Innovation Saskatchewan is responsible for implementing the province’s innovation priorities and helping grow Saskatchewan’s tech sector. Effective April 2022, this includes operation of the Innovation Place technology parks in Saskatoon and Regina.
Interview with Waggle Mail CEO and Founder Dr. Christine Beck
Waggle Mail is primed and ready to attack a huge market opportunity in the subscription box industry and the pet tech space with their data-driven veterinary-curated subscription box for dogs and their parents. With the recent launch of Waggle Mail Puppy, steady growth in users and a 2022 WESK Innovation Award win, Waggle Mail is on the verge of something big!
We spoke with Waggle Mail Co-Founder and CEO Dr. Christine Beck about what winning the 2022 WESK Innovation Award sponsored by Innovation Saskatchewan means to her, inspiration and aha moments, crucial support from the Saskatchewan tech ecosystem and what’s next for this red hot company.
Congrats on winning the WESK Innovation Award! Waggle Mail is Canada’s only vet-curated dog subscription box. Where did the initial inspiration for Waggle Mail come from?
Thank you, it was quite the honour!
The primal idea of Waggle Mail came to me around 9 years ago when I was on vacation. As a veterinarian, I was frustrated with the lack of convenient access my clients had to accurate information and quality products. Dog owners are now dog parents, like me. In an increasingly digital landscape, they have unlimited access to an overwhelming number of options, many which are "fluff" or even harmful.
How is Waggle Mail uniquely reshaping your industry?
While industries like transportation and food delivery have been transformed by online, consumer-centric companies like Uber and Skip the Dishes for example, the pet market is still in its early stages of innovation.
Yes, we are reshaping what the standard subscription box model looks like with our data-driven, curation at scale approach, but that is simply a piece of our go-to-market strategy.
Where it will get really exciting is how we plan on attacking white space opportunities to completely innovate the pet tech space in a way that has never been done before. Innovating vs. reshaping.
Did you ever have an “aha moment” that made you confident Waggle Mail would resonate with customers?
I can’t say there has been one "aha moment" because we have been actively listening and learning from our customers since launching just last summer.
Through disciplined trial and errors, we have learned more about exactly who our target demographic is and what macro changes might influence their behaviour. Traction with sales of course helped add confidence to where our product-market-fit lied.
Waggle Mail is in the Co.Link program in Co.Labs. How has participating in the Co.Labs program helped develop and shape your company?
I can’t say enough about Co.Labs and the Saskatchewan tech community in general.
For me the access to information, grants and programs, discounted resources, supportive staff, camaraderie from other founders, as well as access to experienced world-class mentors, has been a real game changer in so many ways. By diving into the community it has really opened up my network of opportunities.
Waggle Mail recently launched Waggle Mail Puppy packs, subscription boxes and resources curated specifically for puppy needs. Why was this service the next step?
Any future developments we should know about?
Our focus right now is on growing our Waggle Mail family and the amazing data that comes with it; stay posted for phase 2 when we hit our next milestone!
What does it mean to you to win the WESK Innovation Award?
I was pleasantly shocked to receive such an award. All the nominees in every category are doing such amazing things, so I felt honoured to be there alongside them.
As a founder I wake up every day to attack a vision that is fuelled by passion and my drive to make change — receiving recognition from others was an amazing feeling.
Before you go, anything else you would like to add?
Support us by gifting or sending any dog lovers our way to wagglemail.com. Even if you don’t have a dog, make sure to sign up for our newsletter and follow our socials @wagglemail on facebook and instagram to be a part of our exciting journey. We are just getting started!
