Philadelphia native, Aaron Hirschhorn, is on a mission to revolutionize healthcare for our pets by introducing cutting edge stem cell therapies to the pet market.

Key Takeaways: Gallant on Shark Tank

  • Product: Stem cell banking and therapy for pets.
  • Investment: Secured $500,000 from Anne Wojcicki and Lori Greiner for 5% equity.
  • Technology: Uses stem cells collected during spay/neuter procedures for future therapeutic use.
  • Market Potential: Hypothesizes that stem cell therapy could increase a pet’s life by up to 30%.
  • Founder: Aaron Hirschhorn, former owner of Dog Vacay (now Rover).

The Story That Started Gallant

Two years ago, Aaron was suffering from chronic and debilitating back pain that was cured using stem cell therapy.

He began to research if this same technology and therapeutic procedure could be accessible to our pets who often suffer from age-related illnesses. Gallant hypothesizes that stem cell therapy could increase a pet’s life by as much as 30%.

Aaron learned that stem cells could be preserved from spay/neuter procedures and banked for many years. Pets, like humans, have stem cells in the tissues of their bodies. As they get older, the store of stem cells in their body goes down.

Once your pet’s young cells are banked they are able to be retrieved later in their life for therapeutic use for an illness or injury. Gallant’s collection kit is mailed directly to your veterinarian’s office. They will collect the stem cells during the pets spay or neuter surgery and send the kit back to Gallant for banking.

Consumers would pay Gallant a yearly fee of $95 for the storage of their pets’ stem cells.

How Did the Sharks React to Gallant’s Pitch?

Gallant is seeking $500,000 for just a 2% equity share in their company.

Aaron has 4 key patents that he believes will protect this space and lockout competition in this multi-billion dollar market. Aaron brings a lot of credibility and value to the company as he was the owner of Dog Vacay which is now Rover.

He explains to the Sharks that his proposed equity share is so low because he does have other investors. His current valuation is $25 million. He also raised $10 million to get the therapeutic medicine division of Gallant up and running. The stem cell banking portion of the company is set to launch in the near future.

Gallant is at a critical point for their business.

Because they are preparing to launch the banking side of their company and the therapeutic medicine division is in its infancy, their burn rate is $400,000 per month. Gallant is seeking a partner that is willing to help them financially and also provide strategic guidance.

Although Anne Wojcicki, co-founder and CEO of 23 and Me, would be the perfect partner because she is very familiar with the market space and the technology, she is concerned about Gallant’s business model.

Because they are losing money on the initial sale, Gallant needs cash flow to support the business as it will take years to recoup their initial loss. Anne feels that to be successful they would need to raise costs to the consumer. It would mean less volume of sales but they won’t be hemorrhaging as much money as they are right now.

Anne explains that when 23 and Me was in their infancy, they had to have higher prices until they learned how to scale their business. Then they were able to lower their prices. She felt that Gallant would benefit from a similar model.

Although Kevin O’Leary positions two viable offers to Gallant, Anne Wojcicki and Lori Greiner partner to structure a deal with Gallant.

Their initial offer to Aaron was $500,000 for an 8% stake in the company.

Aaron explained that he can’t go that high in equity because there are employees and scientists that also have equity in the company. They counter and come to an agreement on a $500,000 investment in exchange for a 5% share (2.5% for each Shark).

Aaron is quite happy with this deal because he gets one Shark, Anne, who knows the market and technology and another, Lori, who knows consumers and branding.

Closing Thoughts

What do you think about Gallant’s product and their deal with Anne and Lori? Would you invest in this technology for your pet? Do you think that Gallant has a viable long-term product? Will this revolutionize veterinary medicine?

Join the conversation in the comments below.

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