VIS names 3 pet startup winners

The Veterinary Innovation Summit (VIS), a collection of vet organizations, announced the 3 winners from its list of 10 finalists in their virtual startup pitch competition:

• Teef – drinkable dental health for dogs, took home the $5,000 first prize  
• Roo – a platform for freelance veterinary professionals, received $2,000 for second place
• KwikVet – on-demand vet house calls, received $1,000 for third place

The 10 minute video pitches from all the finalists are available for viewing online here.

While all were impressive, my picks were: Roo, Mella (pet thermometer) and Kubanda (cryotherapy for dogs.)  Roo was especially impressive due to the revenue they have already generated in a short amount of time and in a limited geographic market (Houston and Dallas.)

Dog noseprint recognition is now a thing
 

Dogs might not have fingerprints, but they do have noseprints.

Alipay, a Chinese online payment platform (sort of like Paypal), has started offering pet insurance through an app that verifies a dog’s identity through noseprint recognition.    

Similar to human fingerprints, animal noseprints are unique and can accurately identify a pet over 99% of the time.

The app was created by AI start-up Megvii, a company that supplies facial recognition software for the Chinese government.

Dating app for for cat lovers launching
 

Tabby, a dating app for cat lovers is set to launch on August 8 – International Cat Day.

The app was created by New Orleans-based sisters Casey and Leigh Isaacson. The siblings also founded Dig, a dating app for dog owners. Dig has racked up over 200,000 users since its release in 2018.

Whiskers, a dating app for hamster owners, is due to be released early next year. 
 

Dogs + Science

A team of researchers from Czech University & Virginia Tech has found evidence that dogs use the Earth’s magnetic field to find their way home.

Monitoring 223 dogs equipped with GPS trackers, the researchers noticed that dogs placed in unfamiliar terrain ran north-south several times before deciding on a route home. This movement, called a ‘compass run’, helped the dogs orient themselves for the return trip.

The ability to detect a magnetic field is called magneto-reception and has been exhibited by other animals, including birds, salamanders and frogs.

Even more evidence that dogs are the best animals on earth.