Millennials are less likely to be married and are waiting longer to start families, a trend which has led them to adopt pets at higher rates.
According to Abha Bhattarai at the Washington Post, Millennials are half as likely to be married or living with a partner than they were 50 years ago. This trend corresponds with a surge in pet ownership.
At the end of 2019, the pet industry is estimated to be worth $75.4 billion. With this staggering dollar amount comes an influx of pet startups in Boston. We highlight seven of those companies below.
Chewy
Florida-based Chewy, which has a strong Boston presence, is an e-commerce site that specializes in selling pet supplies and delivering them straight to customers' doors. With the company's autoship program, customers can schedule recurring deliveries, such as food for their dogs and cats, without having to lug the bags from the store to their homes. Ryan Cohen and Michael Day founded the company in 2011, then sold it in 2017 to Petsmart for $3.4 billion.
On Friday, the company went public, offering 41.6 million shares at $22 a share, which soared to about $39 in early trading. Chewy is valued at more than $15 billion following the stock sale.
Embark Veterinary
Whether you’re a dog owner, breeder, or vet, Embark Veterinary provides DNA testing to provide better health care for our furry friends. Embark Veterinary offers two different testing kits, a breed identification kit and a breed and health kit. The identification kit tests over 250 dog breeds to accurately identify your dog, while the breed and health kit tests both for dog breeds and for more than 170 health conditions and their specific traits, such as color and hair type. The company was founded in 2015 by brothers Adam and Ryan Boyko after they spent 10 years collecting the DNA of various dog breeds. In 2017, Embark, backed by 23andMe CEO Anne Wojcicki, moved to Boston and raised $4.5 million in funding. In April, the company announced that it closed a $10 million series A round.
BabelBark
BabelBark is a digital platform that offers a suite of mobile apps to connect pet owners, veterinarians, businesses, and shelters. With the BabelBark app, owners can find health care providers for their beloved “fur babies.” Vets and business owners can find clients and communicate with them through BizBark and BabelVet. Lastly, shelters can use the BizBark for shelters app to provide information to potential pet adopters. The company, founded by Roy Stein and Bill Rebozo, was launched in 2016. In April, BabelBark raised $2.8 million in a $10 million funding round.
Adopets
Finding animals looking for their “fur-ever” homes has become easier through Adopets. Through the use of a laptop, tablet, or mobile device, those interested in adding a new member to their pack can search across thousands of shelters. The best part? No paperwork required. Founded in 2016 by Artur Sousa, the company has since launched nationally.
PetPocketBooks
PetPocketBooks provides software for pet care providers to run their businesses more effectively. With features such as automated scheduling, easy access to client information, digital payment processing, and real-time analytics, PetPocketBooks is simplifying the workload of pet care businesses while elevating the lives of our beloved furballs. Diana Akelman founded the Cambridge-based company in 2014. PetPocketBooks is a private company in the early stages of venture capital funding.
PetSimpl
Finding lost pets has become easier with Petsimpl’s GPS tracker. Dave Waymouth started the company in 2013 after winning the UMass Innovation Challenge. He was inspired by the time his dog, Pip, went missing. After he won, Waymouth created a Kickstarter campaign to prove his concept and raised $75,000 in 2015. Petsimpl sets itself apart in the pet tracker market with a tracker that updates pets' locations in real time, has a battery that can last up to three months, and also monitors pet activity in order to indicate health needs to owners. The company’s last seed round, in 2017, raised it $250,000.
GoPetie
Social media continues to invade our lives with GoPetie, "The Facebook for Dog Owners." GoPetie is a free mobile app with a goal of creating a community of dog owners. With the app, owners can find free services in their area, such as dog walkers or sitters, as well as connect with other dog owners who may be interested in scheduling pet playdates or meetups. The community fostered by GoPetie allows for pet owners to socialize with others in their local areas. CEO Diego Alves launched the app in 2017.
