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As the Founder and CEO of Maskots, Stéphane Druet is leading the development of an app for pet care, integrating advanced AI-driven solutions to transform how we care for our pets. With over 20 years of leadership experience in high-tech sectors, including consumer technology, travel, payments, and telecom, Stéphane is focused on building and growing Maskots by developing its product and brand, expanding the team, and establishing a robust ecosystem of partners.

Maskots is designed to simplify and enhance pet care by offering personalized services for each registered pet. These services include a customized care plan with reminders, detailed health monitoring, an AI-powered chatbot for instant answers, tailored advice per life stage, and a digital wallet centralizing all pet IDs and travel documents. The app supports all mixed breeds and over 60 pure breeds and is available in English, Spanish, and French. With high demand, evidenced by a survey showing 77% of pet owners' interest in subscribing, Maskots aims to create a lasting impact on the global pet care community.

What ‘aha’ moment led to the founding of Maskots?

Over the past few years, I've been captivated by the rise of super-apps that transform specific consumer life areas, such as WeChat for communication and payments, Rappi for fast home delivery, and Uber for mobility and travel.

As an entrepreneur, I was seeking a new market to innovate with this super-app concept. During the pandemic, I observed how outdated and fragmented many health-related processes were—like managing health data, ordering PCR tests, and pharmacy services. Clearly, there was an opportunity for disruption.

I discovered an inspiring benchmark in Singapore, where individuals manage their health entirely via mobile. However, creating a super app for human health involves significant challenges, particularly around managing sensitive personal health data and aligning too many stakeholders.

My real "aha" moment struck one day while we needed to find a new veterinary for our family cat. Why not apply the super-app concept to pet care? Pets, much like humans, require comprehensive care involving a variety of services and products. Additionally, addressing the specific needs of each breed presents a unique and interesting challenge which could be addressed with AI.

An all-in-one app could dramatically enhance the pet owner experience without the complexities associated with human health data. After discussing the idea with numerous veterinarians and pet owners, it was evident that there was significant potential to disrupt the pet care market and improve the lives of millions of pet owners and their pets.

What was your drive back then, and what change did you aim to make?

My primary motivation was to enhance consumer lives by digitizing and simplifying critical aspects of their daily life. For pet owners, managing their pets' care is a significant part of life, and they genuinely strive to do the best they can.

My goal was not only to streamline pet care management through the latest digital and AI technologies, but also to significantly improve the well-being and lifespans of pets. This mission deeply resonated with me and drives our team forward."

How does Maskots' platform contribute to the pet care market, and what specific market gap does it address?

Traditional pet care is mostly driven reactively by veterinarians who typically engage with pet owners when issues arise or during routine visits or for vaccinations. Outside these interactions, pet owners are largely left to handle their pet’s health on their own. They often turn to unreliable internet sources for guidance and struggle with managing their pet’s medical records and finding information across various apps and websites.

Maskots addresses this gap by centralizing all essential pet data in one place and streamlining the process of pet care. Our platform doesn’t just store information; it actively assists users in finding the best care providers for their pets’ specific needs, backed by vet-supervised recommendations. Additionally, Maskots AI provides instant answers to the pressing questions pet owners have about their pets’ health, making the care process much more proactive. This approach not only enhance efficiency but significantly enhances the quality of care each pet receives.

How do you scale Maskots’ business model?

Maskots business model will be based on a small subscription per pet per month after a period of free trial during the commercialization phase. This primary revenue stream will grow directly with the number of pets registered on our platform.

Beyond subscription fees, Maskots is strategically poised to further monetize our customer base by developing a marketplace. This marketplace will feature recommended providers of various pet-related products and services, such as insurance, food, accessories, pet sitting, training, and even pet DNA testing. We plan to generate additional revenue through commissions, booking fees, and targeted advertising within our app.

As we expand and integrate more services into our ecosystem, we anticipate an increase in the average revenue per registered pet. This strategy not only diversifies our income streams but also significantly enhances the value we offer to pet owners, positioning Maskots as the go-to app for managing all aspects of pet care.

How does Maskots guide and empower pet owners to make informed decisions about their pets' care?

Maskots' core mission is to empower pet owners to provide the best possible care tailored to their specific pets. We achieve this in three ways:

First, Maskots delivers actionable recommendations categorized into three levels of importance—required, important, and optimal. These are customized to each pet's age, breed, and health conditions, helping owners effectively prioritize care actions.

Second, the platform offers comprehensive, breed-specific advice that evolves with the pet’s life stages. This includes nutritional guidelines, healthcare plans, vaccination schedules, behavioral training tips, and advice to adjust the environment of the pet, ensuring pet owners are well-informed throughout their pet's life.

Finally, Maskots AI, the first AI specifically designed for pet care, provides 24/7 instant and reliable answers about health concerns, care tips, and more. Informed by each pet’s data, this AI delivers precise information and assessments, aiding pet owners in making informed decisions quickly, even before consulting a vet.

All these features are developed and continuously reviewed by professional veterinarians, ensuring that Maskots not only guides but also educates pet owners, empowering them with the knowledge and tools needed for proactive pet care.

How do you envision Maskots' future growth?

Maskots is set for extensive expansion in the coming years across multiple dimensions.

Our first objective is to enhance breed coverage within the app. Currently, we support all mixed breeds and 60 pure breeds, accounting for about 80% of the domestic dog and cat breed market. However, there are roughly 400 additional breeds to integrate, which is vital since pet owners frequently want specific breed-related information.

Additionally, we plan to increase the app’s linguistic accessibility by adding languages such as Portuguese, German, and Italian. This enhancement will make Maskots adaptable for key markets across Europe and the Americas. Concurrently, we will boost Maskots' market presence by actively promoting the app in the top 20 promising markets, potentially engaging half a billion pets.

To augment revenue, we will develop a comprehensive marketplace within the app, consolidating an ecosystem of partners, including veterinary clinics and other pet product and service providers. This strategy will transform Maskots into an all-encompassing platform for pet owners, increasing transaction frequency and diversifying our revenue streams through commissions and booking fees.

Lastly, as Maskots evolves, it will collect extensive data across different breeds and geographies. This wealth of information will enable us to refine our proprietary life cycle models and offer even more personalized services, establishing Maskots as a leader in data-driven pet care solutions.

What are potential exit scenarios for investors supporting Maskots?

Maskots is tapping into a vast global market with enormous expansion potential, and I see three viable exit strategies for our investors:

The first likely scenario is acquisition by a major player within the pet care ecosystem, such as veterinary groups, insurance companies, or specialized pet service providers. Such player might be interested in leveraging Maskots to cross-sell their products and services or to integrate our comprehensive app into their offerings, enhancing overall value and customer experience.

Given the recent industry trends, another potential exit could be acquisition by a Private Equity firm specializing in pet care. These firms often aim to bolster their portfolios by acquiring promising tech-driven ventures, optimizing operations, and driving significant growth. A notable example includes the recent acquisition of Rover Inc. by Blackstone fro more than $2 billion.

As Maskots continues to scale and solidify its presence internationally, an IPO could also be a strategic exit. This route would establish Maskots as an independent, market-leading brand in pet care, centralizing a comprehensive ecosystem across multiple regions.

Each of these scenarios offers a strategic pathway to realize significant returns.

What are potential exit scenarios for investors supporting Maskots?

Maskots is tapping into a vast global market with enormous expansion potential, and I see three viable exit strategies for our investors:

The first likely scenario is acquisition by a major player within the pet care ecosystem, such as veterinary groups, insurance companies, or specialized pet service providers. Such player might be interested in leveraging Maskots to cross-sell their products and services or to integrate our comprehensive app into their offerings, enhancing overall value and customer experience.

Given the recent industry trends, another potential exit could be acquisition by a Private Equity firm specializing in pet care. These firms often aim to bolster their portfolios by acquiring promising tech-driven ventures, optimizing operations, and driving significant growth. A notable example includes the recent acquisition of Rover Inc. by Blackstone fro more than $2 billion.

As Maskots continues to scale and solidify its presence internationally, an IPO could also be a strategic exit. This route would establish Maskots as an independent, market-leading brand in pet care, centralizing a comprehensive ecosystem across multiple regions.

Each of these scenarios offers a strategic pathway to realize significant returns.

Why should investors consider being part of Maskots' journey?

Maskots represents a unique early-stage investment opportunity in a B2C app with unicorn potential, backed by a product that has already been tested and delivered.

Here are 5 compelling reasons to consider investing in Maskots:

• Maskots is an innovative AI-driven super app:

Maskots leverages generative AI to provide unmatched personalized guidance and convenience ton pet owners, and position itself as an all-in-one app for pet owners.

• Maskots operates in a massive and growing market potential:

Positioned in a robust sector with a USD 2 billion global pet care app market growing at a CAGR of 18%, and a broader USD 307 billion global pet care market expanding at 5% CAGR.

• Masktos is ready for international expansion:

The app is already available in English, Spanish, and French, starting with two home markets. Maskots benefits from a powerful and protected brand, enhancing its scalability.

• Investment in Maskots represent a moderate risk as a robust first version of the product is already delivered:

The app is up and running and has been extensively tested. Officially launched on July 1st, it has already begun acquiring users through veterinary clinic pilots, reducing typical early-stage investment risks.

• Investors can expect important return as the valuation is still early stage:

Investors have a unique chance to enter before the app reaches the first tens thousands of users milestone, a point expected to significantly increase its valuation.

By investing in Maskots, you're not just funding a startup; you're supporting a visionary platform poised to redefine the pet care landscape. This is an unique opportunity to join a mission-driven company dedicated to transforming pet care through digital and AI innovation, enhancing the well-being of millions of pets and improving the lives of their owners.

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