Startup companies nationwide with a novel pet care product or service are invited to compete for a share of the Pet Care Innovation Prize powered by Purina to advance and scale their businesses.
Nestle Purina, with pet food manufacturing operations in Davenport and Clinton, Iowa, announced that applications for its 2027 competition are now open. The annual contest invites pet care entrepreneurs to apply for funding. Applications for the 2027 Pet Care Innovation Prize can be entered here. The deadline is Tuesday, Oct. 6.
Each year, Purina and investment partner Active Capital select five pet-focused startups to receive $25,000 each in non-dilutive funding along with mentorship and support from pet care industry leaders at Purina and Active Capital. The five finalist startups are invited to participate in an accelerator boot camp at Purina’s headquarters in St. Louis and compete for an additional $25,000 grand prize at a live pitch competition at Global Pet Expo in Orlando, Florida, in March 2027.
“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,” Patrick Mullen, co-lead of Purina’s 9 Square Ventures group and vice president of strategic planning, said in a news release Tuesday, Sept. 1.
“The Pet Care Innovation Prize gives us an opportunity to support these entrepreneurs with more than funding,” Mr. Mullen added. “Through mentorship, access to industry expertise and shared connections, we can help promising startups take their ideas to the next level.”
Selected startups will gain access to Purina leaders and subject matter experts across areas including science, nutrition, research and development, marketing and business strategy providing resources to gain expertise and new connections at a critical stage of their growth.
QC footprint
The company’s roots in the Quad Cities region include its massive west Davenport factory and distribution center, which produces dry kibble (Dog Chow, Purina ONE, Pro Plan). It is the company’s oldest manufacturing plant dating back to 1927. Purina’s footprint in Davenport
includes a newer 301,320-square-foot distribution hub at 8730 Northwest Boulevard. Upriver, the Clinton manufacturing complex has been in operation since 1969 and employs more than 500 people. It is the company’s global producer of Beggin’ Strips and customized pet food lines.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2022, celebrated a $156 million expansion project at the Purina plant in Clinton, Iowa. CREDIT DAVE THOMPSON
Nationwide, it employs more than 11,000 associates behind the production of pet food and treat brands that feed 46 million dogs and 68 million cats every year. The workforce includes nearly 500 Purina scientists, veterinarians, and pet care experts.
Over the past five years, Purina has contributed more than $150 million towards organizations that bring, and keep, people and pets together, as well as those helping its hometown communities and environment thrive.
Innovation prize impact
The Pet Care Innovation Prize program also connects entrepreneurs with a broader pet care innovation ecosystem through Active Capital and other industry partners. Active Capital, which helps startups and investors come together to grow innovative products and initiatives, manages the Pet Care Innovation Prize.
Purina and Active Capital, which first created the prize in 2016, have awarded more than $1 million to early-stage companies advancing pet care since its inception. The program has supported startups engaged in pet health and wellness, nutrition, sustainability, technology and enrichment.
The program’s impact can be seen in companies such as PetPax Co., which was the 2026 Pet Care Innovation Prize grand prize winner. Founded by two dog dads in Boston, the startup is redefining everyday pet wellness through its flagship SupplaMelts product line. They created a proprietary, fast-dissolving oral thin-film delivery method to make veterinarian-approved supplementation easier to administer and gentler for dogs.
“Winning the 2026 Pet Care Innovation Prize was a meaningful milestone for PetPax Co. and gave us valuable validation at an important stage in our growth,” Anthony Gatti, PetPax Co.’s CEO and co-founder, said in the Purina release. “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.”
Nestle Purina PetCare provides scientifically based nutritional innovations to help dogs and cats live longer, healthier lives. Founded in 1894, Purina is the manufacturer of some of the world’s most popular pet care products, including Purina ONE, Pro Plan, Friskies and Tidy Cats.
For more information about the 2027 Pet Care Innovation Prize and to apply visit PetCareInnovation.net.