Building a Bridge for Animal Health Entrepreneurs
How VANE supports innovation and entrepreneurship in animal health.
The Veterinary Angel Network for Entrepreneurs (VANE) was born out of a shared vision to fuel innovation and entrepreneurship in the veterinary industry. Founded by four veterinarians who had successfully built and exited their practices, VANE emerged from their desire to take on a new professional journey – one centered on advancing the future of animal health.
According to Natalie L. Marks, DVM, CVJ, CCFP, Elite FFCP-V, CEO of VANE and founder of MarksDVM Consulting, the group brings together a diverse mix of veterinary professionals and industry experts. Members include companion animal and production veterinarians, specialists, and leaders in product development, diagnostics, manufacturing, regulation, distribution, commercialization and direct-to-consumer markets. “Most are also entrepreneurs and have a strong passion for helping other founders and entrepreneurs succeed in the animal health industry,” Dr. Mrks explained.
While VANE offers a range of educational opportunities through conferences, investor summits and member resources. Its signature monthly event, Pitch Night, provides a platform for founders. There, entrepreneurs can present ideas, gain guidance, and connect with potential investors and advisors.
As the first and only U.S.-based veterinary angel group, VANE’s core mission is to provide funding, often starting at $25,000 per investor. But the organization’s role goes beyond financial support. Many companies seek connections to advisors, key opinion leaders and potential partners who can help accelerate growth.
“Our goal is to provide direction, connection and funding,” said Dr. Marks, noting that this threefold approach helps early-stage companies move from idea to impact.
The challenges for emerging ventures in animal health are numerous. These range from limited knowledge of the industry and insufficient veterinary expertise to navigating FDA regulatory pathways, scaling production, and securing access to clinical trial networks and distribution channels. VANE works to bridge these gaps by leveraging its members’ collective expertise, often guiding startups toward focused, practical solutions.
Looking ahead, VANE is particularly excited about supporting ventures in emerging areas of animal health innovation. “We continue to see interest in precision medicine (either through genomics or specific diagnostic biomarker targets), ongoing monoclonal antibody work, microbiome treatment for multiple different organ system diseases, and longevity diagnostics/treatments,” Dr. Marks said. “These are both on the companion animal and production side, as well as strategies to maximize aquaculture and other species (honeybee, shrimp, etc.).”
Photo credit: istockphoto.com/nensuria
