How to Apply for the Unleashed by Purina Startup Accelerator Programme: Class of 2025
Our landmark accelerator programme, Unleashed by Purina, for pioneering pet startups, is open for applications.
Having worked with dozens of game-changing startups since 2020, we’re ready to support a new cohort of innovative ideas. With incomparable expert support from one of the biggest pet care companies in the world, you don’t want to miss out on this opportunity.
In this article, we’ll cover everything you need to know.
Why join our accelerator programme?
Unleashed by Purina is an accelerator programme that champions new startups making waves in the pet care industry. We started the project in 2020 to help disruptive businesses succeed.
So, how do we support businesses that need our help? With a combination of monetary investment, unrivalled resources and decades of expertise in the pet industry.
We bring the full force of Purina’s reach and insight so you can learn how to build a thriving business. In addition, we can help connect you with our network where possible to further your mission and you can get up to CHF 50,000 in funding for a mutual project.
You’ll be surprised at what you can achieve in just 20 weeks with the support of your three Purina Unleashed Champs. These industry experts channel their decades of pet experience and access to Nestlé Purina resources into helping your business get to the next level.
Plus, the startups we’ve worked with have gone on to do incredible things.
UAE-based petcare app, Bookmypet, is a leading digital platform that connects pet parents to local service providers. As part of their Unleashed programme in 2023, we helped them conduct targeted market research with user interviews and testing. Since working with us, they’ve secured VC funding and achieved over 1K monthly visits.
So no matter where you’re starting from, the Unleashed by Purina programme has proved to be transformative for all of the startups who complete it.
Now, let’s talk about the details.
How is the programme structured?
We tailor each programme to what your startup needs the most. There’s no set script. Every programme is unique. After onboarding and getting to know each other, you’ll be allocated one agile coach and three industry experts —whom we call Purina Unleashed Champs—to help you create custom objectives during your 20 weeks with us.
Now, the key thing to remember is acceleration. In just 20 weeks, our startups have achieved huge milestones with our help. Some examples include:
- Increased user bases by over 100%
- Mapped out realistic long-term strategies to hit sustainability targets
- Boosted click-through rates on marketing materials
- 30x website and social media traffic
- Creating a first batch of test products for targeted market research
That said, your results depend on how open you are to learning from our experts and leveraging our years of experience to support your business.
This is why we seek open-minded, innovative founders who are willing to approach their products from new angles to create more impact and revenue.
At the end of the 20 weeks, we celebrate with a Graduation day. You’ll have the opportunity to present your results to your peers and to Purina`s R&D and commercial leadership, including Nestlé Purina CEOs and BEOs. This is your chance to reflect on your journey with Unleashed and pitch your brand to be an ongoing Purina collaborator.
Ongoing collaboration is a real possibility if your objectives are aligned and your results are impressive. We stay in touch with all of our startups over the following year. If we see further potential for a closer partnership, there are many ways to continue our collaboration. Some of our startups have continued with a global R&D Agreement, others have made commercial agreements with our markets or we could invite you to join our business incubator programme.
This is a longer specialised programme aimed at taking your startup to the next level and building a stronger business partnership with the Purina brand.
Take Feragen, for example. The groundbreaking pet genetics lab is on a mission to improve breeding standards for pets across the world. We recently invited them to join our incubator programme to take their product to new heights.
Does our bespoke approach to supporting startups sound good to you?
Read on to find out what we’re looking for.
What are we looking for?
We’re seeking disruptive pet tech startups that are getting traction with (at least) an MVP.
How do you know if you have a disruptive idea?
Ask yourself these three questions:
- Does your startup solve a clear customer problem in the pet space?
- Is your business model sustainable and scalable?
- Is your business entirely original in the pet industry, or does it offer a fresh angle on an established business model?
Many of our startups have completely original ideas, bringing new tech to the pet space.
DOGAMÍ is a web3 mobile game centred around adorable dog NFT avatars. During their time at Unleashed in 2023, we helped them bridge the gap between the virtual world and the real world by testing co-branded consumables. We also helped them explore how to reach audiences beyond crypto-natives. After graduation, we continued our collaboration by launching the first virtual pet food in the Dogami Academy, Purina DogaSnax. They now have over 13.5 Million races played and have launched a free-to-play, non-NFT version of the game.
Although we love original ideas, you don’t necessarily have to have an entirely new invention to be successful. Often, our startups are using technology to reinvent pet care staples.
For example, Unleashed 2024 alum, PezzLife, is currently on a mission to make pet health home diagnostics a staple in every pet parent’s home. After all, at-home diagnostics have been available to humans for several years now.
Pet healthcare is one of our favourite pet business verticals because there’s so much potential for scale. Sustainability, data or AI-led solutions and innovative twists on common pet care services are also on our wishlist.
Think you have a disruptive idea? Here are the other requirements:
- Your company must be based in Europe, Latin America, Oceania, Asia, or the Middle East.
- You have a B2B or B2C business model.
- The founder must be a current full-time employee.
- You must have two available team members (one of whom is a decision maker) to participate in the sprints and structural meetings during the 20 weeks.
- You need to have at least an MVP. Ideally, your company is already making revenue, but we’ll consider you if you have a good MVP and your business model is fleshed out.
How to apply for Unleashed by Purina
Want to apply to be a part of next year’s Unleashed by Purina cohort?
Here’s what to do:
- Fill out our online form: The first step is to complete our online form on F6S. We ask a lot of questions about your business model, background, competition and current traction. Here, we want to see that you have a clear vision of how your business will work. If it’s aligned with what we’re looking for, we’ll move you on to stage two.
- Attend an interview: Your interview is an opportunity to put a human face to your pet startup. We want to see a promising founding team that has the motivation and innovation to succeed.
- Define your SOW: If the interview goes well, we’ll invite you to create a Statement of Work. This is the perfect opportunity to outline your objectives and commitments to the programme.
If we select you to be a part of our 2025 cohort, onboarding will take place in Switzerland from 10th-14th February 2025. Throughout those unmissable four days, you’ll meet your agile coach and Purina Unleashed Champs to create a plan for the rest of the programme. You’ll also meet your fellow winners in the Class of 2025. On the last day, you’ll have the opportunity to present your ideas to the Purina Leadership. After onboarding, the intensive programme starts and you will see your progress kicking in week after week!
If you’re an innovative pet tech startup with a groundbreaking idea, we want to hear from you!
Click this link to start your online application, and we’ll be in touch soon.
Applications close on the 30th September 2024, so don’t delay.
Let’s disrupt pet care together!
FAQs
What is Unleashed by Purina?
Unleashed is a leading pet care and pet tech specific programme. It is designed to identify and support innovative startups leveraging technology to improve the lives of pets and their parents.
How many startups do you accept each year?
We work with up to 10 startups every year to help them achieve their next stage of growth. It’s a small group, so we can give as much individual attention as possible. However, having such small cohorts does make our accelerator more competitive. If you think you have an innovative pet tech business, apply as soon as possible.
Can I apply for Unleashed by Purina as a solo founder?
We at Unleashed have worked with multiple solo founders. We do prefer a strong co-founding team, as do investors. Why? Well, it’s important to have a team behind you that encompasses all of the technical knowledge you need to make your business succeed. You need at least two core team members (one of which is a decision maker) to participate in the programme.
I was rejected for Unleashed by Purina last year. Can I try again?
Yes, you can reapply to the Unleashed by Purina programme if you’ve previously been rejected. On the application form, we’ll ask you to tell us exactly how things have changed since you last applied. This can make all the difference in how we review your application this time around. Show us progress and growth, and you’ll have a better chance at success.