The Leap Venture Academy is excited to announce the 12 startups participating in its Cat Summit on October 29th. Taking place on National Cat Day, this event is focused on helping cat-specific startups build a community of like-minded founders and evolve their businesses.

The Leap Venture Academy’s Cat Summit is a one day program for entrepreneurs working on an early stage idea or company focused on cats and those who love them. During the Summit, founders will hear from expert speakers, meet with industry mentors, and attend fireside chats with successful founders. All the day’s events are aimed at supporting the startups’ growth and evolving their business plans.

Startups serving cats were invited from across the globe to attend for this year’s virtual Cat Summit. The 12 participating cat companies include:

• Basepaws (Torrance, CA) is a cat health and genetics company, helping cat parents know their cats inside and out.
• Cambridge Hill Technology (Petaluma, CA) is building mobile apps and supporting technologies to provide Cat Parents with knowledge and information to partner with their veterinarian when making health care decisions for their cat.
• CATalyst Council (Annapolis, MD) brings shelters, veterinarians, and pet industry stakeholders together with health-centric initiatives and programs for the betterment of companion cats.
• Dezi & Roo (Marietta, GA) brings outdoor adventures to indoor cats with exceptional products that are made in the USA. Dezi & Roo toys are unique, innovative, and a whole lot of fun.
• Dr Mew (Delray Beach, FL) has created the world’s first cat toilet, called Catbox.
• Katio (Atlanta, GA) is a cat litter box that goes in your window — just like a window A/C unit, solving the common issues like litter box placement, odor control, and containing litter spread.
• Meowtel (San Francisco, CA) allows cat-owners to reserve an in-home cat sitter who is vetted and insured.
• Moggie (London, UK) has created a smart-collar for cats that allows for tailored guidance & instructions to take better care of your cat.
• Natusan (London, UK) delivers sustainable cat litter to the whole of mainland UK, reducing cat litter waste going to landfill by 51%.
• Tabby — The Cat Person’s Dating App (Los Angeles, CA) is the best way for cat lovers and cat owners to find a compatible match and plan cat-friendly dates.
• Toletta Cats Inc. (Kanagawa, Japan) is the IoT cat litter box from Japan that can monitor your precious cats 24/7.
• Wildcat (San Francisco, CA) creates hyper-functional and versatile cat products that create joy and beauty in the home. Launching in 2020, their products are inspired by colors and forms found in nature, as a way to bring the outdoors in for cats to enjoy.

If you are interested in supporting the program, please email leapventurestudio@gmail.com.

The Leap Venture Academy Cat Summit is joint initiative between Michelson Found Animal Foundation and Kinship, a division of Mars Petcare.