Although pet startups in Europe haven't (yet) made any huge headlines in the past couple of years like their American counterparts, there's still an abundance of activity in this space worth highlighting.
Whether you're looking for someone to take care of your pet while on holidays, searching for a new animal to adopt or simply searching for a furry companion, here's 10 European startups for you and your pet (in no particular order):
1) Holidog
Headquarters: Paris, France
Gist: Founded in 2012, Holidog is a marketplace for pet care services. Likened to an Airbnb for pets, Holidog wants to help pet-owners find a trustworthy carer for their pet while on vacation. The company operates in France, the UK, Belgium, Germany, Austria, the US, Australia and New Zealand.
Headquarters: London, UK
Gist: Founded in 2012, BorrowMyDoggy is a community of dog lovers. For an annual fee, owners can find verified users through its platform to take care of their dog when necessary and borrowers looking for some dog companionship can enjoy some doggy time. The service is available in the UK and Ireland.
3) Pet2Mate
Headquarters: Braga, Portugal
Gist: Launched in 2013, Pet2Mate is a social network aiming to connect pets, pet lovers and pen-related services, such as shelter activists or non-profit organizations. Ultimately, the goal is to raise awareness for pet adoption globally. The platform is available in English, Spanish and Portuguese.
4) Yummypets
Headquarters: Bordeaux, France
Gist: Although the name may suggest otherwise, Yummypets is a "social petwork" for pet lovers. Essentially, users can create profiles for their pets and connect with other members as well as pet services. Since its founding 2012, the startup has expanded its service to the UK, US and Canada.
5) VetCloud
Headquarters: London, UK
Gist: Founded in Serbia in 2012 and now based in the UK, VetCloud is setting its sights on veterinarians. More specifically, the startup offers a management platform where veterinarians can keep track of patient data, get real-time appointment updates and obtain a snapshot of the state of their business.
6) OneMind Dogs
Headquarters: Turku, Finland
Gist: OneMind Dogs, founded in 2012, aims to help pet owners understand their dog's behaviours better by utilizing its methodology. Earlier this year, it reportedly secured around €400,000 in new funding. Members can opt for a free or premium account, which offers access to training challenges among other things.
7) Tractive
Headquarters: Pasching, Austria
Gist: Founded in 2012, Tractive is a tech company offering a suite of hardware and app products aimed at pet owners. Currently, its product portfolio includes a GPS pet tracker, a pet activity monitor as well as a pet remote for training purposes.
8) Findster
Headquarters: Portugal
Gist: Although not exclusively used for pets, Findster is a GPS tracking system that helps owners geo-locate their pets (or children) whenever they want. For your furry friends, the startup also allows users to track activity levels of pets during the day. Currently, Findster is available for pre-order only.
Headquarters: Glasgow, UK
Gist: Founded in 2009 and spun out of the University of Strathyclyde, Silent Herdsman taps into the Internet of Things for farming and has developed a collar for cows that monitors health and detects heat of the animals. In March 2014, the company raised $4.9 million in funding.
10) Fings for Fido
Headquarters: Chertsy, UK
Gist: Basically, Fings for Fido takes the meal delivery kit trend (for humans) taking off in e-commerce at the moment, and brings it to the dog world. The monthly subscription service offers to deliver a goodie box for your dog that includes biscuits, toys and grooming products right to your doorstep.
Featured image credit: Eugenio Maronglu / Shutterstock
