It’s always a joy to see new startup accelerator programs starting in the Portland startup community. One might say that, with this one, my tail is wagging. My tail… Ahem. *tap tap tap* Is this thing on?
Portland’s Leap Venture Studio, a collaboration among R/GA, Mars Petcare, and Michelson Found Animals Foundation, has revealed the six companies who have joined the inaugural cohort for their accelerator program.
And the startups are:
- AnimalBiome assesses pet microbiomes and makes an oral supplement from material sourced directly from healthy cats and dogs to restore balance.
- CuidaMiMascota connects pet owners with trusted pet sitters that offer cage-free, safe and cost-effective care, in Latin America.
- Lacuna Diagnostics, Inc. is a cloud-based platform that connects veterinary hospitals to board-certified clinical pathologists for rapid diagnostic results.
- Mixlab is a modern veterinary compounding pharmacy that creates personalized meds and wellness products for pets.
- PetPlate is a subscription service that delivers fresh-cooked, vet-designed, human-grade dog food in pre-portioned, microwavable containers.
- Wild Earth is challenging the status quo of pet food with cultured protein that is good for your pets and the environment.
It is important to note that the founding teams are diverse in terms of both race and gender, with women comprising half of the CEOs in the program.
According to a press release:
The Leap program provides the opportunity for selected companies to access strategic, financial and creative resources to accelerate product development, develop industry partnerships and refine their business plans. Customized teams of R/GA strategists, technologists, designers and consultants will collaborate with the startups to enhance their business plans and prepare them for future milestones including fundraising, pitching and business development. Additionally, the startups will receive mentorships from executives at Mars Petcare, Found Animals and their extended networks of world class advisors.
If this program sounds interesting to you and your company, applications for the second cohort are currently open.
For more information or to apply, visit Leap Venture Studio.
