pet-health
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Petco Wants the Food Aisle to Lead to the Exam Room
The 60-year-old retailer is betting that kibble, grooming, vaccines and loyalty can work as one system. Its turnaround depends on making that loop useful enough to beat both big-box convenience and online price comparison.
Fetch Pet Insurance
Fetch Pet Insurance is a New York-based provider of comprehensive health insurance for dogs and cats across the United States and Canada. Founded in 2003 by Wharton students Chris and Natasha Ashton, it operated for nearly two decades under the Petplan brand before rebranding as Fetch (initially 'Fetch by The Dodo') in 2022. Backed by Warburg Pincus, Fetch reimburses up to 90% of unexpected vet bills and folds in coverage others charge extra for - exam fees, dental for every adult tooth, behavioral therapy, and telehealth - while protecting more than 500,000 pets.
Mascotte | Client & Operations Support for Vets
Mascotte is a Miami-based, tech-enabled operations company that gives veterinary clinics dedicated remote staff - CSRs, receptionists and vet techs - trained to each practice's own workflows and assigned exclusively to it. Branded internally as 'Mascotteers', these full-time team members handle phones, scheduling, prescription coordination, lab follow-ups and client communication inside the clinic's existing systems, promising up to 50% cost savings versus a local hire while reducing staff burnout. Founded in 2023 by former CarHopper CEO Bora Hamamcioglu and backed by a $1.2M pre-seed led by Nuwa Capital, Mascotte positions itself as the virtual front desk and back office for modern, high-growth veterinary practices.
Maev
Maev is an Austin-based direct-to-consumer pet brand making the first human-grade raw food for dogs. Founded by MIT engineer and Harvard MBA Katie Spies after her own dog's health scare, Maev sells frozen raw food, supplement bars, bone broth and freeze-dried treats built on USDA-certified protein, no fillers, and formulas vetted by PhD veterinary nutritionists. The company raised a $10M Series A led by VMG Partners in 2022 and expanded into retail via Chewy.
Koala Health
Koala Health is a Boston-based digital pet pharmacy built by alumni of PillPack (acquired by Amazon). It packages and delivers chronic pet medications organized by date and time, connecting pet parents directly with their veterinarians through a mobile-first experience. The platform reaches 80+ million pet owners across all 50 states and integrates with more than 25,000 independent veterinary clinics.
Loyal
Loyal is a San Francisco clinical-stage veterinary biotech developing the first FDA-track drugs designed to extend the healthy lifespan of dogs. Its lead candidate, LOY-002, is a beef-flavored daily pill for senior dogs that targets metabolic dysfunction in aging. In 2023 it became the first company to receive an FDA acceptance that a drug can be developed to extend lifespan itself - in any species.