Darwin's Ark
Darwin's Ark is a national community science nonprofit that enrolls domestic cats from individual owners to build one of the world's largest feline genetic and behavioral databases for research on feline health, ancestry, and behavior.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersEdmonds, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Darwin's Ark does
Darwin's Ark is a national community science nonprofit founded in 2018 and headquartered in Edmonds, United States, that operates the Darwin's Cats initiative. The organization enrolls domestic cats from individual cat owners across the United States to build one of the world's largest feline science databases, combining owner-reported behavioral and health survey data with genetic information to study feline health, behavior, and ancestry across geographic regions. The initiative is targeting enrollment of 100,000 cats, with early analysis suggesting geography may play a stronger role in cat genetics than previously understood.
The organization's core technology rests on the combination of genetic analysis with behavioral and health survey data collection, producing a multimodal dataset that links phenotype (owner-reported traits) to genotype. Darwin's Ark is co-founded by Elinor Karlsson, who serves as chief scientist, and Charlie Lieu, who serves as co-founder and board director. The organization is currently expanding recruitment geographically, including a push into South Dakota where only eight cats had been enrolled despite high pet ownership in the state.
As a nonprofit, Darwin's Ark does not generate commercial revenue. It relies on grant funding and donations to support research operations, and participation in the Darwin's Cats initiative is free for cat owners with no disclosed pricing structure. The go-to-market motion is community-led, relying on news media coverage and direct community outreach to drive enrollment; marketing channels include earned media placements in outlets such as kotatv and partnerships with local pet communities. The organization has 11-50 employees and no disclosed partnerships, patents, awards, funding rounds, or institutional investors.
Darwin's Ark firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Darwin's Ark
- Legal name
- Darwin's Ark
- Website
- https://darwinsark.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Darwin's Ark is a national community science nonprofit that enrolls domestic cats from individual owners to build one of the world's largest feline genetic and behavioral databases for research on feline health, ancestry, and behavior.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Darwin's Ark industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Community Science Animal Genomics Research
- akta.pro primary industry
- Education & Community Outreach (Responsible Pet Ownership) (BPAGAIAK)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Animal Welfare & Advocacy Organizations (AFAEALAC)
Keywords
Where Darwin's Ark is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Edmonds
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Darwin's Ark business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations
Revenue model
- Community Science Funding: As a nonprofit community science organization, Darwin's Ark appears to rely on grant funding and donations to support its research initiatives rather than commercial revenue streams.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels2 records
Darwin's Ark product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Darwin's Ark is a national community science nonprofit that recruits cat owners to enroll their pet cats into the Darwin's Cats initiative. Participants provide behavioral and health survey data along with genetic samples, enabling the organization to build one of the world's largest feline science databases for studying feline health, behavior, and ancestry across geographic regions.
Product overview
Darwin's Ark is a national community science nonprofit operating as a single unified initiative called Darwin's Cats. The program enrolls pet cats from cat owners to create a large-scale feline genetics database, combining behavioral and health surveys with genetic samples to study feline biology, behavior patterns, and ancestry across geographic regions.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Darwin's Cats: A national community science initiative focused on enrolling 100,000 cats to build one of the world's largest feline science databases combining survey data with genetic information to study feline health, behavior, and ancestry.
Products and services
- Darwin's Cats
Quantifiable outcome
- Early analysis suggests geography may play a stronger role in cat genetics than previously understood
Companies that use Darwin's Ark
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Darwin's Ark technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Darwin's Ark partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators2 records
Recent moves3 records
Expansion highlights3 records
Darwin's Ark competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Embark Veterinary: Dog-focused DNA testing and research company that combines genetic testing with owner-reported health and behavioral data. Closest methodological peer to Darwin's Ark's multimodal survey-plus-genetics approach, applied to dogs.
- Basepaws: Cat-focused DNA testing company (now part of Zoetis) that sequences feline genetics for health and ancestry insights. Most direct commercial analogue to Darwin's Cats, although Basepaws sells kits whereas Darwin's Ark crowdsources samples for research.
- Wisdom Panel (cat DNA): Leading pet DNA testing brand with a cat ancestry and health product. Comparable because it produces population-scale feline genetic data, although as a paid consumer product rather than a citizen-science nonprofit.
- Darwin's Dogs (Broad Institute): Sister citizen-science project founded by Elinor Karlsson at the Broad Institute, applying the same survey-plus-genetics model to dogs. Most direct methodological peer to Darwin's Cats.
Broad incumbents
- 23andMe: Consumer genomics company that built a very large human genetic-and-survey database via direct-to-consumer recruitment. Most relevant analogue for the dataset-and-community-science business model at scale.
- UC Davis Veterinary Genetics Laboratory: Academic veterinary genetics lab running large-scale companion-animal genetic testing and parentage verification. Comparable as an established feline/canine genetics research operation, though institutional rather than community-led.
Others
- Maddie's Fund: Animal welfare foundation that funds pet-related research and community programs. Comparable as a potential peer funder/partner and as a nonprofit model for grant-funded companion-animal research.
- The Cat Fanciers' Association: Pedigree cat registry that maintains breed data and health programs across a large owner community. Comparable as a network that could supply cat-owner participants or breed-health datasets to Darwin's Ark.
Emerging players
- Orivet Genetic Pet Care: Pet genetics testing and breed-specific health screening provider with cat offerings. Comparable as a feline genetic-testing service, though commercial and clinician-facing rather than community-science led.
- International Cat Care (iCatCare): International feline welfare and health charity that funds and disseminates research on cat health and behavior. Comparable as a cat-focused nonprofit that channels community engagement into feline science, though without a genetic-data core.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat2 records
Key risks3 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Darwin's Ark social profiles
Digital presenceDarwin's Ark financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Darwin's Ark leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Darwin's Ark funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Darwin's Ark M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Darwin's Ark
What does Darwin's Ark do?
Darwin's Ark is a national community science nonprofit that recruits cat owners to enroll their pet cats into the Darwin's Cats initiative. Participants provide behavioral and health survey data along with genetic samples, enabling the organization to build one of the world's largest feline science databases for studying feline health, behavior, and ancestry across geographic regions.
Is Darwin's Ark a public or private company?
Darwin's Ark is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Darwin's Ark founded?
Darwin's Ark was founded in 2018. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Darwin's Ark based?
Darwin's Ark is headquartered in Edmonds, United States, in the North America region.
How does Darwin's Ark make money?
One revenue line is on record: community Science Funding.
Who are Darwin's Ark's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Embark Veterinary, Basepaws, Wisdom Panel (cat DNA) and Darwin's Dogs (Broad Institute). Broad incumbents are 23andMe and UC Davis Veterinary Genetics Laboratory. Others are Maddie's Fund and The Cat Fanciers' Association. Emerging players are Orivet Genetic Pet Care and International Cat Care (iCatCare).
Does Darwin's Ark have an API?
No public API is recorded for Darwin's Ark.
What industry is Darwin's Ark in?
Darwin's Ark's product category is Community Science Animal Genomics Research. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAIAK, Education & Community Outreach (Responsible Pet Ownership), with a secondary code of AFAEALAC, Animal Welfare & Advocacy Organizations.