Leap Venture Studio announces the latest cohort for its seed-stage accelerator program for pet care startups. Seven European companies have been selected and will participate in the 12-week program, running from September 26 until Demo Day on December 15.
The Leap Venture Studio program is a partnership between Mars Petcare (the largest pet care organization in the world), a leading animal welfare organization Michelson Found Animals and world-class services platform R/GA Ventures. The hybrid program will take place online, as well as in-person in London. The 2022 cohort will consist of the following startups:
· BorrowMyDoggy, creating an online community to match dog owners with local sitters for walking and holiday care.
· HiPets, a SaaS-enabled, all-in-one marketplace for pets.
· Marleybones, a subscription service providing a range of tailored, sustainable meals for dogs.
· Moggie, the world's first chat communication and health device for cats.
· People who kaer, offering supplements to prevent and treat some of the most common diseases among dogs.
· Rex, building beautiful, in-person veterinary practices supported by the latest technologies.
· Petty Well, a subscription service delivering natural meals for pets.
Throughout the accelerator, each startup crafts a custom pathway to achieve their milestones, using the help of award-winning strategists, technologists, designers and consultants from the Leap Venture Studio team. All founders receive US $200,000, custom mentorship and support in preparing for future fundraising. The program consolidates with a Demo Day, where founders pitch their companies to top investors from the Mars, Michelson Found Animals and R/GA networks.
“This year we are thrilled to be working for the first time with a region-specific group--in the early stages, companies are built by the ecosystems around them, and we’re excited to dive deeply into the European pet care ecosystem. Pet parenting challenges pivot around geographical, social, and cultural complexities; these can best be solved by those who empathize with these problems. Leap aims to back those companies who are bringing innovative solutions to the European market and beyond,” said Rachel Sheppherd, director of Ventures at Mars Petcare.
Leap Venture Studio’s accelerator program launched in 2018, and has seen its 33 companies go on to raise US $170 million in follow-on capital--US $100 million in 2021 alone, and two exits.
Pet care is a historically recession-proof industry, and is currently on track to reach US $325B by 2028. With pet ownership skyrocketing in Europe and around the world, Leap Venture Studio has chosen startups that are driving forward innovation in sustainability, care for senior pets, digitizing pet services, pet and vet mental health, cat healthcare, premium nutrition and ending pet homelssless.
