This Pet Care Innovator Just Won $10,000 At Superzoo

Three emerging pet care innovators took the stage Thursday afternoon to compete in the 4th Annual LAUNCH Pitch Competition on the Emerging Brands Stage, presenting their businesses before a panel of industry judges and a live SUPERZOO audience.

Each finalist had just minutes to pitch their innovation and answer questions from the judges for a chance to earn one of the event’s top honors. In addition to industry exposure, the winner receives a $10,000 cash prize from WPA and Purina, media recognition and a coveted place in the Purina Pet Care Innovation Network.

This year’s winner, Carrie Van Wert, founder and CEO of NorthStar Pet in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, impressed the judges with Giddy Kitty, an integrated ecosystem of interactive treat toys and proprietary treats designed around cats’ natural hunting behaviors. The line aims to make indoor enrichment more instinctive and rewarding for cats.

Winning this competition “means validation, and the ability to accelerate what we’re already starting and bring more cat enrichment awareness to more pet parents so that we can help create better lives for cats,” Van Wert said.

Her next goal is to build on that momentum by expanding the brand’s retail presence, channels and product lineup. “We continue to grow, continue to innovate new products, more retailers, more doors, more channels, and then next year scale,” Van Wert said. “And then we’d like to lead the category in the future.”

The LAUNCH Pitch Competition has become a valuable platform for emerging brands, connecting entrepreneurs with retailers, investors and other industry leaders while showcasing new ideas shaping the future of pet care.