Felcana, a leading pet technology company that creates an all-in-one digital pet health centre, announced this week that it has received seed funding from InseadAlum Ventures (IAV), a Singapore-headquartered investment firm founded by INSEAD alumni.
Founded in 2015, Felcana develops technologies that innovates across the pet healthcare and veterinary medicine industry by providing a holistic digital approach to pet health.
The financing will be used to launch the Company’s first cutting-edge product, the Health Monitoring Kit, with global roll-out. It will also be used to fund ongoing work on two proprietary technologies currently in development.
The Health Monitoring Kit, designed for dogs and cats, helps pet owners understand what’s normal for their pets, monitor pet activities and behaviour, and reinforce that pet–owner bond.
Key features include:
- Using real-time data to understand your pet's health
- Collecting and analysing information about your pet's health status 24/7
- Providing instant veterinary advice with our live chat feature
- Alerting pet owners of any behavioural and / or physiological abnormalities
- Detecting and predicting early stages of diseases with Felcana's AI system, including diabetes and arthritis
- Supporting veterinarians to make earlier, more accurate diagnoses by providing a stream of continuous and pet-specific data
Designed by veterinarians and former Dyson and Raspberry Pi engineers, the proprietary Felcana system is focused around a collar-worn monitor called a “Helix” which boasts state-of-the-art technology, including Bluetooth 5, housed in a fashion-forward, robust and waterproof design.
The Helix itself has a built-in app-controlled Flashback light allowing owners to locate their pets in the dark. All devices are brought together by the free Felcana app allowing owners to stay live and updated about their pet’s health and fitness at all times.
In addition to the funding, Deepak Shahdadpuri, who has over 15 years of venture and private equity experience, will join Felcana’s Board providing experience gained in previous smart connected device investments.
Shahdadpuri, an INSEAD Alumnus, is currently Managing Partner at IAV and VC-firm DSG Consumer Partners. His previous roles include Beacon India Private Equity Fund, GEM India, Reuters Venture Capital, Bain & Company and Ernst & Young.
Deepak Shahdadpuri, Managing Partner at IAV, said: “We have been very impressed by the Felcana team and their plans to bring technology to the pet wellness and healthcare space.
"James and his team have developed a very exciting product in Helix and are developing a pipeline of products to address the needs of pet owners and veterinarians.
"IAV looks forward to working alongside this experienced and extremely focused team, and leveraging our INSEAD network, in a sector which is experiencing tremendous growth.”
Co-founder, veterinarian and CEO of Felcana, Dr. James Andrews, who graduated from INSEAD in 2012, said: “We are delighted to welcome Deepak to the team and look forward to working closely with him.
"We are very excited to launch Felcana’s Health Monitoring Kit, a digital game changer in the animal healthcare sector. With the support from IAV, we look forward to the next stage in our growth strategy and to be one step closer to our vision for the future of animal healthcare."
