use the same scanning technology.
There is no longer a Health Check app from DIG Labs; it has been fully blended into Ollie’s app.
Ollie also says it uses the technology to create a unique “Foodback Loop” process that uses more than 20 million data points. This will help the business improve its recipes, improve its portion-feeding algorithms, and keep researching and developing new foods.
The company also wants to add new services, such as portion control, weight loss programs, personalized experiences for pups, and more.
“Just think about how many dogs are overweight or obese in the United States alone,” Zedayko told TechCrunch. “The chance to help make personalized plans for these dogs in terms of, if they’re overweight, their calories to make sure they stay on the right track to get to that ideal weight and then maintain it over time is something that gets us excited.” The executive is getting rid of the DIG Labs name and becoming Chief Scientific Officer for Ollie, where she will be in charge of the Foodback Loop project. The three people on her team are also coming.
As Ollie’s first purchase, it is a smart move that will likely make its subscription more appealing to new users. This dog food delivery service costs more than regular dog food owners can buy at the grocery store. For example, Ollie’s contract costs between $4 and $8 per day, adding up to more than $224 monthly. Now, users don’t just get pre-packaged dog food sent to their house every eight weeks; they also get an easy-to-use screening tool that lets them keep an eye on their pet’s health without having to take it to the vet often.
