PETCH

Babson College, F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business

Industry: Pet HealthTech

MBA Founding Student Name(s): Tina Lee

Brief Description of Solution: PETCH helps veterinarians communicate with pet owners through smart medical reports, improving pet care and enhancing customer engagement.

Funding Dollars: N/A

What led you to launch this venture? My deep empathy for veterinarians and love for pets inspired me to create PETCH—designed to make pet healthcare more proactive, clear, and collaborative for the key decision-makers in our pets’ lives: both vets and pet owners.

Growing up, I had a dog named Cookie, who we tragically lost a few years ago due to late disease detection. Despite appearing perfectly healthy, her blood test results were a shock to both me and our vet. This experience set me on a mission to create PETCH, driven by a desire to spend more time with my other dogs, Ollie and Frankie, and to prevent other pet owners from enduring the same heartbreak.

I began having deeper conversations with vets and staff at MSPCA-Angell, where I volunteer weekly, and this made me shift my focus toward supporting veterinarians. Without vets, we wouldn’t have our pets. Many shared their struggles with the time-consuming tasks of interpreting blood test results and communicating them to pet owners, underscoring the need for better tools to make quick, informed decisions. Additionally, communication challenges, administrative burdens, and burnout are significant issues. I was shocked to learn about the unexpectedly high suicide rate among vets, driven by fatigue, stress, and the emotional toll of managing pet loss.

With PETCH, my goal is to alleviate these burdens for veterinarians by simplifying diagnostics and improving communication with pet owners, ultimately reducing time pressures and emotional strain. I aim to enhance pet longevity by providing pet owners with the tools to make informed decisions and enabling vets to focus on what they love most—caring for pets.

What has been your biggest accomplishment so far with venture? Although we are still in the early stages and pre-revenue, we’re incredibly grateful for the positive feedback from our beta-testing vets with our MVP. It’s so touching to see veterinarians, who are often too busy and cautious about trying new things, genuinely excited about PETCH and its potential to help them. This is a significant accomplishment, as we know that the veterinary field can be quite traditional and slow to adopt new tools.

Another key accomplishment is the guidance we’ve received from experienced advisors, including Babson professors with expertise in technology, AI, and entrepreneurship, as well as our veterinary advisors from MSPCA-Angell. Their support has been invaluable, especially at this critical early stage, and we are truly grateful for their insights.

What has been the most significant challenge you’ve faced in creating your company and how did you solve it? The most significant challenge we faced in creating PETCH was entering the highly closed and traditional veterinary community. Building credibility and trust with veterinarians, who are often cautious about adopting new tools, was a major hurdle. To overcome this, we approached vets genuinely—by truly connecting with them and demonstrating our commitment to their needs.

How has your MBA program helped you further this startup venture? Babson’s MBA program connected us with a valuable network of advisors and fellow entrepreneurs who have offered guidance and feedback at every stage of the venture. The professors have been truly wonderful, always eager to help and genuinely invested in seeing us succeed—some have even become our advisors! We’re so lucky to have their support. Also, the variety of entrepreneurship classes offered, along with events hosted by the Blank Center, the Babson Acceleration Club, the PE/VC Club, and more have been instrumental for networking and learning.

Being an entrepreneur can be lonely sometimes, but Babson has an awesome community of entrepreneurs with a similar mindset. It’s been amazing to co-work, share ideas, and learn from each other.

I was also fortunate to be in Babson’s Summer Venture Program accelerator. A key memory was attending a Launchpad Venture Group meeting. I was able to observe entrepreneurs present their ideas to investors and understand the deliberation process.

What founder or entrepreneur inspired you to start your own entrepreneurial journey? How did he or she prove motivational to you? My entrepreneurial parents have been my biggest inspiration. They came to the U.S. without a degree or much English, yet managed to grow from one small restaurant to a portfolio of over 20 and transition to real estate development at the right time.

Their perseverance and desire to share what they knew best with those around them inspired me to pursue my own dreams. They always told me, “Do one thing and do it really well,” and that’s exactly what they did—perfecting a limited menu of Chinese staples and making each dish truly delicious. Their strategy was simple but powerful: work extremely hard and stay focused. It’s incredible how much they achieved without much education or mentorship, and that’s deeply motivating for me. I’m driven to make them proud and apply their focused strategy to PETCH!

Which MBA class has been most valuable in building your startup and what was the biggest lesson you gained from it?

Ed Marram’s Managing a growing business – The most valuable insight I gained from Managing a Growing Business is that a strong, positive culture ultimately outweighs money. Building a culture rooted in trust and shared values forms the foundation for sustainable growth, helping to avoid the pitfalls of misaligned partnerships. While cash is king and financial health is crucial, this course taught me that the true heart of any successful business is a team united by vision and trust. This lesson has shaped my approach, focusing on creating an environment where people and values drive the company’s success.

Les Charm’s Financing your Entrepreneurial Business – My biggest takeaway from Professor Les Charm’s Financing Your Entrepreneurial Business course was the importance of knowing how to tell your story—about you, your idea, and your opportunity—in a clear, concise, and compelling way to secure funding. Professor Charm emphasized the need to convey your story in just one minute, a skill he calls “how to sell yourself.” This approach has helped me truly understand how to communicate value effectively, and it’s something I continue to practice today. Additionally, always work to lower the perception of risk for others.

What professor made a significant contribution to your plans and why?

Andrew Zacharakis – Zach has been an incredible mentor since the ideation stage of PETCH. He’s always willing to help but ensures you’re the one making the decisions. His approach has pushed me to dig deeper, challenge assumptions, and gain confidence in my choices. Having a mentor you truly connect with is invaluable, and Zach has been that person for me!

Nada Hashmi – Professor Hashmi has been instrumental in sharing her technology expertise, particularly in the rapidly evolving AI landscape. Her insightful guidance and feedback have been crucial as we navigate this complex field, and I know I can always count on her for the best advice!

How has your local startup ecosystem contributed to your venture’s development and success? Boston’s a great place to be for founders! The city offers a supportive and vibrant community, filled with events and resources that foster growth and collaboration. Through events like Ditch the Deck and the Citizens Elevator Pitch Event, I’ve gained valuable feedback, made meaningful connections, and learned from other founders. The access to mentors, investors, and tech experts has also provided PETCH with crucial guidance and opportunities.

What is your long-term goal with your startup? My long-term goal with PETCH is to transform pet healthcare by making medical data easy to understand and actionable, improving both pet longevity and vet well-being. I plan to expand PETCH with additional features, analytics, and reports for other pets, all while helping veterinarians focus on what matters most—caring for pets. My goal is to bridge the communication and knowledge gap between vets and pet owners, enhance traditional methods through innovative technology, and ensure pet owners feel confident in their pets’ health decisions!

Looking back, what is the biggest lesson you wished you’d known before launching and scaling your venture? The biggest lessons I wish I’d known before launching PETCH are to take things one step at a time, ask as many questions as possible, and actively reach out to fellow entrepreneurs. Building a venture can be overwhelming, but staying focused on each step rather than getting lost in the bigger picture has been key. I’ve also learned the importance of showing up—even when you don’t feel like it or think the event isn’t for you. You never know who you might meet or what insights you might gain. Even a single meaningful connection can open new doors, bring unexpected opportunities, or create a new friendship! Always be grateful.

DON’T MISS: MOST DISRUPTIVE MBA STARTUPS OF 2024