Technology

Posted on October 26, 2016 by staff

‘Fitbit for dogs’ firm crowdfunds owners community

Technology

The firm behind a ‘Fitbit for dogs’ has launched a crowdfunding bid to develop a cloud-based pet care platform.

Cambridge-based PitPatPet hopes to raise £500,000 for the ‘Dog Care Intelligence Platform’ which will connect owners and “form the basis of an invaluable data, intelligence and communications proposition to partners across the industry”.

You can watch the crowdfunding pitch at the bottom of this article.

The PitPat, a small device that fits onto the dog’s collar, was launched in January 2016 at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, the world’s largest tradeshow for consumer technology.

The activity monitor is aimed at improving dogs’ health, in the same way that an adult fitness tracker would, with an accompanying app which requires owners to set up a profile for their pet that includes age, weight, breed and other health information.

All activity is measured in minutes against veterinary guidelines.

“This is a really exciting time for us as we look to grow the business through the platform we are developing, and expanding into new markets,” said founder and chief executive Andrew Nowell, who says the joint problems experienced by his sister’s German shepherd inspired the product.

“By investing in PitPat you can join us on what I think promises to be an exceptionally interesting and rewarding journey.

“As a retail product, PitPat is already connecting dogs with their owners.

“Soon, through commercial partnerships, the PitPat platform will offer the opportunity to redefine how the pet care industry connects with its customers.”

Nowell told BusinessCloud in the summer that in the long-term data could be captured from the trackers.

“We are consumer-focused now but in the future we will be more advanced,” he said.

“We could use the data to learn how best to manage exercise in German shepherds so they don’t get arthritis, for example.”