Trey Steidle jokes that his dogs – a standard poodle named Shark and an English bulldog named Smush – are like the odd couple. One is athletic and well mannered, the other akin to a couch potato. Their differences ultimately proved a catalyst for his recently launched dog nutrition startup Breed Science.
The company, which is remote but based in the Chestnut Hill neighborhood of Philadelphia, came to fruition after Steidle realized how vastly different their nutrition needs were despite them both weighing 50 pounds. He ultimately chose to pursue the idea while earning his MBA through the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania’s executive program, which he entered in 2019.
At the time, Steidle, who grew up in Gladwyne, was working full-time for Conshohocken-headquartered John Ritzenthaler Co., whose brands include All-Clad, T-fal, and Chef Revival. He had launched his career with the company a decade prior, spending much of that time in Asia before returning to the U.S. and delving into e-commerce.
The idea for Breed Science came to him when talking to a fellow Wharton classmate and veterinarian about dogs’ nutritional needs. Like with people, individualization is a key factor to health – and potentially longevity – and something other brands weren’t focusing on. He developed Breed Science throughout his time at Wharton. Along the way, he connected with fellow executive MBA candidate CJ Gottuso, who joined on as a co-founder.
After graduating in 2021, Steidle left his full-time gig to pursue the business. Gottuso, whose background is in finance, followed suit soon thereafter. They entered the market with their individualized fresh dog food plan this March.
Their goal with Breed Science is to focus on individualization for each dogs’ nutritional needs. To do so, they developed a proprietary software called Smart Bowl, which can plug into veterinarian medical records to pull out key data points like breed, age, weight, gender, body condition, whether they’re neutered or not, and medical history. From that, the software is able to make a recommendation to the veterinarian about how many calories a dog should be consuming, as well as supplements, which the company also sells.
That then translates to a customized meal delivery. Breed Smart creates fresh, human-grade foods for dogs in a USDA kitchen. Food is cooked using the sous vide method to “optimize the ingredients’ nutritional output,” Steidle said. Shipments come every two weeks with portioning instructions and can be refrigerated or frozen.
The software can also take into consideration treats and adjusts the base diet accordingly. Breed Science is also looking at diagnostic testing such as the microbiome to determine what specific nutrients – like protein or fiber – a dog might benefit from.
The goal is to better dogs’ health, increase longevity, and eventually “control the entire share of mouth,” Steidle said.
They are, they believe, the first company to take into consideration calories consumed and calories expended in determining a dog’s nutrition. To drill down on activity and get a more accurate look at calories expended, they have also developed what is essentially a Fitbit for dogs. The fitness tracker, currently dubbed Smart Leash, clips onto a dog’s collar and is able to track movement, how long a dog lays down, or how long it spends drinking.
The data can then feed into veterinarian records and an app, much the way a human fitness tracker does. “Veterinarians just don't have access to this information,” Steidle said.
Their overall process takes into consideration genetic factors as well as epigenetic factors like lifestyle and environment, which are “huge drivers of longevity,” said Steidle, adding that diet and exercise are among the biggest factors.
“We basically want to create this platform to give veterinarians visibility and control of these epigenetic factors that drive longevity, because fundamentally, we believe that that's what enables veterinarians to provide wellness care,” he said.
Breed Science is currently in the testing phase for its activity tracker and doesn’t anticipate it launching in the market for at least a year.
While they are still determining the effects of their approach on lifespan, they are confident in the model based on other studies. One study conducted over 14 years by the Purina Institute on 48 Labrador Retrievers found that the dogs lived 1.8 years longer when their portions were 25% less than the control group. Another 10-year study published in 2016 by the National Library of Medicine found similar results.
Steidle recognizes that Breed Science isn’t for everyone. It comes with a premium price tag – $7 a day for puppies and toy-sized dogs, $8 a day for small-sized dogs, and upwards of $11 for medium-sized dogs. Despite that, pricing is in line with other fresh pet food competitors, he said.
Their algorithm also takes into account projected growth curves for puppies so that the amount of food shipped grows incrementally with the dog until they reach full size.
Funding for the business has come from both Steidle’s and Gattuo’s own capital, as well as investments from several Penn professors, a number of their classmates, as well as friends and family. In total, they raised nearly $1 million to get Breed Science off the ground.
They are currently wrapping up a seed round – terms and details of the deal are not yet being disclosed – for north of $1 million.
The funds will go to scaling the business and hiring a full-time veterinarian.
Breed Science is currently available in the continental United States, though they hope to reach Hawaii and Alaska in time.
The company is expanding its network of veterinarians, but pet owners can also undertake a consultation with Breed Sciences’ vet.
“We think that this is the future of nutrition,” Steidle said.
Why genetic and epigenetic factors?
We're kind of built on this concept that every dog, just like every human, is endowed with a genetic makeup. Those epigenetic factors, those are the things like your environment or your habits, are actually huge drivers of longevity. The biggest one is diet and exercise. And so we basically want to create this platform to give veterinarians visibility and control of these epigenetic factors that drive longevity, because fundamentally, we believe that's what enables veterinarians to provide wellness care.
Are other animals, like cats, next for Breed Science?
House cats are the obvious next step. … We're focused on dogs right now. The way I look at it is everything that we do it with dogs, there'll be an obvious parallel to create a path with cats, but I think that's pretty far down the road.
