With most of them being better friends and companions than most humans, it’s just about time that startups direct their attention to human’s furry (or scaly or bristly) friends.
Animals are wonderful creatures and a huge percentage of the world’s human population agrees with that, judging by the frequency of cat videos and photos circulating the internet. To put a bit more science to that, worldwide pet ownership statistics reflected household pet ownership at 57 per cent of world’s consumers, with dogs winning the race at 33 per cent, followed by cats, fishes, and birds, at 23 per cent, 12 per cent, and 6 per cent, respectively.
While Asia lags behind in terms of pet ownership (at approximately 33 per cent), the market for pet care is still significant, with a projected US$1.4 million market size by the year 2020.
Here are how Asian startups have geared up to meet the needs of this market
Never worry about leaving Muffy at home alone
South Korea’s SinglePet has created a product that solves pet parents’ problems everywhere: a food dispensing hardware that can be controlled anywhere using a smartphone. The hardware is also equipped with a camera that allows the pet parent to view pets in real time – given that the pet is within viewing range of the camera, which can be adjusted remotely using the accompanying smartphone app. The app also allows the user to purchase pet food for delivery to their homes.
Find Nugget a date (and possibly meet the love of your life)
It’s the Tinder for pets. PETO is an app that lets users find other pet parents in proximity and “swipe right” to start a chat and agree to meet up, presumably for a pet play date. Needless to say, it’s a set-up that could also work for the humans. The Indonesia-based startup added a slew of other features to the app that would allow users to play an online game, connect to pet services like vets and grooming, rescue pets from animal shelters, donate to animals shelters, and purchase pet needs from an online store.
Also read: TailsLife secure investment to bring curated and tailored pet info to your mobile
Never have to guess how Fluffy is doing
Some pet parents take the “parents” part of the title seriously and often fret about the state of their pet’s health. And with good cause, too. Animals cannot say what ails them, after all, and pet parents are left guessing if their beloved babies are sick or just lazy. Enter Anicall, a startup in Japan that developed wearable tech for pets. The plastic collar connects via bluetooth to a smartphone app to send behavioral data, which it then sorts into 20 behavioral categories so pet parents can identify pet’s moods and keep data associated to time or activity. But, more importantly, the collar monitors the respiratory and heart rates of the pets (fun fact: a dog’s heart rate shoots up when waiting for food to be put in it’s reach) and the app advises the user to take the pet to the vet when it finds anything abnormal.
Make sure Sparky always gets a ride
Car-less pet owners everywhere have all faced the problem of transporting their pets at least once. India-based startup PetCab has the solution to this with a mobile app that allows pet owners to book transport services for their pets, accompanied or unaccompanied, within the operating limits of the company. PetCab also offers booking and transport to and from grooming salons, veterinarians, boarding kennels, as well as bus and railway stations. Special services like airport delivery, where PetCab will accompany the pets until the cargo area of the airport, and pet cemetery transport are also offered.
Always keep track of Cuddles
No need to worry about pets running off. Taiwan’s Athentek has developed a Circo, smart tracker that lets pet parents know where their pets are. The technology uses GPS, AGPS, WiFi, and Cell ID to provide positioning information whether indoors or outdoors. Paired with a smartphone app, pet parents can also assign safe zones for their pets and get notified whenever the pet leaves the safe zone. Tracking features are also included, which pet parents can use to get real-time information to figure out where pets are going. Circo is currently available in 36 countries and could be used not only for pets but also for children and other humans.
Make sure Biscuit doesn’t get neglected
Like human kids, pet needs go beyond food and shelter; grooming, veterinary visits, and exercise are also important to make sure pets are healthy and happy. Most pet parents, however, find it difficult to make time for these activities. Singapore startup Cuzzey jumps in with an online marketplace for pet services. Pet parents need to just log in to their Cuzzey account to find groomers, walkers, skills trainers, transportation providers, and day care centers for their pets. And while service providers are either companies or individuals, al activities booked through the site are insured, giving pet parents the peace of mind in sending off their pets.
Also read: Don’t rub the fur the wrong way: You can now give your pet a ‘chauf-fur’ driven ride
Find out how Fido feels
Most of time, pet parents are kept guessing how their pets feel. Is the dog wagging its tail because it’s happy? Is the cat staring at me because it’s plotting my demise? (Hint: yes to both). With Japan’s Inupathy, pet parents won’t have to keep guessing. Works just like a mood ring but undoubtedly with more technology for accuracy, Inupathy is a harness that measures pet heart rate and analyses the patterns. Using the propriety HRV analysis algorithm, the company has determined patterns for happiness, concentration, excitement, and calmness. This analysis is then displayed using the full color LED lights at the back of the harness to alert the pet parents (excitement is displayed as a rainbow pattern, excitement in red, calmness in blue, and concentration in white). The product is currently focused on dogs but Inupathy has made their technology available to developers for further improvements.
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Feature image credit: fesus / 123RF Stock Photo
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