LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND — Nestlé Purina PetCare Europe has selected eight pet industry startups to participate in its 2024 Unleashed by Purina Accelerator Lab, a program supporting disruptive, early-stage brands in the pet care space. Participating entrepreneurs hail from the United Kingdom, France, Greece, Austria, Singapore, Canada, Brazil and Mexico, and offer solutions ranging from at-home diagnostics to environmentally friendly pet food proteins.

Brands selected for the program gain access to resources, including business and technology support, expert coaching and commercial insights, over the course of the 20-week Unleashed program. Purina provides each startup with a tailor-made scaling package specific to each company’s growth stage, according to the company.

In addition to strategic support, Purina also contributes up to £44,600 ($56,481 USD, per Jan. 3, 2024, conversion rates) in funding for each participating startup.

Among the eight startups selected for the 2024 program is Arbiom, a Paris-based company developing sustainable protein alternatives for use in the pet food industry. Arbiom’s clean label ingredient, SylPro, is a single-cell alternative protein solution that offers nutritional, functional and sustainability benefits, according to the company. It can be incorporated into dry and wet dog and cat food products, as well as treats and snacks.

In the summer of 2023, Arbiom received a grant of €14 million ($15.1 million USD, based on conversion rates at the time) to establish its first ingredient production facility in France.

Other participating startups include:

  • Vienna-based Pezz Life, an at-home diagnostics and preventive care solution
  • Athens, Greece-based Petexplorer, an online platform connecting pet owners with industry professionals
  • London-based PetInstincts, a suite of smart enrichment solutions for pets
  • Calgary, Canada-based Sylvester AI, a visual pain assessment tool for cats
  • Monterrey, Mexico-based CuidaMiMascota, a pet sitting platform
  • Sao Paolo-based Zazuu, a mobile app for pet owners
  • Singapore-based ZumVet, a personalized vet care solution

“I’m really proud that Purina is actively supporting great new entrepreneurial ideas like these, which ultimately will help improve the lives of pets and the people who love them, through our innovative Unleashed program,” said Calum Macrae, director of Purina United Kingdom and Ireland. “I look forward to seeing the 2024 cohort grow through the program.”

This year marks the program’s fifth cohort. According to Purina, 33 startups have graduated from the Unleashed program to date. Read more about Unleashed by Purina here.

Find more articles about pet food industry startups.