Purina announces Pet Care Innovation Prize finalists
On Jan. 30, 2019 Purina Pet Care announced the finalists for its 2018-2019 Pet Care Innovation Prize. The prize recognizes pet care start-ups that take innovative approaches to give pets and pet owners new options in feeding, treating, understanding, caring for and interacting with their dogs and cats. Purina offers the start-ups no-strings-attached financial support and mentorship and $10,000 in cash. Finalists also receive transportation, accommodations, and a booth presence at Global Pet Expo.
“This year’s class of Pet Care Innovation Prize finalists is a testament to how broad the pet care industry is and how much potential is out there to positively impact not only the lives of pets and pet owners but the planet,” said Blair Morgan, Co-Lead of Purina’s 9 Square Ventures Division and Vice President of Innovation at Purina. “We look forward to opening Purina’s doors to these entrepreneurs and sharing our resources and expertise with them as they work to take their businesses to the next level in the industry that we lead and love.”
The finalists for Purina’s Pet Care Innovation Prize are:
Shameless Pets-Chicago, IL (shamelesspets.com)
Founded by James Bello and Alex Waite, Shameless Pets upcycles ingredients that may have otherwise been lost or wasted into premium pet treats that support your pet’s health.
Bond Pets-Boulder, CO (bondpets.com)
Founders Rich Kelleman and Pernilla Audibert work with cellular agriculture technologies to reinvent pet nutrition, making nutritionally-superior dog and cat foods sourced from real animal protein – without harming any animals in the process.
Basepaws-Los Angeles, CA (basepaws.com)
Basepaws is a pet genetics company out of Los Angeles, CA that was founded by Anna Skaya. The company developed the first consumer genetics test for cats, which includes detailed information about breed, traits, health, and genetic markers for potential hereditary disease.
GuardianVets-Chicago, IL (guardianvets.com)
GuardianVets is a B2B telehealth service and platform that allows veterinary hospitals to offer 24/7 continuous client care. John Dillon started the company in in 2017.
PlayDate-New York, NY
Anthony Chien and Kevin Li are the founders of PlayDate which offers a remote-controlled smart ball with a camera inside so you can chase your dog or cat around even when you’re not at home.