Meet The EMBA Class Of Entrepreneurs: Executives Today, Founders Tomorrow 

David Barroso
Porto Business School 

Venture name: Maven Pet
Date of founding: 2022
Program: Porto Executive MBA 

Tell us about your career background: I am an engineer by training and entrepreneur by passion. I co-founded Findster Technologies in 2013, where we developed one of the first GPS pet trackers without subscription services, selling to customers worldwide. After scaling the company internationally, I co-founded Maven Pet, where I currently serve as COO. Maven Pet combines wearable technology, artificial intelligence, and veterinary expertise to proactively monitor pet health and improve outcomes for pets and owners.

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Throughout my career, I have worked across product development, hardware manufacturing, operations, fundraising, and international expansion. Building technology companies from Portugal with global ambitions has given me a unique perspective on innovation, resilience, and leadership. Entrepreneurship has taught me that great companies are built not only on technology, but also on people, culture, and long-term vision.

What is your business/venture? Maven Pet is an AI-powered pet health platform that combines wearable sensors, artificial intelligence, and veterinary expertise to monitor pets continuously and detect health issues earlier. Our technology tracks activity, sleep, vital signs, and behavioral changes, transforming raw data into actionable health insights for pet owners and veterinarians. We believe that healthcare should move from reactive treatment to proactive prevention, helping pets live longer and healthier lives. Today, Maven Pet serves pet owners directly while also partnering with veterinary clinics, pet food companies, and other industry players. Our vision is to become the leading platform for preventive pet healthcare globally, leveraging AI to create a new standard of care for companion animals. 

What inspired you to found this business? Our inspiration came from a simple observation: pets cannot tell us when something is wrong. Many diseases are only detected after symptoms become visible, often when treatment becomes more difficult or expensive.

We believed that advances in sensors and artificial intelligence could fundamentally change this reality. Having previously built connected products for pets, we saw an opportunity to move beyond location tracking and address one of the biggest unmet needs in veterinary medicine: early detection and continuous monitoring. Ourmission is deeply personal because pets are family members. By providing veterinarians and owners with better data, we hope to improve quality of life and strengthen the bond between people and their pets. 

Why did you enrol on the EMBA? Entrepreneurship often requires making decisions under uncertainty, but scaling a company demands broader leadership and strategic capabilities. I enrolled in the Executive MBA at Porto Business School to complement my technical and operational background with a stronger foundation in strategy, finance, leadership, and organizational management.

I was also looking for intellectual challenge and exposure to experienced executives from different industries. The EMBA offered a unique opportunity to step back from daily operations, reflect on long-term decisions, and learn from both faculty and peers. As a founder, it is easy to become absorbed by the urgency of running a business; the EMBA created space to think more strategically about growth, people, and value creation. 

 How has the EMBA helped you/your business? The EMBA has had an immediate impact on both my leadership and our business. The frameworks learned in areas such as strategy, finance, innovation, and organizational behavior have provided practical tools that I use regularly in decision-making. Equally important has been the opportunity to discuss real business challenges with classmates who bring diverse perspectives and experiences.

The Program has helped me become a more structured leader and a better communicator with investors, employees, and partners. It also reinforced the importance of aligning growth with long-term value creation.

In entrepreneurship, there are rarely textbook answers, but the EMBA provided mental models that improve the quality of decisions under uncertainty. 

 What’s the one thing about the EMBA that you think is undervalued? One of the most undervalued aspects of the EMBA is the peer network. While academic content is extremely valuable, the opportunity to learn alongside experienced professionals from different sectors creates a unique environment for growth. Many of the most impactful lessons happen outside the classroom, through discussions, debates, and shared experiences. 

Entrepreneurship can be a lonely journey, and being surrounded by executives facing similar leadership challenges provides perspective and support. The network extends beyond graduation, creating long-term relationships that can become sources of advice, collaboration, and inspiration. In many ways, the collective experience of the cohort becomes as valuable as the formal curriculum itself. 

 What’s next for your business? Maven Pet is entering an exciting phase of growth. We are expanding our AI capabilities, strengthening partnerships with veterinary organizations and pet industry leaders, and exploring international opportunities. Our goal is to make preventive pet healthcare accessible at scale and become an essential platform for veterinarians and pet owners worldwide.

As artificial intelligence continues to transform healthcare, we believe pet health will be one of its most impactful applications. In the coming years, we aim to leverage our data and technology to deliver even more personalized insights and improve outcomes for millions of pets globally. 

Would you recommend the EMBA to other entrepreneurs? If yes, why? Absolutely. Entrepreneurs are lifelong learners, and an EMBA provides a rare opportunity to combine academic rigor with practical application. Beyond acquiring new tools and frameworks, it challenges assumptions and exposes founders to different ways of thinking. Running a company often forces entrepreneurs to focus on immediate execution, while an EMBA encourages strategic reflection and long-term perspective.

The Program also offers access to an exceptional network of peers and faculty that continues to create value beyond graduation. For founders seeking to scale their companies and evolve as leaders, an EMBA can be a transformative experience. 

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