Human and Animal Healthcare- Where do they meet? Sept 29, 2022 animal health presentation by Cindy Cole, Partner, Digitalis Ventures. Overview of Digitalis Ventures and their $100 million Companion Fund, Mars-backed VC Fund dedicated to the companion animal space. Context about solving a problem vs creating a want. For example, dogs are not small humans. Specific Opportunities include supplements. This is a huge market, very fragmented, Very little science to support the activies. How do you differentiate your products? Example of Telemedicine- a cautionary tale for startups and investors. Summary- if your coming from human healthcare…Understand dogs and cats, Don’t over index on the “humanization” of pets, Solving a problem or creating a want. YouTube video recording available, along with other presenters, Ila Shukla Roof, Executive Commercial Director, Covetrus; Andras Bolcksei, Executive Vice President and Global Commercial Lead, CENA Sante; Avner Finger, VP Global R&D- Vaccines, Phibro; Moderated by Gil Bashe, Head of Global Health and PURPOSE, Finn Partners.

1. Human and Animal Healthcare
Where do they meet?
Cynthia Cole DVM, PhD, DACVCP
Technical Partner, Digitalis Ventures and
The Companion Fund

2. Digitalis Ventures:
The Companion Fund
 $100M+ Mars-backed VC Fund dedicated to the
companion animal space

3. Dogs aren’t small humans
(cats are aliens)
 FDA does accept dogs as models for some safety studies.
 But safety profiles can be very different
 Dogs are omnivores; cats are obligate carnivores
 Both species share some diseases with humans (cancer, diabetes,
osteoarthritis, etc.) but there are some significant differences.
(cardiovascular disease)
 Important to understand the species!

4. Solving a problem vs creating a want
 Obesity
 Activity monitors?
 Specialized diet
 Access to veterinary care
 Affordability
 Distance to a clinic
 Mobility issues for the owner
 Cost of medications
 Availability of veterinary
clinics
 “Inadequate of nutrition”?
 Gluten-free diets
 Keto diets
 “Clean” diets
 Grooming and bathing products
and services.
 Clothes
 Pet walkers
 Etc.

5. Specific Opportunities

6. Supplements  Huge market, very fragmented,
 Very little science to support the
actives;
 Brand and marketing
 How do you differentiate your
products?

7. Telemedicine- a cautionary tale

8. Nutrition
 “Fresh” all the rage.
 Very competitive space
 Raw
 Limited ingredients
 Keto
 Freeze-dried

9. Take home- if your coming from human
healthcare….
 Understand dogs and cats
 Don’t over index on the “humanization” of pets
 Solving a problem or creating a want