Purina Pet Care Innovation Prize calls for entries

ST. LOUIS — The Pet Care Innovation Prize powered by Purina is calling on entrepreneurs with creative and innovative solutions for pets to apply for its 2027 accelerator competition. Purina’s program is offering funding and support to help scale startup businesses.

“At Purina, we know elements of the future of pet care will be shaped by entrepreneurs who see opportunities to solve new challenges and meet the evolving needs of pets and their people,” said Patrick Mullen, co-lead of Purina’s 9 Square Ventures group and vice president of Strategic Planning at Purina.

Purina and investment partner Active Capital will select five finalists to receive $25,000 each in funding, as well as mentorship from pet care industry leaders at Purina and Active Capital and the opportunity to participate in an accelerator boot camp at Purina’s headquarters in St. Louis. Finalists will also have the opportunity to compete for an additional $25,000 grand prize at a live pitch competition at Global Pet Expo in Orlando in March 2027.

“The Pet Care Innovation Prize gives us an opportunity to support these entrepreneurs with more than funding,” Mullen added. “Through mentorship, access to industry expertise and shared connections, we can help promising startups take their ideas to the next level.”

Purina has partnered with Active Capital on the Pet Care Innovation Prize since 2016. Since its creation, the prize has awarded more than $1 million in funding to early-stage companies working to advance pet care.

PetPax Co. was the 2026 Pet Care Innovation Prize grand prize winner for its SupplaMelts™ product line, which uses a fast-dissolving oral thin-film delivery method to make veterinarian-approved supplementation easier to administer to dogs.

“The mentorship, connections and continued support from Purina and Active Capital have helped us build momentum as we expand SupplaMelts and work to make everyday wellness easier for more dogs and their people,” said Anthony Gatti, co-founder and chief executive officer of PetPax Co. “Specifically, it has enabled us to expand into the feline category. We’re grateful to be part of a community that is invested in helping the next generation of pet care companies grow.”

Applications for the Pet Care Innovation Prize are open until Oct. 6. Learn more and apply for the 2027 Pet Care Innovation Prize accelerator program. 

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