The role of pets has become central in many people’s family systems, bringing with it the solutions provided by technology unique experience for pets. Since gadgetselectronic devices, even mobile applications, in short, many possibilities arise that help care for our dogs and cats.

A mobile app that translates meows; a smart plate that doubles as an automatic food dispenser; real time location device; recognition systems for lost animals, to name a few.

A new app called MeowTalkwhich provides functionality similar to the Shazam song identifier and Amazon’s virtual assistant, alexaMeowTalk translators record samples of cat sounds through the phone’s microphone, compare them to a database, and interpret them as “love message” to the owner, including requests for caresses and food.

According to Javier Sánchez, creator of MeowTalk, a cat’s meow “is not a language” because cats “do not share words or communicate with each other and only use meows to interact with their masters.” With intensive use, the mobile app expands and refines its database to catalog with greater precision the meows made by cats, and serves as a bridge between cat and master communication.

Leap Venture Studio, the first accelerator focused on Pet Tech

With the arrival of the Pet Tech The need to support this growing sector also emerged, and it was at this time that the protagonists were like Leap Venture Studiosa partnership between Mars Petcare, Michelson Found Animals, and R/GA Ventures that seeks to support and encourage the development of startups focused on pet care.

They recently launched a twelve-week program where participating startups receive $200,000, personal tutoring, and support in preparing future fundraisers.

It is important to underline that, for each startup, this program develops a special and personal project to achieve its most important achievements. For example, a company looking to expand from France to Spain will receive a tailor-made plan to prepare and execute its international growth strategy.

Rachel SheppardDirector of Ventures, Mars Petcare

As a result of this program, several startups have emerged that seek to combine technology with the needs of pets, as is the case moist, the world’s first chat and health communication device for cats. also appeared Little Wella subscription service that offers natural pet food, among many other companies.

The Leap Venture Studio accelerator program launched in 2018 and alumni have raised $170 million in follow-on capital, $100 million in 2021 alone. Barkibu (Spanish), bulldog (German), Blue Project (Great Britain), PACKAGE (English) and Woof Together (Greece).

(Text originally published in geektime).