Pet-tech trends: Lyka co-founder Anna Podolsky on what to expect in 2023

As Australians, we are welcoming pets into our homes at a higher rate than ever before. With 70% of households home to a pet, and an estimated 30 million pets nationally, Australia has cemented itself as one of the world’s highest pet-loving populations.

As new generations welcome pets into their homes, the way we think about these new family members is changing, too. We see them less as companions and instead, as one of the most important members of the family — if not the most important!

Increasingly, pets are migrating from the backyard all the way to the bedroom and embedding themselves into our lives and routines in a way that is changing the ways in which we live and love.

With our own consciousness of health and wellbeing continuing to rise, so too does the consciousness for our pets. From exercise to nutrition and mental health, the way we care for our furry friends is changing rapidly and technology has the potential to accelerate and improve this change.

The critical thread to this augmentation is the collection of better data inputs for each pet, and we expect to see a lot of momentum in this space in the coming year.

To overcome the inability of our pets to effectively communicate with us, we see opportunities for various data streams to be collected that allow us to improve the lives of every individual pet and accommodate their needs.

We see a huge opportunity for pet parents to really understand the needs of their pets at a much deeper level. We’ve already seen the emergence of wearables for pets to track activity levels, but in reality, the opportunity extends much further.

From vital signs to biometrics and even the microbiome, there’s a lot we can learn when it comes to collecting and aggregating data to drive predictive and hyper-personalised recommendations that influence nutrition, activity and even lifestyle.

Quality inputs, scale and machine learning will all be key factors for success. And while we’re huge advocates for holistic treatments for disease, we see so much potential for disease prevention.

From obesity to diabetes, kidney disease and more, the data collected will allow pet parents to curate a lifestyle and routine for their pet that allows them to get ahead of the game and prevent the formation of chronic disease or alleviate the depth in which their pet is affected by serious health concerns.

Imagine a world where your pet is telling you exactly what they need to live a long, healthy, and fulfilled life without the need to communicate. That future is possible. In fact, it’s already begun.

As they say, watch this space — and we truly mean it!