Hi readers!
I don't know about you, but whenever someone shows me a photo of a cat, my first response is usually, “Oh, how lovely!”
Portuguese startup Purrmi's AI platform gives more useful response: a personalised diet plan tailored to the cat's estimated breed, age, size and body condition.
Frequently described as “masters of disguise” for their ability to hide pain, cats do not make it easy for us to spot the early signs of illness. This makes AI a key ally in feline preventive care.
This week, Purrmi co-founder João Campaniço tells us how the company plans to expand its AI-powered platform NutriPetPlan across Europe.
Not only that: Purrmi also provides human-grade recipes for cats to address major health problems like obesity and chronic kidney disease.
Read on to discover how Purrmi aims to scale across Europe (or you can also watch the interview on our YouTube channel!).
P.S. It already feels like months ago (where has the time gone?), but our PATS interviews are now all uploaded to our YouTube channel! Make sure you check them out.
In the news
LIke to advertise your brand or product in Feline Business Brief? Just click here.
Trying to reach top feline-focused talent? List your job opening with us.
Purrmi raises €600K to scale personalised cat food across Europe
Left: João Campaniço, CEO and co-founder of Purrmi. Right: Francisco Campaniço, CTO and co-founder.
Last month, Portugal-based human-grade cat food brand Purrmi announced it had raised €600,000 (approximately US$694,000). We spoke to co-founder João Campaniço about the company’s plans.
In 2021, João Campaniço co-founded Purrmi with his brother Francisco to solve “a big, big problem.”
“One third of cats have chronic kidney disease,” he told Feline Business Brief. “Because it’s a chronic disease, there is no cure, only prevention. We saw there was a big gap in the market for solutions, especially nutrition for cats.”
That insight sparked the creation of Purrmi’s range of human-grade, protein-rich recipes for cats to address major feline health problems like obesity and chronic kidney disease (CKD).
“Cats are obligate carnivores,” said Campaniço. “Our food is completely carb-free, only protein-focused, with the best vitamins a house cat needs.”
The latest round, led by a Portuguese family office with ties to the agri-food industry, with participation from other investors including VC Celtis Venture Partners and Angels Way, brings Purrmi’s total funding to €900,000.
“We raised this round to grow our brand and our channels, our online store,” Campaniço said. Purrmi plans to grow its existing presence in Portugal and Spain, and expand to Italy, France and Northern Europe.
From photo to personalised diet
The funds will also help expand Purrmi’s AI-based nutrition platform, NutriPetPlan. According to a company press release, NutriPetPlan is the first platform in Portugal that uses AI to personalise pet nutrition and find the best price on the market.
The idea is straightforward. NutriPetPlan reads a photo of the cat, and then deduces breed, age, size, and body condition.
The platform then recommends tailored food plans and products, comparing over 4,000 products from leading brands, with options for different budgets and 24/7 veterinary support.
“So far, we’ve crossed 5,000 orders just in Portugal and Spain,” Campaniço said. “Our plan is to centralise the information and products for owners, and give them support through their journey. Not just a sale, but ongoing guidance from our in-house veterinarian.”
This mix of AI analysis and human vet oversight is what Campaniço believes will set Purrmi apart in a fragmented European pet food market.
“Most stores sell the same product everywhere. Our plan is to aggregate this information and help owners make better choices. Technology allows us to move into new markets quickly.” France and Italy are next, with expansion planned for early 2026.
Francisco (left) and João
Expanding through partnerships
Purrmi’s growth strategy is distinctly asset-light. The company creates partnerships with local distributors and established brands, rather than invest in heavy infrastructure.
He admits that “language and culture” remain the biggest hurdles in Europe, but regulatory changes are making cross-border trade easier.
Next, Purrmi plans to extend its model into pet insurance and subscription services, reflecting how preventive health, nutrition, and financial protection are converging.
“Insurance for pets is still very new. I think 95% of owners don’t have it yet, but it will grow because of vet bills,” said Campaniço.
The company is also preparing new AI features that will let owners scan pet-food labels for instant nutritional analysis.
“It’s very hard right now for owners to interpret the labels,” he said. “By the end of the year, we are going to launch something to help them understand exactly what’s inside: calories, quantity, everything. That’s going to be exciting.”
Personalised cat food catches up to dogs
As in other pet categories, personalised nutrition has so far focused mainly on dogs:
U.S. startups such as The Farmer’s Dog, and subscription brands like Butternut Box and Tails.com were early movers, offering tailored plans during client onboarding, followed by subscriptions to lock in recurring revenue.
Personalised cat food typically throws up more technical challenges (which underlines the need for feline-first product design):
Cats are obligate carnivores with narrower dietary tolerances;
Cats require smaller meal sizes;
Cat food formulations are relatively more complex;
Palatability is also often less well-understood for felines compared to dogs; and
Tighter clinical validation may be required to win over cat parents.
Preventive care diets have long been the mainstay of vet-backed brands such as Hill’s. However, in recent years several challenger brands have emerged, including:
KatKin
Untamed
Blink!
Marro (sister brand to Butternut Box).
Looking ahead
As cat parents increasingly seek preventive care through better diet, we’re likely to see more investment, DTC-to-retail tests and AI-driven services that translate clinical insight into tailored recipes for cats.
Europe is a promising market for personalised cat food. Europe’s pet-food market was worth roughly US$36.4 billion in 2024. The market is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 4.1% from 2025 to 2030, with premium, functional and bespoke options making up an accelerating segment, according to Grand View Research.
Not only that: according to The European Pet Food Industry Federation (FEDIAF)’s Facts & Figures 2025 report, 139 million households in Europe has a pet, with 26% of them owning at least one cat, and 25% owning at least one dog.
“AIsight” drives feline preventive care
Purrmi is one of several feline-focused companies using AI to translate visual cues (often imperceptible to us humans) into health insights and preventive care.
Some examples:
Sylvester.ai (Canada): Sylvester.ai’s Tably app reads subtle facial cues like ear position and squinting to detect pain.
CatsMe! (Japan): Developed by Carelogy and Nihon University, claims 95% accuracy in identifying feline pain from photos.
AI For Pet (South Korea): The TTcare app uses AI to flag early signs of eye, skin, or dental issues from pictures.
Petalife (China): Analyses photos of litter box output to detect 60+ common health risks.
AI-Tails (Switzerland): Smart feeding station using cameras and sensors to monitor eating, drinking, and movement patterns.
While AI cannot replace veterinary care, the burgeoning of AI-driven tools can definitely help cat parents spot potential health problems sooner.
Thanks for reading! Here's a friendly feline face for you. 😺
P.S. We’re always interested in what you think! Is there anything in particular you’d like to share?
Just reply to this email (or visit our Linkedin page), we’d love to hear from you.