Airtree is a venture capital firm backing Aussie and Kiwi founders, building the iconic technology companies of tomorrow. We’re powered by our network, dedicating extraordinary resources to help founders shortcut company-building firsts and accelerate their journey from idea to global household name. As one of the largest and most active early-stage investors in Australia and New Zealand, Airtree’s 100+ portfolio features the region’s breakout tech companies, including Canva, Go1, Employment Hero, Pet Circle, Immutable and Linktree.

Airtree Ventures

Founded in November 1998 by entrepreneurs Laurent Drion and Gregory Hédo, E-Merge has invested, generally as lead investor, in more than 30 Technology Startups .   We focus on early stages of development (Seed and Series A).  Our three original target industries were: Telecom, E-Commerce Tools & Online Payment Systems.   In 2012 we also started paying attention to Commercial Space investment opportunities, including businesses built around the open-source CubeSat standard and made our first investment in this area.  The portfolio companies are carefully selected for their technological and commercial strengths. They have strong dedicated management teams with relevant expertise, a significant growth potential, strongly automatized processes, and recurring revenue.  Typical investments range between USD 50,000 and USD 1,500,000 per portfolio company.  In addition to capital, E-Merge shares its experience with its portfolio companies in a wide range of areas: strategy, development of the business plan, key-persons recruitment, technology choices, marketing & press relations, legal matters, fundraising, M&A etc...   Portfolio companies also get access to E-Merge's extended network in its target industries.  E-Merge distinguishes itself from other investors by the entrepreneurial profile of its founders and managers, for its rapid decision-making and for taking the risk of investing in very early stage companies.   Thanks to their entrepreneurial background E-Merge's partners have an excellent understanding of the challenges facing innovative startups and their founders.

E-Merge

The AVRO Accelerator is an invitation to come on board and help us shape the future of innovation in Australia and beyond.

AVRO Accelerator

Pawshake

Pawshake is an online marketplace for pet services founded by Dries Coucke and Tanguy Peers, both former eBay execs.

Pawshake is a platform that connects pet owners with pet sitters. Through the Pawshake app or the website, pet owners can find a home for their pets to stay over, a sitter who will visit to pet sit at the owner’s house, and pet sitters who can visit daily. Pet owners can meet the pet sitter in person and post reviews afterward. Pawshake is present in several countries, including Canada, the UK, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Germany, France, and several other European countries.

Pet ownership is at an all time high in the United States and the pet care economy is booming.

Pet Care Tech

<div>
 
 Digitail offers a cloud-based software platform for veterinarians that provides an online booking system, electronic record keeping, stock management, invoicing, billing, etc. The platform, which can be accessed from any device (mobile phones, laptops, desktops), is available in different packages on a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) basis; USD 95 per month for mobile vets, USD 79 per month for small clinics, and USD 159 per month for large clinics. As of March 2021, the platform served 2,000 veterinarians across 16 countries.
 
 
 Funding and financials
 
 
 In January 2023, the company raised 
 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/16032?industryIds=7">
 USD 11 million in Series A funding
 </a>
 led by Atomico to expand its operations in the US and Canada. The round follows its USD 2.5 
 million seed funding in March 2021, led by the VC firm byFounders and Gradient Ventures (Google&rsquo;s AI fund).
 
</div>

Digitail

Gudog is a Spanish on-demand platform that connects dog owners with dog sitters for at-home dog sitting, dog walking, and dog daycare services. The company operates in France, UK, Germany, Ireland and Spain. In February 2019, the company merged with HouseMyDog, a similar company headquartered in the UK, to mutually expand its reach to more than 25,000 dog sitters on its platforms. As of February 2019, Gudog was considered to be the market leader in Spain. In February 2021, the company announced the acquisition of Host My Pet, a Finnish online pet sitting services company, for an undisclosed amount. The acquisition is aimed at expanding operations into Nordic countries, starting with Finland. With the acquisition, the combined entity’s 17 full-time employees will serve approximately 650,000 pet owners across Europe.

GuDog

Urban Leash is an on-demand pet care service provider that offers dog walking and cat sitting services. The app is GPS-embedded, which allows pet owners to track the whereabouts of pets. Its dog walking services and cat services are are offered in Boston within the Fenway and Jamaica Plain neighborhoods, whereas cat sitting services are also provided in several other areas in Brookline. Urban Leash also provides care services for small animals, such as feeding fish, small birds, and small mammals. Administering medication is offered without any fees.

Urban Leash

TeleTails is a veterinary telehealth platform that allows pet owners to obtain advice from veterinarians and behaviorists when needed. The company’s software provides care teams with the ability to offer live video consultations, flexible messaging, and cross-team communication. In May 2020, the company launched TeleTails Instant in response to the Covid-19 pandemic to make veterinary services available at no cost during the crisis.

TeleTails

Based in the UK, PawSquad provides on-demand veterinary telehealth services through video consultations and online chats. Pet owners can instantly access veterinary practitioners without pre-scheduling. The company also offers home visits on request. Advice from general practitioners is priced at around USD 26 per visit, while specialist consultations are priced at around USD 62 per visit. PawSquad provides specialist services in dermatology and plans to introduce other areas, such as endocrinology, behavior, gastroenterology, and oncology in the future. As of February 2021, the company operated more than 1,500 clinics across 12 countries in Europe and had an employee base of more than 22,000, including 6,0000 veterinary professionals.In March 2021, was acquired by UK-based veterinary service provider IVC Evidensia, that operates across Europe, for an undisclosed amount. IVC Evidensia operated more than 1,500 clinics across 12 countries in Europe as of February 2021. The company also has an employee base of more than 22,000, including 6,0000 veterinary professionals.The acquisition will allow PawSquad to expand geographically while also providing pet owners accessibility to IVC Evidendsia’s veterinary professionals through PawSquad’s telehealth platform.

PawSquad

Companies that provide digital veterinary platforms to connect pet owners directly with online veterinary services.

Companies that provide mobile-based platforms to match pet owners with providers of pet services such as pet boarding, pet sitting, and dog walking.

Startups that offer innovative insurance solutions via digital platforms specialized for pet insurance coverage.

Companies that develop and offer technological solutions, such as self-cleaning tech, smart feeding devices, and interactive toys, to enhance and monitor pets' health and well-being.

Uses IoT technology to remotely monitor and interact with pets

AI and ML technologies enable pet owners to monitor and improve pet care

Offers digital platforms, such as veterinary telehealth services, to support the wellness of pets

Pawshake

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