Our investment in Digitail: helping the vet industry go digital
Owed in part to the pandemic, pet ownership has reached an all time high. Instagram feeds awash with new puppies, kittens, and (sometimes) Syrian hamsters are no anomaly - with the American Pet Products Association confirming that 70% of Americans now own a pet, and similar trends being observed elsewhere. The petcare market has flourished as a result, and is now estimated to be worth roughly $200 billion, with that spending driven by Gen Z and Millennial owners expecting the very best level of care for their pets.
A less acknowledged trend is how this consumer boom has impacted the veterinarian industry. Increased demand has left veterinary staff struggling to manage capacity, who on average, are treating 30+ pets per day, the equivalent of one every 15 minutes. The impact of this overwhelmed capacity is severe, with increasing reports of pets being turned away from care, and rising incidences of burnout and poor wellbeing amongst veterinary staff.
Exacerbating this strain are the outdated, inefficient administration systems that are commonly used across the industry. With over 80% of vets still using outdated legacy systems (or even still operating manually), it’s safe to say that modernisation in the industry is long overdue.
That’s why we’re delighted to partner with Digitail, founded by Sebastian Gabor and Ruxandra Pui, the all-in-one platform helping vets go digital by automating much of the admin vets spend so much time on. Digitail directly tackles the mounting demand for petcare by offering a tool that streamlines those processes to relieve the pressures placed upon staff.
Digitail automates administrative tasks such as scheduling, record keeping, and inventory management, all in one place. Coupled with innovative interoperable systems, the platform facilitates collaboration between colleagues, who can collaborate on records, customise assessment templates, and track all the important information about patients, while enabling other stakeholders such as laboratories and specialists to collaborate smoothly with clinics. As a result, Digitail reduces administrative burden by 40-60%, freeing up the time to see to roughly twice as many patients per day.
And Digitail caters to the needs of those Millennial and Gen Z pet owners, providing an app where they can easily track medical records and communicate directly with veterinarians outside of the clinic. Bringing owners and vets together properly for the first time, the platform provides a unique opportunity for owners to have an active voice in their pet’s health.
Beyond its role in digitally transforming the veterinary industry, we’re also thrilled that Digitail finally marks Atomico’s first investment in Romania. We are incredibly excited to become a part of this dynamic market as it continues to grow in the European tech scene.
Digitail’s platform has already been adopted by 750+ clinics across 16 countries, including 200+ in the U.S, which showcases impressive momentum since being founded in 2018. We’re thrilled to help Sebastian and Ruxandra on their journey, as they continue their global expansion, double down on operations in the US and Canada, and give vets the smart, effective and responsive treatment our pets deserve.
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