As of March 1, pet health device company Mella Pet Care — led by Hamptons resident Anya Babbitt — is a little-known startup with Zoom as its “headquarters.”
That night, millions immediately became aware of the company after it pitched its inventions on ABC-TV’s popular “Shark Tank,” and entrepreneur Mark Cuban took the bait and became a $250,000 investor.
Mella presents what it calls the “first ever” non-invasive, accurate digital under-foreleg/hind leg thermometer for dogs and cats, available in home and pro (for veterinarians) versions.
And Cuban offered as part of the deal to expand distribution of the company’s existing products and accelerate the development of new ones, such as Mella’s pet body fat analysis scale.
“People have been calling us nonstop” since the show aired, said Mella co-founder and chief operating officer Ben Seidman, 32. “We’ve been trying to use it. We’ve been inundated with press, customers and partnership opportunities, including distributors, retailers and more.”
He added, “In a matter of just a couple of hours [after the show] 10,000-plus people visited our website.”
Mella’s officials usually meet via Zoom. Seidman, from Chicago, where Mella is officially headquartered, declined to give a figure for how much business the “Shank Tank” appearance has gotten but said, “We’d say our sales have reached record number.”
Mella products are available on the company’s website, mella.ai, and also online at sites such as Walmart, Amazon and Chewy. The thermometer, introduced in 2022, sells for $59 for the home-use version and $159 for the version for veterinarians.
The Cuban investment will be used for research and product development, Seidman said.
The company’s products are aimed at a booming pet market. A Bloomberg Intelligence analysis found that 2023 US sales, including food, products and services, will approach $200 billion by the end of the decade, driven by increased spending on pet-related health care.
Cuban takes the bait
“Shark Tank” premiered in 2009 and features entrepreneurs pitching to a panel of five venture capitalists called “sharks,” who decide whether to invest in companies. Cuban was the only shark to offer Mella a deal.
The 42-year-old Babbitt, from the East Hampton hamlet of Northwest Harbor, and Chicagoans Seidman and Mella’s chief of staff, former veterinary assistant Daniella Morgan-Pascualvaca, 24, built the sharks.
Seidman pointed out that before Mella’s invention, thermometers were inserted into the anus of dogs and cats, which was uncomfortable for them.
“This is the first thermometer in the world to take a temperature under the foreleg or hind leg of a pet,” Babbitt told the sharks.
The Mella trio asked for and got their offer for $250,000 for a 2.5% equity share, but Cuban was also given 3.5% in advisory shares. The deal values the company at $10 million.
When asked by Cuban and fellow shark Kevin O’Leary about sales, Seidman said more than 2,500 devices were sold, resulting in about $160,000 in revenue. Cuban and O’Leary called that out and asked why.
Seidman and Babbitt say that’s a result of not advertising and concentrating on selling to the veterinary community first.
After being convinced by Mella representatives that there were no other products that matched them, Cuban made the deal.
“We got what we asked for,” Seidman said in a phone interview last week. “That doesn’t happen a lot” on the show.
Seidman said the thermometer has been tested on both dogs and cats, but not on other animals.
Daniella Morgan-Pascualvaca showcases Mella products with Daymond John of “Shark Tank.” Photo: Disney / Christopher Willard Credit: Disney/Christopher Willard
The rescue dog is an inspiration
Babbitt’s rescue dog, Mella, inspired him to found the company in 2019 when the pup nearly died due to a lack of data to diagnose and prevent his kennel cough. Babbitt said that with a non-invasive axillary thermometer and upcoming products such as a body fat analyzer, chip reader and pulse oximeter, Mella will allow pet parents to monitor their pets’ vitals and record them for for veterinary use.
Seidman said Mella’s goal is to sell its pet thermometers wherever you can find human thermometers. Morgan-Pascualvaca told the show that people use human thermometers for pets and they don’t work because pets have different biological characteristics.
Babbitt said Cuban support and involvement will take Mella even further to the next level.
“His expertise, insight, network and passion for pets and innovation will accelerate the expansion of Mella’s product offerings,” said Babbitt. “With Mark’s support, we at Mella are confident in our ability to revolutionize pet care.”
Former Plainview veterinarian Dr. Shadi Ireifej, who runs Las Vegas-based VetTriage.comcontacted Mella through his website, which offers 24-hour live diagnoses by veterinarians in English and Spanish.
Ireifej said preventive home care for pets is a “new frontier” that is much needed, especially because it can be difficult to get an appointment with overbooked veterinarians. He said the Mella thermometer allows pet owners to educate themselves about things their pets should be taking care of.
This month, Mella’s Biggie Body Conditioning Scale retails for $149 for the home model and $349 for the pro version.
