• Powered by Purina, the UNLEASHED programme supports start-ups through mentoring, funding, and resources over a 20-week programme
• UNLEASHED’s global start-ups feature innovators from South Korea, Hong Kong, Sweden, Germany, Poland, and Brazil, forming its Class of 2026
• The 2026 winners cohort includes AI-driven pet health monitoring platforms, a mobile- first dog adoption app, a preventive pet insurance ecosystem, and a business management platform, among others

05 FEBRUARY 2026: UNLEASHED byPurina, the leading pet innovation and acceleration programme, has unveiled six promising start-ups that will form its ‘Class of 2026’.

Powered by the Purina Accelerator Lab, the UNLEASHED programme supports start-ups through a test and learn approach that aims to drive business growth. During the 20-week programme, now in its seventh year, each start-up gets hands-on support to disrupt the market with their innovative pet-care solutions. 

The programme has a global reach, with this year’s representatives being from South Korea, Hong Kong, Sweden, Germany, Poland, and Brazil:

• AI For Pet, South Korea: Powers daily veterinary practice with multimodal AI analysis of eyes, skin, teeth, gait, and clinical dialogue for real-time decision making. AI for Pet won UNLEASHED’s startup competition at the 2025 London Vet Show, where startup founders pitched their pioneering ideas to an expert panel of judges.
• Petalife, Hong Kong: An AI-powered preventative pet health platform helping pet owners detect early health risks from everyday photos and videos.
• Lassie, Sweden: The world’s first preventative pet insurance, that rewards pet parents for taking better care of their pets.
• Petleo, Germany: Petleo bridges the gap between vets and pet owners with digital tools that simplify workflows and improve animal care and accessibility.
• Psinder, Poland: Psinder helps people find the right dog, supports responsible adoption, and gives shelters the visibility they deserve.
• Sistema Pet, Brazil: An all-in-one SaaS management platform for breeders and pet services.

Following applications opening in the summer, a panel of judges shortlisted six start-ups, whose disruptive technologies aim to make pet ownership more seamless and joyful, while enhancing care delivery by veterinarians and pet professionals alike. AI has increasingly become a driver of innovation in the pet-care sector, with four of the winners leveraging technology in their solutions.

Each winning participant will have access to up to CHF 50,000, alongside cutting-edge resources and hands-on, expert mentorship from Purina’s commercial insights team, helping accelerate their growth throughout the process. UNLEASHED by Purina also seeks to identify synergies with the start-ups and opportunities for long-term partnerships and projects beyond the programme.

Sheri Smithey, Purina Global Head of Research & Development: “Our 2026 cohort reflects the growing role of AI and emerging technologies in the pet care sector. We’re now seeing AI evolve from a promising capability into a transformative force - one that is driving earlier detection of health issues, assisting clinical decision making for veterinarians, and giving pet owners more information and confidence in caring for their pets. The breakthroughs from this year’s start-ups are supporting  the industry to move to data-driven solutions - a priority we’re proud to champion at Purina.” 

Jeanne Chatelle, Europe Head of the Purina Accelerator Lab, added: 

“Each year, the quality and diversity of businesses we see are exceptional, and this year is no exception, with applications coming from 47 countries. Many of the solutions are redefining what is possible in pet care. With every programme, the UNLEASHED community continues to grow in both scale and geography, bringing together an increasingly international group of disruptive, industry-leading start-ups into our growing UNLEASHED network. I look forward to seeing the progress and potential of this year’s participants, building upon the successes of startups we have supported so far.” 

UNLEASHED success stories

UNLEASHED has accelerated 40 start-ups since the programme began in 2019, with this year’s winners bringing the total to 46. One of these winners includes Feragen, an organisation providing genetics-driven tools and education to breeders, veterinarians and dog owners. The company, which took part in the UNLEASHED programme in 2022, has used its win to grow its user base, becoming a preferred genetics partner in the sector. In 2025, Feragen also deepened its collaboration with Purina into a formal partnership.

BookMyPet, a 2023 UNLEASHED winner, has raised over US $1 million following the accelerator to scale across the GCC. The platform has since expanded into Saudi Arabia, launched e-commerce and pet taxi services, and grown into an all-in-one marketplace for pet care. Today, BookMyPet helps pet parents book trusted services while evolving into a SaaS-enabled platform powering pet businesses end-to-end.

Kamil Tarczyński, Co-Founder at Psinder, said: 

“Being part of the UNLEASHED by Purina accelerator programme is a great opportunity for us to get advice from leading experts. We are not only looking forward to collaborating with Purina, but also learning from each of the other pet-tech start-ups to continue driving the sector forward. We’re excited to see how the programme will help us on our mission to facilitate more successful adoptions.”

Carl-Johan Nilsson, Country Manager Sweden at Lassie, said: 

“We’re delighted to be part of the Class of 2026. Working with a company like Purina will help us take the next step in our journey. Lassie’s preventive pet insurance combines digital coverage with proactive care, supporting pet parents in keeping their dogs and cats healthier for longer. Lassie and Purina share a strong commitment to helping pets live longer, healthier lives. By combining Purina’s nutritional science with Lassie’s preventive care platform, we can make the right nutrition accessible, timely, and personalized for every pet — at scale.”

To find out more about UNLEASHED by Purina, please visit: www.UNLEASHEDbypurina.com.