Nestlé Purina PetCare Co. has provided funding to BestyBnB LLC and four other startups as part of its annual pet care innovation contest.
Founded in 2019 by Andy Bond and Matt Krentz, the Lee's Summit-based tech startup helps victims of domestic violence escape with their pets. Its mobile and web-based app connects domestic violence shelters to vetted and trained pet caregivers, who can foster the animals for the short or long term.
In 2021, BestyBnB secured a $2 million investment from local businesswoman Sally Root. Since then, the startup's platform has expanded to provide access to housing for pets when owners are in other "challenging situations," such as medical care or substance abuse treatment.
Each of the finalists for the Pet Care Innovation Prize receive $25,000, mentorship and will participate in an accelerator boot camp program at Purina's headquarters in downtown St. Louis. In March, the five startups will compete in a pitch competition at Global Pet Expo, a trade show in Orlando, Florida, with the winner receiving a $25,000 cash prize.
The other startups receiving investments are:
- Arch Pet Food (Chicago): Arch Pet Foods sells alternative protein dog treats focused on specific health issues, including digestive health and hip and joint health.
- Ryercat (Vancouver, Canada): Ryercat has created a toothbrush and toothpaste made specifically for cats.
- SwiftPaws (Melbourne, Florida): SwiftPaws sells exercise products for pets, including lure coursing kits that can be used to play chase with a dog. SwiftPaw appeared on ABC reality TV show "Shark Tank" in 2022, inking an investment deal with celebrity investor Lori Greiner.
- VetChip (Perth, Australia): VetChip has created a chip that's inserted into pets and is designed to track potential health issues "for faster diagnosis and treatment."
More than 150 startups applied for the competition, which is being contested for the eighth time. The Pet Care Innovation Prize challenge is staged by 9 Square Ventures, Purina's corporate venture capital arm, and St. Louis-based Active Capital.
"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," Blair Morgan, co-lead of Purina's 9 Square Ventures group and vice president of strategy and innovation for Purina, said in a Monday release.
According to the American Pet Products Association, pet care is a $136.8 billion industry.
Nestlé Purina PetCare is a subsidiary of Swiss conglomerate Nestlé. Purina is the manufacturer of several high-profile pet brands such as Purina ONE, Pro Plan, Fancy Feast and Tidy Cats. Purina had revenue of roughly $19 billion in 2022.
