Traditional pet grooming is stressful for pets and their owners. Pets get anxious about traveling to unfamiliar environments and can spend up to four hours at a grooming salon during a session. 

However, it can be challenging to find professional groomers who are willing to travel to groom pets in the comfort of their homes, especially during the COVID-19 lockdown. Now more than ever, people are spending time at home with their pets, and demand for in-home grooming solutions, which can take place safely in the home, backyard, balcony, or garage, has skyrocketed.

We are excited to be backing the Pawsh team on their mission to disrupt the pet care delivery system. Pawsh is a managed marketplace that connects pet owners with professional pet groomers, bringing the pet grooming salon to pet owners’ doorsteps and empowering more groomers to start and grow their own businesses. 

The Nuts & Bolts 

Problem: The rise in pet ownership, especially among younger generations, is increasing the demand for at-home grooming solutions. However, it can be hard to find reliable groomers with flexible schedules. More pet owners are also trying to avoid salons during COVID-19, and are looking for in-home grooming solutions.

Solution: Many pet owners are willing to pay more to enjoy the convenience of having grooming services brought to their doorstep, and the Pawsh app makes the entire process simple. Pawsh first vets their groomers thoroughly and performs background checks before they can accept their first client on the platform. Pet owners can select the services and book an appointment that works for their schedule. An experienced groomer will arrive at the location at the booked date and time, and bring all of the necessary tools and materials to ensure a good grooming experience. Pawsh also offers insurance to pet parents, which an independent groomer wouldn’t be able to provide very easily.

Getting to Know Pawsh

Pawsh applied directly to our virtual first accelerator program, and we were impressed with the easy, fast, and convenient service. The Pawsh team met three years ago at a hackathon. At the time, Pawsh’s then CEO Karthik Naralasetty was working at Apple as a product designer, and Kimleng Hor, Pawsh CTO, was pursuing his bachelor’s in computer science at San Jose State University.

Shortly after meeting, they launched Pawsh together. Their passion for pet care is their core driving spirit. They are on a mission to disrupt the pet care delivery system and make it a friendly, transparent, and high-quality experience.

Why Now?

Demand for pet-related services is expected to grow as the number of pet owners continues to rise. According to Grand View Research, the global market for pet grooming products was valued at $9.9 billion in 2018 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.7% from 2019 to 2025. The bathing and brushing segment held the largest market share of 46.1% in 2019 in terms of revenue, and the nail trimming segment is expected to register the highest CAGR at 8.1%. 

The commercial grooming sector accounted for the largest revenue share of the pet grooming services market (87.8%) in 2019. 

New initiatives and changes in pet grooming education and training programs are fueling market growth as well. There are more vocational schools today than ever before. Home study alternatives are becoming popular, too. Those seeking a career in pet grooming but lack access to local grooming schools can learn the basics of grooming with home study alternatives. Reputable vocational schools have added online home study courses followed by on-site internships, and pet grooming educational opportunities are adapting to the new needs of today’s grooming career seekers and the advantages of new technology. 

Finally, more pet owners are also turning to mobile or in-home grooming services during the COVID-19 lockdowns. Pawsh groomers operate with strict protocols surrounding social distancing and wearing protective gear, such as masks. They also have strict cleaning standards for the grooming site once their services are complete. 

Future of Pawsh

Pawsh is working tirelessly to change the pet grooming industry with fast, convenient, at-home services. The startup plans to launch in more cities and partner with grooming schools to help more professional groomers connect with pet owners. 

You can learn more about Pawsh at https://pawsh.app. 

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