Fabrizio met with Embark CEO Ryan Boyko and his brother Adam Boyko at the Yard Bar on Burnett Road in Austin, Texas to find out more about the new Dog DNA test they’ve designed. Dog owners brought their furry family members to socialize with the other dogs and to have a chance for their pets to become beta testers for the company at the kick-off event on April 7th. AMFM has a new puppy mascot “Sarah” who was so thrilled to be a beta tester, she almost chewed the swab we were using to pieces. Sarah will share her results when we get the test back.
BUT SERIOUSLY NOW. Embark will offer the world’s most advanced canine DNA test, promoting long-term animal health and wellness. The Embark Dog DNA Test will be the most comprehensive pet genetic test on the market, designed by the world’s leaders in dog and consumer genomics. The test will track over 200,000 genetic markers, offering ancestry analysis as well as an extensive overview of both genetic disease risk and heritable traits, allowing users to understand their dog’s health, plan for their pet’s future and provide their dog with the best personalized care possible. Interested customers can join the waiting list at www.embarkvet.com to be the very first to buy the test when it becomes available soon. For more information, please see www.embarkvet.com.
Embark was incorporated in July 2015 and has since raised over $1.6 million in seed-round investment, including substantial investments from Slow Ventures and the Aspiration Growth Fund. Embark is headquartered in Austin, Texas and is an official research partner of the Cornell University School of Veterinary Medicine and a client company of the Kevin M. McGovern Family Center for Venture Development in the Life Sciences at Cornell University.
Embark CEO Ryan Boyko
Embark is building a community of dedicated and knowledgeable dog owners, scientists and veterinarians dedicated to advancing canine health and genetic research. Adam Boyko (Chief Science Officer) and Spencer Wells (Chief Product Officer) are leading the effort to allow owners to become involved in canine genetic research with their own pets – by sending in DNA and information about their dog – and taking science outside the lab to make discoveries that impact canine health and wellness. The company is being led by CEO Ryan Boyko.
In addition to the Boyko brothers, the Embark co-founders include Dr. Spencer Wells and Matt Salzberg, CEO of Blue Apron. For over a decade Spencer was an Explorer-in-Residence at the National Geographic Society and Director of the Genographic Project, which collected and analyzed DNA samples from hundreds of thousands of people around the globe in order to decipher how our ancestors populated the planet. After pursuing an academic career that took him from the University of Texas at Austin to Harvard, Stanford and Oxford, he segued into a career communicating science to the general public. Spencer is also the proud new owner of Antone’s here in Austin.
