GekkoVet: Empowering Vets, One Digital Tool at a Time!
The Leap Venture Studio blog series is back for another exciting year! In March 2024, six innovative early-stage pet care startups joined the 12-week program to accelerate their ventures.
These companies partnered with experts from Mars Petcare and Michelson Found Animals, gaining access to venture capital investment, mentorship, and tailored programming designed to help meet their individual needs.
Plus, for the first time one company joined the Leap Venture Studio as a company of impact, where they received an award to further their exceptional level of social impact for both pets and their people.
GekkoVet is an online tool that helps veterinary professionals quickly diagnose and treat dogs and cats.
Dr. Johanna Majamaa, CEO and Co-Founder
Tell us about your startup
Johanna: GekkoVet was born from a passion to empower vets in their mission to care for pets. In today’s digital age, it’s only right that veterinarians have easy access to knowledge and scientific tools at their fingertips. Digital solutions should support veterinary professionals worldwide, levelling the playing field so they can provide the best care for their patients. This vision sparked the creation of our interactive platform, built with input from veterinarians, animal health experts and software developers. We rolled up our sleeves, and the rest is history!
How has your startup made a difference for pets?
Johanna: Veterinarians are working on tight timelines, making quick decisions about exams and treatments for each patient. Since pets can’t speak, their history and examination results are crucial for accurate diagnosis. GekkoVet steps in by providing relevant, science-backed information tailored to each pet’s history. It suggests possible diagnoses and guides vets on the right tests and exams to confirm them. This not only saves time for vets but also helps ensure the right diagnosis, ultimately leading to better care for our pets.
What are the greatest challenges you’ve faced as a startup founder and how have you overcome them?
Johanna: You need to truly believe in what you’re doing and have the passion to back it up. When we first launched GekkoVet’s clinical decision support platform, it was a new concept in the veterinary world. We didn’t fully realize how much time it would take to introduce this new way of working, even though it offered significant value to clinicians. With the rise of OpenAI and ChatGPT, the idea of using digital tools for clinical decision-making has gained popularity. We’re now in a strong position, with a growing need for these kinds of solutions and a comprehensive, functioning platform already being used in 92 countries. Beyond our end-user platform, we’ve made our unique data set available to power other veterinary solutions, helping create a common scientific standard in the industry.
What is your biggest takeaway from the Leap Venture Studio?
Johanna: The biggest takeaway for me has been the incredible community at Leap, both the inspiring startups and the mentors, experts, and alumni. The networking opportunities and connections have been invaluable, offering insights into entrepreneurship, business management, and helping us define our core competencies. I truly believe that being part of Leap Venture Studio is the ultimate validation for any startup in Animal Health!
What advice would you give fellow pet care founders just starting their journey?
Johanna: Believe in yourself and what you’re doing but also stay open and learn from everyone you meet. The more you engage with people, the more feedback you get, and that feedback is valuable. You’ll find that some of it may be completely different from what you expected and that’s okay! It helps you understand how others see things and the reasoning behind their opinions. And just remember, the journey is a roller coaster, scary at times, but also a lot of fun!
Tell us about your pet(s)!
Johanna: I have a 4-year-old yellow female Labrador who is so gentle and relaxed that she calms everyone around her, both humans and other dogs. She’s the best lazy buddy ever! Unfortunately, we recently lost our female Newfoundland dog, but she will always stay in our hearts with her unique personality. I also have a very special Irish Cob, a 9-year-old mare with a funny color and a moustache! She’s super friendly and has such a great character. She’s my ultimate outlet, when I take care of her and ride her, I forget everything else and recharge my batteries!
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To learn more about GekkoVet, visit their website.
If you are interested in connecting with their team, email us at leapventurestudio@gmail.com.
