Leap Venture Studio’s 9th Cohort Demo Day highlights rocks the pet care industry with modern innovations

As pet owners seek better ways to care for their pets, the pet industry is booming. As per Research and Markets, expected growth is at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.22% from 2023 to 2028, resulting in a market opportunity of US$500 billion by 2030, according to Bloomberg Intelligence’s Pet Economy Report. The growing industry is driven by several trends as it caters to the evolving needs and preferences of pet owners globally.

The Leap Venture Studio, a venture organization formed by a tie up between Mars Petcare, a leading pet care company and Michelson Found Animals, an animal welfare organization, along with R/GA Ventures, has committed to bettering the lives of pets and their owners with the help of science and technology. Hence, the program has been conceived to marshal in growth for pet care startups.

With the goal of making the world a better place for pets, Mars Petcare’s 100,000 Petcare Associates help pets in over 130 countries via comprehensive veterinary care, nutrition, breakthrough programs in diagnostics, wearable health monitoring, DNA testing, and pet welfare.

Michelson Found Animals is a groundbreaking animal welfare non-profit that started with the belief that pets and people are better together. Dr. Gary Michelson formed Found Animals in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, when it established the first free microchip registry that can help every lost pet find their way home.

The Leap Venture Studio & Academy is the first startup-centric program built to spur new ideas in the growing pet ecosystem.

In addition to the six companies selected for the Leap portfolio, a seventh “impact company” was also included in this year’s Leap Venture Studio program. The startups have been working closely with the Leap partners over the past 12 weeks, and the Leap Venture Studio culminated today with an online pitch event, the virtual “demo day”.

Leap welcomed the six companies to their portfolio this year. 

BistroCat claims to be the world’s first fully automated wet cat food feeder that utilizes smart technology to identify flavor preferences and monitor feeding trends. Quite high tech!

Buddy Bites, an Asia based pet food brand with a purpose, has been donating to shelters with every single order. It’s creating waves in the underserved APAC pet market.

Happy Howl, a dog food company is defying dog years with human-grade meals that combine unbeatable quality with ultimate convenience.

James & Ella, a happiness and wellbeing company providing premium freeze-dried raw and raw-hybrid dog food. This startup had a heart rending origin story.

Oh Norman!, founded by Big Bang Theory star Kaley Cuoco, is a pet brand creating joyful, cutting-edge pet products that are vet-reviewed, all-natural, and give back to rescue dogs in need.

Otis, which calls itself a virtual vet, claims to be the first pet company democratizing access to prescription medication for chronic and recurring conditions affecting 200M US pets.

In addition, Petcademy joined the Leap Cohort 9 accelerator program, as this year’s impact company. Petcademy offers text-based pet training, community programs, and post-adoption support to keep pets and people together. Their mission aligns with Leap’s vision of creating greater access to care and support, and ultimately improving the lives of pets and the people who love them.

The Leap Venture Studio represents Michelson Found Animals and Mars Petcare’s commitment to improving the lives of pets and their owners through science, technology, and innovation. The Leap Venture Studio represents Michelson Found Animals and Mars Petcare’s commitment to improving the lives of pets and their owners through science, technology, and innovation. The Studio is supported by R/GA Ventures, a world-class services platform that connects the startups with award-winning strategists, technologists, designers, and consultants. The combined networks and resources of R/GA, Michelson Found Animals, and Mars Petcare make the Leap Venture Studio the most effective startup accelerator in the pet care industry.

The pitches came with high tech offers, heart warming pet stories, and innovative ideas that are sure to attract pet owners all over the world as well as investment. Since 2018, Leap has worked with nearly 60 companies – all of which seek to create a meaningful impact on the lives of pets and those who love them today.

Mars is a global leader in pet care, spanning comprehensive veterinary care (including: AniCura, BANFIELD™, BLUEPEARL™, Linnaeus and VCA™), nutrition (including PEDIGRE, ROYAL CANIN, and WHISKAS), breakthrough programs in veterinary diagnostics (ANTECH), wearable health monitoring and pet parent platforms. With over 100,000 Associates helping pets, their owners and pet professionals in more than 130 countries.