These are Purina’s 2024 Pet Care Innovation Prize winners

Out of 150 participating companies, 5 pet startups have been named winners of the 8th annual Pet Care Innovation Prize, a collaborative effort between Purina’s 9 Square Ventures Group and investment firm Active Capital to support early-stage pet care corporations.

Winner recap

Swiftpaws, a Florida-based pet care company, was awarded for its innovation in enrichment products that exercise and entertain pets. The company is best known for its American-made lure coursing kits.

Missouri-based BestyBnB was awarded for creating a welfare platform that provides foster care for the pets of clients who find themselves in challenging situations, especially those facing domestic violence. By providing crisis care and safety net pet programs, they assure their clients of their pets’ safety. Its application also assists domestic violence shelters in connecting with vets and trained professionals to provide need-based short or long-term foster care for pets.

A pet food and treat company from Chicago called Arch Pet Food was named a prize winner for its portfolio of alternative protein, allergen-friendly, nutritious, and sustainable pet food products that feature microalgae, insect proteins, and invasive fish as key ingredients.

Vancouver-based Ryercat, a health-focused pet care start-up, received the award for its vision of providing cat dental solutions. The start-up’s dental line is best recognized for its cat-specific toothbrush, designed with a focus on feline anatomy.

Finally, Perth-based VetChip—a biotechnology company that also focuses on improving animal health and welfare—won the award for developing technology that aids faster diagnosis and treatment by identifying pet health issues through close monitoring of pet activity and illness.

What do the winners get?

The winners will each receive a monetary prize worth $25,000 (€22,800) and mentorship from the Innovation team at Purina and Active Capital throughout their participation in Purina’s accelerator boot camp in St. Louis, Missouri.

Subsequently, the companies will compete for an additional $25,000 prize in March at the Global Pet Expo.

“This year’s group of winners exemplifies the diverse range of possibilities in pet care, and we look forward to working with each of these companies to help accelerate their success in an incredibly competitive and rewarding industry,” says Blair Morgan, Co-Lead of Purina’s 9 Square Ventures Group and Vice President of Strategy and Innovation for Purina.