Petcare Innovation Europe’s Best in Show Spotlight finalists announced

The finalists of Petcare Innovation Europe’s Best in Show Spotlight have been announced ahead of the event taking place in Berlin on 3 and 4 May 2023. 

The 14 startups will pitch their innovations, followed by questions from the esteemed judging panel to get to the in-depth details of their offering. The winners will then be selected and announced live at the event.

The finalists are: 

Artemis – is a skin and coat care for dogs co-created by dog parents, beauty experts, and veterinary dermatologists. Even though pet grooming products are not regulated as human cosmetics products, they follow the guidelines set by the EU to eliminate over 1,600 potentially harmful ingredients from their formulations. After all, pet grooming products touch your skin, your dog’s skin, and your home. Their R&D team works with a veterinary dermatologist to ensure the made-from-scratch formulations are safe and effective for dogs from the beginning. 

Barq/PharmaPet – was previously a transactional business (one of the leading pet pharmacies in Europe). Today, they’re moving to a relational business platform combining e-com and e-health with an app at the center. In this evolution, they are developing many vet-related services like personalized pet health plans, digital pet classes, first-line telehealth, and individualized programs.

Bellylabs – is a privately-owned pet diagnostics company based in Helsinki, Finland. Two-thirds of the core team are long-time female dog breeders. Bellylabs Pregnancy Test for Dogs is the first ever dog pregnancy rapid test for home use. Its mission is to bring pet health and wellness testing to homes everywhere, improving the well-being of animals and supporting breeders and other pet owners in their work.

Caboodle – creates an effortless experience with the best lifestyle-friendly food solutions for today’s dogs and their busy parents. The portable, pre-portioned menus are easy when on the go, at work, or traveling with your dog. The highly nutritious menus offer a variety of flavors to keep the fussiest of dogs excited, and the recyclable and compostable packaging ensures they tread lightly on the planet. 

CheckForPet – the ‘TripAdvisor for Pet Food,’ CheckForPet uses real pet food reviews (750k +), technical innovation, and easy access to top-rated products to bring the right pet food directly and conveniently to pet owners’ kitchens. They have a 2-minute pet food check and sample boxes and provide independent advice on-site. 

CompanionPass – you can take your best friend wherever you go. With a CompanionPass, your dog can come with you into shops and public places, and vendors can be confident that the animal will be safe and well-behaved. Dogs complete a simple, quick behavior test, which results in either a pass or a fail. A pass results in the dog and owner being awarded a CompanionPass, allowing them into partner shops and services for one year. A fail results in the dog being referred to further discounted training and top tips about ensuring it can pass the test in the future.

Doderm – aspires to create a balanced ecosystem to ensure a healthier world for our animals, nature, and the next generation. They use circular raw materials and rely on natural ingredients with anti-inflammatory properties reducing the need for antibiotics. All its products conform to human quality standards and the most stringent scientific criteria to ensure their safety and effectiveness. 

JAMPY – develops effective natural and plant-based products to support dogs’ health goals by offering functional snacks, supplements, and hygiene and care products.

MI:RNA – is a high-traction, high-growth, and highly innovative diagnostic testing company with a strong first-mover advantage in the microRNA biomarker space. Its novel testing platform has the capacity to diagnose progressive diseases at much earlier stages than current methods. This is combined with cutting-edge science using AI modeling for extra precision. Owners can test at home and integrate lab work with telehealth veterinary services, relieving pressure on veterinary practices. 

Purrmi – makes human-grade natural food for cats, is delivered to homes, and personalized through its online platform. The company is building an ML algorithm powered by its database to give a health report to owners and recommend the best insurance plan using human-grade cat food recipes to prevent CKD and other diseases.

STRAYZ – is the first social pet food brand with a big mission to improve the lives of all 680 million street cats and dogs worldwide. By selling premium organic pet food as well as fair fashion for animal lovers, they collect donations for international animal welfare organizations using the buy 1 give 1 model. 

TEEF for Life – is the companion animal brand of Primal Health, LLC, founded in 2020. Its products/formulations combine the fundamentals of microbiology and molecular nutrition to promote dental health in a safer, revolutionary way. The microbiome-friendly foundational science includes plant-derived ingredients clinically proven to improve the oral microbiome naturally.

Vitactic/Petsie – is developing a unique, smart, and effective pet toothbrush called Petsie, which encourages quality time and friendship between pet lovers and their companions. Its unique value proposition is based on the innovative use of electrolytic technology to create a dental hygiene solution that cleans dogs’ teeth effectively and promotes overall oral health.

WagIt – enriches the lives of dogs and dog owners by making things simple and stress-free. When dogs are happy, owners are too. More than that, WagIt will change the way dogs are accepted in society. Think TripAdvisor meets Mumsnet for dogs.

Petcare Innovation Europe showcases the latest innovations across Europe to drive partnerships and investment within pet care. 

The Spotlight provides the opportunity to hear from the most exciting companies currently looking for investment or partnership across pet health, nutrition, products, and services.