Meet the Founders: 3 Startups Shaping the Future of Pet Health
Pawsible Ventures took seven of more than 130 applicants into its second cohort. Three of them work very different corners of pet health. Nicole Shlomof and Gila Leibovitch of Pawp Water sell functional water to owners who already fill the bowl, Andria Beal of EpiPaws turned dolphin epigenetics research into biological-age tests for dogs and cats, and Elliot Greenwood of ChckVet sells software to vet practices that resist new tech.
More than 130 startups applied to join Pawsible Ventures' second cohort. Just seven made the cut, each bringing a different approach to solving problems across the pet industry.
Among them are Pawp Water, EpiPaws, and ChckVet - three companies operating in very different corners of the market but sharing a common goal: challenging how things have traditionally been done.
Pawp Water is bringing functional beverages into the pet wellness category, EpiPaws is using epigenetic science to explore a more proactive approach to animal health, and ChckVet is helping veterinary practices adopt technology that makes running their businesses easier.
We spoke with the founders behind all three companies about what inspired their businesses, the challenges of introducing new products and technologies, and what they hope to gain from the Pawsible Ventures program.
Nicole Shlomof & Gila Leibovitch - Founders of Pawp Water
Other Interviews
More conversations with founders, operators, and investors building the future of pet care.
Elizabeth Iorns | Co-Founder & CEO, Familiar Therapeutics
Elizabeth Iorns lost her French Bulldog to a brain tumor that a published canine study suggested could be treated, but no company had taken the drug forward for dogs. Now she and Science Exchange co-founder Dan Knox license the companion animal rights to human drugs at Familiar Therapeutics: 13 programs and $5 million raised in five months, plus a pitch to pharma that pet trials validate targets faster than phase two.
Brian Cheng | Co-Founder, HOLY CAP
HOLY CAP launched in Hong Kong in 2022 selling functional mushroom powders and learned fast that pet owners will not measure another supplement into the bowl. Co-founder Brian Cheng explains the pivot to lickable Squeezees, why in-person sampling beats Amazon at this stage, the operating cost of 14 SKUs split across dogs and cats, and the plan to become a complete-diet brand.
Dennis Gucker & David Franklin | Co-Founders, PawPay
Fewer than 5% of U.S. pets are insured, and PawPay's co-founders think the failure is operational, not emotional. Dennis Gucker explains what carriers told them about the gap between point of sale and point of care, why the company stayed carrier-agnostic, and how real-time coverage scoring plus point-of-care payment changes what clinics can say yes to.