San Diego

Petco Acquires Startup PetCoach

PetCoach is a digital services startup connecting pet owners with veterinary professionals

Petco has purchased Philadelphia-based startup PetCoach, a digital services company connecting pet owners with veterinary professionals, and hired its co-founder and CEO to be a senior executive at the San Diego-based specialty retailer.

Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

The personalized information PetCoach gives pet owners is touted as being highly convenient and sourced from experts in the field.

PetCoach CEO Brock Weatherup, now executive vice president of strategic innovation and digital experience, agreed to move to San Diego from Philadelphia, where he was active in the city’s startup community and served as voluntary president of industry group Philly Startup Leaders.

Weatherup previously sold another pet-based digital service, Pet360.com, to PetSmart for a reported $160 million.

According to news website PhillyMag.com, Weatherup bought PetCoach in November and, as CEO, secured $2 million in seed funding led by Comcast Ventures.

Petco operates more than 1,500 Petco and Unleashed by Petco stores in the United States, Puerto Rico and Mexico.

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