Five pet startups awarded $125,000
These United States-based companies were the selected winners of Purina’s 2025 Pet Care Innovation Prize
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Purina announced it has selected the 5 pet care startup finalists from across the United States for its 9th annual Pet Care Innovation Prize out of almost 150 applicants. Each of the chosen finalist represented startups across from the pet care industry will receive $25,000 and Purina will provide them mentorship support.
"At Purina, our commitment to enriching the lives of pets and their people is strengthened through collaboration with innovative startups, such as the incredible cohort of this year's Pet Care Innovation Prize finalists," Patrick Mullen, co-lead of Purina's 9 Square Ventures group and vice president of strategic planning at Purina, said in a news release.1 "These passionate pet care entrepreneurs are tackling challenges in a variety of areas that all have the opportunity to help pets and those who are passionate about them thrive. We are excited to partner with these companies to foster their growth and success in the continuously growing and competitive pet care landscape."
The 2025 finalists are1:
- VEA from Alexandria, Virginia: An artificial intelligence-driven platform designed to predict disease, generate diagnostic plans, and support nutrition for longevity. The company also is working to solve workflow and documentation challenges for staff and reduce the number of clicks it takes to finish exams, allowing teams to focus more on patient care.
- Maven from New York: Maven is a veterinary-recommended health sensor that is capable of continuously monitoring a patient’s wellbeing as well as identify early, and clinically relevant, changes.
- Ten Lives from San Francisco: Ten Lives produces clean animal protein for cats. The company uses microbes to convert sugar to protein to develop the same proteins that are found in prey naturally, such as fish, lamb, and rabbit. Ten Lives is also made without any animals in human-grade precision fermentation facilities.
- ShopDot Pet from Missoula Montana: ShopDot Pet is a platform allowing neighborhood pet care providers, such as veterinarians, groomers, and trainers, to generate additional revenue by spelling pet essentials with no heavy cost of inventory shipping. The platform allows pet service business and pet brands to sell more and collaborate.
- Yak9 Chews Based in Austin, Texas: Yak9 Chews is a pet brand dedicated to long lasting and all-natural cheese chews for dogs.
According to the release, in addition to the $25,000, each winning startup winner will also receive mentorship from the Pet Care Innovation team at Purina and Active Capital.1 Each winner will also participate in an accelerator boot camp in St. Louis, Missouri at Purina’s headquarters which will feature sessions with top pet experts at Purina as well as influential voices across the pet care industry.
In March 2025, each winner will compete for an additional $25,000 during a pitch competition at Global Pet Expo and each startup will present to Purina executives, industry influencers, and investors. Last year's finalists included Swiftpaws, BetsyBnD, Arch Pet Food, RYERCAT, and VetChip.2
References
- Purina Awards $125,000 to Five U.S.-Based Pet Startups through 2025 Pet Care Innovation Prize. News release. Nestlé Purina PetCare. January 15, 2025. Accessed January 16, 2025. https://newscenter.purina.com/2025-01-15-Purina-Awards-125,000-to-Five-U-S-Based-Pet-Startups-through-2025-Pet-Care-Innovation-Prize
- dvm360 staff. 2024 Pet Care Innovation Prize finalists announced. dvm360. January 9, 2024. Accessed January 16, 2025. https://www.dvm360.com/view/2024-pet-care-innovation-prize-finalists-announced
