Why one-size-fits-all pet care is becoming obsolete: AI changes everything

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📈 A bite-sized stat tastier than kibble: Data’s growing impact on pet care

1 billion pets globally are fueling the collection of pet data

With over 1 billion pets globally and a trillion potential data points, Mars’ latest study highlights the growing scale and complexity of pet ownership today. As more first-time owners enter the market with higher expectations, the demand for personalized care continues to accelerate—enabled by advances in AI, behavioral science, and connected services.

🐾 The purr-spective: Companies that can effectively organize and leverage this data—whether through improved health monitoring, customized nutrition, or preventive care—are positioned to lead in a market that's transitioning from generic products to intelligent, adaptive pet solutions.

🎾 What we’re chasing: Why generic products are becoming obsolete

The Farmer’s Dog hits $1B revenue milestone with personalized pet food

The Farmer’s Dog has quietly become one of the most successful direct-to-consumer pet brands, reaching $1.2B in annualized revenue and generating over $10M in monthly profit. Their personalized, human-grade dog food subscription model has proven resilient, even as other DTC companies struggle with margin pressure and customer acquisition challenges.

Their success is a clear signal that premium, personalized pet nutrition represents a high-growth category. Creating meals tailored to a dog's specific age, weight, and sensitivities helps improve health outcomes while building loyalty among pet parents who see tangible results.

Personalization becomes the new standard

The Farmer’s Dog isn’t the only one rethinking pet nutrition. Companies like PawCo and Farmina are using AI to customize feeding plans through plant-based options or health-specific formulations. Even established brands like Nutrish are moving toward clearer labeling and veterinarian-approved recipes. This shift reflects a broader change: pet parents are moving away from generic kibble toward tailored, preventative nutrition to help pets live longer, healthier lives.

AI tools bridge the gap in access to vet care

AI-driven platforms like AI for Pet and DIG Labs are giving pet parents at-home screening tools that analyze images of skin, eyes, teeth, and other features to identify early warning signs. With veterinary shortages common and care costs rising globally, solutions like AI for Pet’s TTcare help triage visits, support remote monitoring, and provide professionals with more comprehensive data. As pet populations grow faster than veterinary infrastructure can expand, AI is becoming a critical layer in keeping pets healthly and making care more accessible.

🐾 The purr-spective: With vets in short supply and rising care costs, AI tools are filling crucial gaps by offering early detection and better triage options from home. At the same time, much of the pet food industry still relies on generic formulations, but new market entrants are disrupting this model with personalized, health-focused alternatives. The shift is clear: tailored, technology-enhanced care is becoming a necessity rather than a luxury.

🐕‍🦺 The long leash: How data-driven AI pet care will connect health, nutrition, and behavior

How AI Is turning pet care from generic to personalized

AI is helping pet care shift from one-size-fits-all approaches to personalised experiences. Your pet's unique preferences, health profile, and even genetic background influence everything from health monitoring and nutrition to training and diagnostics. In our recent article, we explore how AI is driving better quality of life for pets while creating new value across the pet care ecosystem—improving operational efficiency, opening revenue opportunities, and redefining what pet wellness looks like in practice.

Read the full article.

A connected, AI pet ecosystem requires much more data

AI in pet care can only be as effective as the data powering it. Currently, pet health information is fragmented across veterinary records, monitoring devices, and owner observations. With the immense biological diversity among pets, lack of standardized data, and accelerated aging compared to humans, developing reliable AI systems requires significant data infrastructure. Our article dives into the key challenges and emerging data sources—from smart collars to grooming applications—that are shaping the future of AI-driven pet care solutions.

Read the full article.

💸 Clawing in cash: March raises in pet tech

Beloved Pet (Guangzhou, China): Beloved Pet develops cleaning services designed for pets, equipped with specialized washing and care equipment and personalized solutions based on different pets' skin and hair characteristics. The pet care services provider raised $4.1M in early stage VC funding.​

Bontia Bio (Wellington, New Zealand): Bontia Bio develops bioactive products offering safer and more environmentally conscious flea and tick treatments derived from naturally occurring fungal compounds produced using precision fermentation. The pet health products developer raised $230K in seed funding from Booster Innovation Fund and Sprout Agritech.​

Hilltop Bio (Norwood, MA): Hilltop Bio develops innovative cell-signaling therapies to reduce animal inflammation, identifying key inflammatory diseases in companion and performance animals to provide targeted treatments. The veterinary biotechnology company raised $5.3M in later stage VC funding from multiple investors, including Ag Startup Engine and Launchpad Venture Group.​

Lifet (Seoul, South Korea): Lifet provides customized non-face-to-face health care services for companion animals, allowing for medical examinations and disease diagnoses without hospital visits. The pet telehealth company raised an undisclosed amount in early stage VC funding from multiple investors, including Samsung C-Lab and TheVentures.​

Our Pets Life (Manchester, United Kingdom): Our Pets Life manufactures dog grooming products aimed at empowering pet owners with innovative, reliable, and accessible pet care solutions, including grooming, dental care, and food products. The pet products manufacturer raised $390K in early stage VC funding from GC Angels.​

PetScreening (Mooresville, NC): PetScreening operates a pet management platform that screens renters' pets, validates assistance animal statuses, and adds third-party liability protection for property managers. The property management software company raised $80M in later stage VC funding from investors, including Camber Creek and Volition Capital.​

Scooch (London, United Kingdom): Scooch operates a pet care wellness company providing dog supplements alongside expert vet recommendations, offering unlimited vet support, monthly supplements, and nutritionist-approved treatment plans. The dog health platform raised an undisclosed amount in early stage VC funding from investors, including 21x21 Ventures and Leap Venture Studio.

Veterinarian Exam Assistant (Los Angeles, CA): Veterinarian Exam Assistant develops a cloud-based patient information management system designed to reduce veterinary visits and promote pet well-being through smart technology. The veterinary software provider raised an undisclosed amount in later stage VC funding from investors, including Grid110 and SoundBoard Venture Fund.

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