Accelerating the Future of Pet Care: Pet Nutrition Startups Target Transformative Trends

Run by Mars Petcare and Michelson Found Animals since 2018, the Leap Venture Studio program has one goal: supporting pet industry startups at various stages of development as they seek to take their cutting-edge ideas to market.  

Each 12-week accelerator program features between six to eight startup companies, each awarded $200,000 in funding for participating. The hybrid program begins with two weeks of in-person events and meetings, followed by 10 weeks of virtual interaction through which startup founders and their teams gain expert feedback from industry experts, a network of other founders, and seasoned leaders from across the pet care space. Each iteration of the program culminates with a virtual pitch presentation to potential investors, industry members, peers, and media. 

For new entrants and early-stage competitors in the saturated pet care space, partnering with accelerator programs, incubators, and networks that can help support entrepreneurs and their startups through invaluable funding, advice, and support. 

Nutrition at the Forefront 

Pet nutrition startups in particular are showing out for the ninth cohort of the Leap Venture Studio program, with five of the six startups selected either offering complete-and-balanced pet diets, treats, and supplements or delivering a solution that is nutrition-adjacent. Let’s explore. 

BistroCat 

First up is BistroCat, an automated feeding solution upping the ante for wet cat nutrition. The system can dispense up to seven days of wet cat food, but its true value proposition lies in the details—integrated sensors that can monitor feeding habits and more. The automatic feeder is equipped with a camera and two-way microphone for “remote interaction” and integrates with a mobile app to facilitate meal scheduling and track feeding parameters. BistroCat works on a subscription basis by partnering with pet food companies to convert their wet cat food formulas into “BistroPods.”   

With a concept reminiscent of Keurig and K-Cups, BistroCat is redefining feline mealtime by marrying four major trends: automation, convenience, proactive health monitoring, and humanization. May the odds be ever in their flavor… 

Buddy Bites 

Next is Buddy Bites, a subscription-based brand blending premium dog food with social impact. For every two kilograms (about 4.4 lbs) of Buddy Bites food sold, the company donates half of that amount to animal shelters in Hong Kong. So far, it has donated more than six million meals to pups in need.  

Aside from the convenience aspect of subscription-based ordering, Buddy Bites is homing in on four other pet-parent demands: digestive health, traceable ingredients, ethical consumerism, and trust-related claims. Vet-backed formulas deliver confidence to consumers, and in a dog-eat-dog world, it’s nice to know that by feeding your pup, you’re helping feed many more. 

Happy Howl 

Also innovating the dog food segment of the industry is Happy Howl, a human-grade, shelf-stable-fresh dog food brand dedicated to keeping artificial preservatives out of the bowl. The brand’s vet-approved, whole-food formulas claim to support digestion, weight management, and overall canine wellness. 

Three trends stand out with Happy Howl: clean-label formulations, digestive health, and feeding fresh without the hassle. Making fresh formats shelf stable not only speaks to convenience but also makes this format more accessible for a greater number of dog parents. And that’s nothing to bark about.  

James & Ella 

Based in the United Kingdom, James & Ella is tapping into the freeze-dried dog food craze to create vet-approved, human-grade, high-meat diets—also on a subscription basis. The brand is taking it a step further to offer pre-portioned meals based on age, weight, and activity level, and has also aligned itself with ethical sourcing and sustainable packaging priorities to reduce its environmental impact.  

Starting to see a trend? Buddy Bites, Happy Howl, and James & Ella are all leaning on veterinary endorsements to back the nutritional efficacy of their products, and they’re not alone in offering subscription-based programs to deliver premium nutrition with a side of convenience, directly to dog owners’ doorsteps—and with a sustainable twist. Order up! 

Oh Norman! 

Pet food meets celebrity with Oh Norman!, a self-proclaimed “healthy AF” brand of dog-centric products by actor Kaley Cuoco. The brand offers a range of health products, from all-natural supplements and ethically sourced treats to stylish accessories and sustainable grooming products—all carrying clever, almost-crude names like, “Stop Effing Itching!” and “WTF Treats.”  

Three common threads are seen throughout the Oh Norman! portfolio—functional health, ethical and sustainable sourcing, and animal advocacy. The brand is melding charity with eco-consciousness, clean-label ingredients, and eye-grabbing marketing to create a relatable brand that pet parents can trust—and that dogs can wag their tails to. 

Otis 

While not nutrition-focused, the sixth startup moving through the Leap Venture Studio program this year is still very much in line with several hot pet care trends. Otis is a virtual pet care platform built to democratize veterinary care and prescription medicine for pets. Dedicated pet parents can receive same-day veterinary care virtually and have medications shipped directly to them, meeting needs for better, more accessible veterinary care, convenience, and affordability.   

“This group of startups stand out not only for their innovation but for their deep understanding of the needs of next-generation pet owners,” commented Rachel Sheppard, Director of Ventures at Mars Petcare and co-lead of the Leap Venture Studio & Academy. 

Accelerating Success 

These companies exemplify several aspirational trends currently shaping the future of pet nutrition and care, and thanks to programs like Leap Venture Studio, the founders behind them can lean on tenured experts and gain exclusive access to investors and other support systems to give them a leg up. 

While Mars Petcare is focused on Leap, Nestle Purina has its own accelerator for pet care innovators. The Purina Pet Care Innovation Prize has been active since 2016 and is supported by 9 Square Ventures and Active Capital. It operates similarly to the Leap Venture Studio in that program coordinators select a set number of startups to participate in each cohort of the program, which culminates with an in-person pitch competition with a live audience of investors and industry peers at Global Pet Expo each March.  

Purina recently selected five startups—each awarded $25,000 for being chosen—to participate in its ninth-annual program, which you can learn more about on the PCIP website here. 

Another key accelerator operating in the animal health space is Plug and Play Tech Center. What makes Plug and Play unique is its breadth and depth, covering more than 25 industries globally. From artificial intelligence and fintech to animal health and supply chain, Plug and Play serves as a comprehensive support system and network for pre-seed, seed, and scaling companies as they leverage breakthrough innovation to build a better world. Learn more about the Plug and Play ecosystem in this episode of the Barking Mad podcast. 

While each of these programs offers unique benefits and opportunities, they can all offer invaluable resources for young companies looking to make waves in the pet care space. 

Sharing the Wealth 

At BSM Partners, we often see the most cutting-edge innovations from smaller and emerging companies. Our experts are closely aligned with the evolving needs of pet parents and are happy to support entrepreneurs who seek to break the pet food mold for the better. From leader development and business transformation to product innovation and consumer strategy, we remain dedicated to transforming early-stage ideas into lasting legacies.  

To this end, we’ve partnered with Plug and Play to share a wealth of valuable guidance through a co-branded podcast, Founders in Focus. This podcast is designed specifically for aspiring entrepreneurs in the animal health, agricultural technology, and sustainability sectors, taking listeners inside the minds of visionary entrepreneurs as they experience the Plug and Play program in real time. 

Tune in here for actionable lessons and inspiring stories about startup innovation and acceleration, and follow Leap Venture Studio here on LinkedIn to keep up with its ninth cohort of pet care trailblazers. 

 

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About the Author

Jordan Tyler is the Director of Media at BSM Partners. She has more than five years of experience reporting on trends, best practices and developments in the North American pet nutrition industry. Jordan resides in Bentonville, Arkansas, with her husband and their four furry family members.