Pawzy’s first pitch competition earns top prize, accelerating development of veterinary clinic finder and pet insurance tools for 2020.

TORONTO, ON - December 4, 2019 - Pawzy.co, a newly launched platform connecting pet parents across Canada with health resources and education, took home $30,000 after winning the Queen's Venture Network - UPstart Venture Challenge in Toronto on Tuesday night. The pitch competition is led by Queen’s University Venture Network to accelerate alumni-founded businesses. 

Just two months after launching, Pawzy successfully validated a major addressable market opportunity in the pet sector, presented a launched product with the Pawzy.co site, which is already gaining traction, and exhibited confidence with a strong founding team and advisory board in place to execute its future strategy.

“This was our first pitch competition, and our first win! It’s a testament to the power of the Pawzy platform and our vision to solve important pain points for pet owners through superior healthcare advice and services online,” said Kerri-Lynn McAllister, Founder and CEO, Pawzy. “The pet health industry is the next major sector poised for innovation, and I’m proud that Pawzy will be part of the future of pet tech in North America.”

Key highlights of Pawzy Founder Kerri-Lynn McAllister’s winning pitch included:

• Data from a commissioned Pawzy survey found 60% of Canadians own a pet and 95% of them consider their pets part of the family, with millennials making up the largest pet-owning demographic 

• There is a major market opportunity — pet care is an $8 billion industry in Canada and $70 billion in the United States

• Consumer spending increased nearly 30% over the last five years in North America 

• Canadian dog owners will see a lifetime cost of over $30,000, of which more than one-third is dedicated to veterinary care and insurance, according to the Ontario Veterinary Medical Association (OVMA)

Pawzy is building a marketplace platform that will allow pet parents to compare health providers and services, and connect with vets on-demand. Pawzy.co launched in September with a proprietary breed selector tool to pair potential pet parents to an ideal dog for them, veterinary-approved dog advice within its detailed breed guides and, for the first time in Canada, a hub for access to both breeders and adoption agencies on one platform. Pawzy will also expand to service other pets with its new tools in 2020. 

Pawzy is founded by Kerri-Lynn McAllister, a Toronto-based technology and digital marketing leader with over a decade of experience building online marketplaces that help Canadians make better purchasing decisions. Emma Harris, the former CEO at Healthy Pets, Canada’s first vet telehealth service, has recently joined Pawzy and will be instrumental in building Pawzy’s future in pet healthcare services. An important piece of Pawzy’s winning pitch was its advisory team comprised of North American pet care, technology and business leaders. 

Full team and advisory board information can be found here.

Further data insights from Pawzy’s pet survey can be found here.

Additional images and materials are available in this Pawzy Press Kit.

For media inquiries and interviews, please contact Pawzy Communications at comms@pawzy.co. 

About Pawzy

 Pawzy is a purpose-driven technology company devoted to connecting modern pet parents to the tools and information needed to make the best health and wellness decisions for their loved ones. With a mission to provide accessible and affordable pet care for all, Pawzy pledges 1% of its business to animal charities through the Upside Foundation.