A successful startup exit can mark the end of one entrepreneurial journey and the beginning of another.
For Miami-based entrepreneur Anna Skaya, the sale of pet genetics company Basepaws created an opportunity to pursue two complementary ambitions: build another consumer business and invest in founders developing innovative products.
In an October 20 profile published by Refresh Miami, Skaya discussed her transition from building a genetics company to backing early-stage ventures through Ani.VC and launching an eye-care brand called Moisture Oyster.
Building Basepaws
Skaya founded Basepaws in 2016, applying genetic testing technology to pet health.
The company developed DNA-testing products for cats and built a substantial feline genetics database.
At a time when consumer genetic testing was gaining recognition, Basepaws demonstrated that similar technology could have applications in animal health.
Building the company was not straightforward. Skaya described years of continuous fundraising and difficulty persuading investors to take the market seriously.
Her persistence helped Basepaws grow, and the company was eventually acquired by animal-health company Zoetis in 2022.
The acquisition demonstrated the potential commercial value of combining consumer products with specialized scientific data.
From entrepreneur to investor
Following the Basepaws acquisition, Skaya became involved in Ani.VC, a Miami-based venture capital fund focused on early-stage pet-industry businesses.
According to Refresh Miami, Ani.VC launched in 2024 with $35 million and has invested in 10 startups across animal health, pet technology, and consumer products.
The fund’s reported pre-seed and seed investments range from $250,000 to $500,000.
These figures describe the fund’s investment activity, not a publicly available grant program or a guarantee that additional companies can obtain financing.
For founders, investors with operating experience can offer more than capital. They may also provide insight into product development, customer acquisition, fundraising, and commercial partnerships.
A new consumer venture
Skaya is also developing Moisture Oyster, an eye-care brand focused on lubricating eye drops.
The product grew from her experience seeking alternatives to conventional eye-care products.
Her approach combines an everyday consumer need with distinctive branding and product positioning.
While the venture differs considerably from genetic testing, it reflects a similar entrepreneurial principle: identifying an underserved market and developing a product around a specific customer problem.
Lessons for women entrepreneurs
Skaya’s journey offers several lessons for founders pursuing careers in science, technology, and business.
First, commercially valuable innovations can emerge in markets that investors initially overlook.
Second, technical innovation often requires persistence in areas where customer education and investor confidence take time to develop.
Third, a successful exit can create opportunities to support other entrepreneurs and strengthen the surrounding startup ecosystem.
For women in STEM, her experience demonstrates that careers in innovation do not have to follow a single path.
A founder may begin by developing a technology company, later become an investor, and eventually launch businesses in entirely different industries.
Skaya’s latest ventures illustrate how entrepreneurial knowledge can be carried from one industry to another.
As Miami’s technology ecosystem develops, founders who reinvest their expertise and capital into new companies may play an important role in its long-term growth.
Source: Refresh Miami, October 20, 2026.
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