Vet-Telemedicine Startup Airvet Raises $14 Million in Series A Funding

Airvet is a virtual pet care platform. It has close to 3000 vets and trainers offering “pet-sonified” telemedicine recommendations.

During the pandemic, we have already witnessed how telemedicine startups and lifestyle tracking apps have come to rescue. What about the pets? Can they be treated via digital platforms?

A majority of pet owners still rely on Google Search results and Facebook pages to diagnose the pet problems and try to connect with the vet that are locally available through recommendations. But, are these recommendations truly reliable? An expert pet care official would say, “highly doubtful.”

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Thanks to companies like Airvet, the answer is now “Yes.”

I am an avid pet lover, and owing two cats and a Rottweiler has taught me valuable lessons in life. Taking care of pets is a very serious activity, even as their nutrition, vaccinations and medicines hard to manage in routine. Thanks to a new-gen crop of vet-telemedicine platforms like Airvet, things have become far more connected. The US-based telemedicine/ tele-pet-health co company is taking a big step forward with its Series A Funding. Last week, Airvet announced an infusion of $14 million in its finances.

The latest funding was led by Canvas Ventures, with participation by e.ventures, Burst Capital, Starting Line, TrueSight Ventures, Hawke Ventures, Bracket Capital, Michael Stoppelman, and several major veterinary industry leaders.

Airvet is already very popular among pet owners who rate it among the top-5 telemedicine apps for their animal friends.

How this Funding Helps Telemedicine for Animals?

In the age of real-time communications, digital technologies are penetrating into medicine and personalized healthcare. These technologies present a wide-array of opportunities and benefits to humans as well as their pet friends. Healthcare officials already know these benefits for human patients. Now, with pet-personalized telemedicine, veterinarians and their staff also reach their animal patients in real-time.

What is Pet Telehealth?

Telehealth is a fast-growing sub-specialization within healthcare systems that overarches with patient monitoring, personalized care and digital communications. Its client-facing aspect makes telehealth a value for money practice.

Smart device interaction via video, chat or call can solve numerous problems, preventing you from visiting a vet clinic every time your pet has a medical condition.

Telemedicine interaction is built using the channel called Veterinarian-Client-Patient Relationship (VCPR) using digital communication channels such as video conferencing, mobile app notifications, Skype or Zoom calls, messaging, and general email advice.

As Airvet found out, there has been very rapid increase in demand for its telemedicine platform, which has accelerated with the onset of COVID-19. Telemedicine is quickly becoming mainstream, and is here to stay, for both veterinarians and pet parents.

Founded in 2018, Airvet is a vet-centric mobile app that focuses on modernizing the pet care experience. It connects the exciting world of pet care with telehealth and mobile personalization. It makes interaction with pet parents more personalized and health-centric.

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Airvet Founder and CEO Brandon Werber said, “I grew up with a veterinarian as a father. I never had to worry about my pet’s care. Whenever I needed help or had concerns, I’d just call or text my dad and I’d get accurate answers right away. That gave me such a feeling of comfort. I want to bring that on-demand, high-quality care to every pet owner in the world. If Airvet can deliver that feeling, we’ve done our job.”

Already a favorite for pet owners, Airvet has also become the telemedicine platform of choice for thousands of veterinarians and hundreds of hospitals across the country including several national practice groups and industry leaders, like Zoetis, VSG, Mission Veterinary Partners, United Vet Care, Compassion-First Pet Hospitals, VetnCare, Encore, Amerivet, and many others. “I love Airvet’s model,” added Dr. Roger Redman, President of the American Association of Veterinary State Boards.

“Pet owners are asking for this and the veterinary community needs to respond. Airvet will successfully fill that gap.”

What Airvet Offers?

The app connects with a nationwide network of over 2,600 veterinarians in 43 states.

These are the basic services it provides:

• live video into curbside drop-offs,
• scheduling virtual appointments and re-checks,
• utilizing chat as a method of vet-to-client communication, and
• offering clients access to after-hours care through Airvet’s veterinary community.

“Limitations from COVID-19 inspired us to expand our practice while we integrate virtual care into the workflow almost overnight,” said Dr. Russ Brewer.

Dr. Russ added, “We’ve done over 1,300 cases on Airvet just since last month. We’re using it for our curbside appointments, re-checks, and general virtual visits for those who can’t or aren’t comfortable leaving the house. My clients and team love it and I plan to make Airvet a permanent part of our practice.” The service comes at a critical time for veterinarians and pet parents, as we adapt to the “new normal.”

“Airvet has been a critical partner for us, and I expect them to play a key role in the future of our industry,” said Michael Aubrey, CEO of Mission Veterinary Partners.

Michael added, “Our world is changing and the expectations of our clients are rapidly evolving with the new technologies available. No pet owner should ever be in a position of needing quality care and not having access to it.”

“At Canvas, we take a lot of pride in helping support our founders’ visions to meaningfully change the world and improve peoples’ lives. We couldn’t be more excited to partner with Airvet to dramatically improve the pet health experience for both veterinarians and pet owners,” said Canvas Ventures’ General Partner, Rebecca Lynn.

Rebecca added  –

“There is no 911 for pets, and when your pet is sick or injured, you want to talk to someone immediately. I have a number of pets – a dog, a cat, chickens, peahens, horses, parakeets and a cow – Airvet has already helped me on a number of occasions, saved me office visits and house calls, and helped me sleep better at night!”

Telemedicine for Pet versus Animal Husbandry

Telemedicine for pets is very different from the ones followed for farm animals. In the US, rural farm owners already use live chats and call-in services to make a steady decision on their farm animals’ health, including surgery and offspring birth.

In the era of social distancing, telemedicine apps for vets and animal husbandry seem to have a very bright future. E-vet health care, personalized monitoring, and expansion into digital communications hold the key to further innovations in this growing sector.

To share your insights on telemedicine, please write to us at sghosh@martechseries.com