Influential Women spotlights Basepaws founder Anna Skaya

By AI, Created 9:46 PM UTC, June 01, 2026, /AGP/ – Influential Women released Episode 19 of its podcast featuring Anna Skaya, founder and former CEO of Basepaws, on the realities of solo founding, fundraising, Shark Tank and life after exit. The episode ties Skaya’s pet genetics startup story to broader questions about women founders, investor access and identity after a sale.

Why it matters: - Anna Skaya’s story tracks how a niche consumer biology business can become a venture-backed category. - The episode also highlights the fundraising and identity challenges that can follow a startup exit, especially for female immigrant founders. - The conversation may resonate with founders building without a co-founder and with operators moving into venture capital.

What happened: - Influential Women released Episode 19 of the Influential Women Podcast featuring Anna Skaya, founder and former CEO of Basepaws and managing partner at AniVC. - The episode, titled “The Co-Founder Myth: Building A Pet Genetics Company Alone From Scratch,” was hosted by Jodie O’Brien. - The discussion covered solo founding, fundraising, national TV exposure on “Shark Tank,” and the aftermath of Skaya’s exit from Zoetis. - The full episode is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and at the podcast website.

The details: - Skaya built Basepaws, described as the first DNA test for cats, over eight years without a co-founder. - Basepaws raised about $5 million before being acquired by Zoetis. - Early investors in Basepaws received a 25x return when the company was sold, according to the episode. - Skaya appeared on “Shark Tank” three times. - Kevin O’Leary and Robert Herjavec made an on-camera investment in Basepaws. - Skaya now invests in early-stage pet health, longevity and consumer companies at AniVC. - Skaya also serves on the board of Petco Love. - Skaya said co-founders should be people you have known for a very long time. - Skaya said building a company together is stressful and that stress breaks most relationships.

Between the lines: - The episode frames solo founding as a strategic path, not just a constraint. - Skaya’s pitch strategy included bringing in a male executive to play the co-founder role during investor meetings, underscoring how founder signaling can shape fundraising outcomes. - Nearly every investor in Silicon Valley rejected the company before “Shark Tank” changed the business trajectory. - Skaya described feeling like “a ship without a port” after the Zoetis exit, pointing to the emotional reset that can follow a liquidity event. - Skaya found her way into venture capital with a longtime friend and early Basepaws investor.

What’s next: - Influential Women said new podcast episodes drop three times a month. - The company is continuing to use the podcast to feature women leaders across business, healthcare, technology, media, philanthropy and education. - Skaya’s current investing role suggests she is now backing the next generation of pet and consumer founders.

The bottom line: - The episode is both a founder story and a case study in how women-led companies can be built, pitched, sold and reinvested into the ecosystem.