The 10th group of startups to participate in Plug and Play’s Animal Health accelerator program has officially begun their cycle
The 10th group of startups to participate in Plug and Play’s Animal Health accelerator program has officially begun their cycle! The spring group includes global companies that fit into three main focus areas: diagnostics, packaging, and novel ingredients. “This cohort reflects the strength of the animal health ecosystem today—where AI, genomics, diagnostics, and sustainability are converging to drive smarter, more proactive care. By connecting these founders with industry leaders, we’re accelerating meaningful impact across the sector,” said Plug and Play Animal Health Director, Lindsay Lebahn.
While each group is unique because of the varying technologies, Senior Program Manager, Anne Gunden, said this group is distinct in one additional way: “This is the first time that our cohort has been mostly companies based outside of the United States, which provides an exciting opportunity for us to introduce a few more people to the Animal Health Corridor and what the Midwest has to offer companies looking to expand their reach.” Participating companies will be joining the program from eight different countries: Australia, France, Germany, India, Japan, Poland, South Korea, and the United States.
The companies’ program champions—who hold different roles within their companies, including CEO, CSO, CTO, VP of Business Development—have all been excited to get started.
“We deeply appreciate the recognition of our potential and vision. Through this program, we hope to further expand our reach, establishing ourselves as Asia's leading companion animal DNA-testing company, while also exploring opportunities in livestock and eventually the American market,” said Se Young Park, CSO of PITTER PETTER.
Przemyslaw Mazurek, COO of VetApp, said, “Plug and Play is the best possible partner for startups, especially those looking to expand in the U.S. We're thrilled to be invited to join Cohort 10 and will take full advantage of this opportunity to open the doors to this new market.”
Over the course of the 17-week program, companies will engage in virtual workshops, one-one-one sessions with mentors, mixers with other cohorts, and sessions with corporate partners (including Animal Health Partners Hill’s Pet Nutrition and Zoetis). The program will conclude with two in-person events, including Expo—the culminating pitch/demo day, which will once again take place here in Topeka. As has been the case with previous Expos, Plug and Play will work closely with partner GO Topeka (and the new Link Innovation Labs) to host the event, which will bring the startups together with regional ecosystem players who might be interested in networking with, investing in, or otherwise supporting some of these companies. “GO Topeka and Link Innovation Labs are proud to support the next generation of animal health startups right here in Topeka. Kansas has long been a leader in animal health and agriculture, and by fostering innovation at the earliest stages, we’re helping entrepreneurs turn bold ideas into scalable solutions that improve animal well-being and strengthen our regional economy,” said Stephanie Moran, Senior VP of Innovation for the Greater Topeka Partnership.
Learn more about each of the 11 participating startups below.
Animal Health Batch 10 Startups:
CompaniCalm (Melbourne, Victoria, Australia)
CompaniCalm developed and manufactures a science-backed calming supplement for pets, using our proprietary trypsin-hydrolysed casein formula to produce alpha-casozepine.
diagnoVET (San Francisco, California, USA)
The most advanced AI platform for animal health.
Felome (Ivry-sur-Seine, France)
Explore your cat’s DNA to support optimal health.
Fermelanta, Inc. (Nonoichi-City, Ishikawa, Japan)
Make essential compounds accessible to all.
Greenshoot Materials (West Lafayette, Indiana, USA)
Sustainable packaging solutions for a plastic-free world
microXpace (Évry-Courcouronnes, France)
We deliver sustainable, microbiota-driven nutritional solutions to improve health and resilience in farm and companion animals
PITTER PETTER (Jeju Island, South Korea)
We leverage DNA data to boost the value and vitality of animal life, products, and services through life science innovations.
pivio GmbH (Düsseldorf, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany)
pivio builds AI agents that power smarter customer interactions across pet insurance, veterinary services, and pet food brands — helping partners reduce costs and scale better pet care.
Urban Animal India (Bangalore, Karnataka, India)
India's 1st Dog DNA Test - Your pet's first step towards proactive care
Vet Breath Analytics (Maitland, Florida, USA)
A publicly-traded animal health diagnostics company developing a non-invasive, breath-based disease detection platform for veterinary use
VetApp (Warsaw, Poland)
A medical technology that can identify the 150M+ unnecessary vet visits and reduce over 30% of the stress, anxiety, and expenses connected to them
