Ollie, a subscription service that provides “human grade” pet food, is expanding its offerings by acquiring pet health tech startup DIG Labs. The acquisition, announced on Thursday for an undisclosed amount, includes DIG Labs’ proprietary dog stool analysis technology, which uses AI to assess a dog’s digestive health based on images. This move positions Ollie as a strong competitor in the global pet food market, estimated at $103.3 billion in 2023.
Founded in 2019 by Tara Zedayko and Jessica Chu, DIG Labs created Health Check, an app that uses a photo of a dog’s stool to deliver health insights. The app, backed by a veterinary advisory board, analyzes data from over 10,000 dog stool samples and more than 50 million additional data points, including images of a dog’s skin, coat, teeth, gums, body condition, and eyes. With this acquisition, Ollie has launched a new tool called Health Screening, which integrates these capabilities into its app, allowing pet owners to receive AI-driven health feedback within 24 hours.
The new Health Screening feature offers four types of health analysis: Dental, Digestion, Skin & Coat, and Weight. This allows users to detect issues like tartar buildup, irregular stool color or texture, irritated skin, and weight-related concerns. These advancements bring Ollie into competition with similar pet health services such as Daisy, TTcare, and Whistle.
DIG Labs has discontinued its standalone Health Check app, integrating it fully into Ollie’s system. This integration is part of Ollie’s broader strategy to expand its capabilities. The company is also developing a proprietary “Foodback Loop” process, designed to enhance its food offerings using over 20 million data points. The new process will refine Ollie’s recipes, improve portion-feeding algorithms, and support research and development in pet food.
In addition to the diagnostic tool, Ollie is planning new services such as weight management programs, portion control, and tailored experiences for puppies. With many dogs in the U.S. being overweight or obese, Ollie’s chief scientific officer, Tara Zedayko, explained that these personalized offerings aim to help pets maintain a healthy weight. Zedayko, who co-founded DIG Labs, has joined Ollie as part of its first acquisition, leading the Foodback Loop initiative along with her three-person team.
Ollie’s move into pet health diagnostics is expected to make its subscription service more attractive to new customers. Although Ollie’s subscription costs between $4 and $8 per day, making it pricier than traditional dog food, the added health-screening feature provides users with a convenient tool to monitor their pets’ health without frequent visits to the vet.
