Lupa, a London-based AI-native veterinary practice management platform, has closed $4 million in seed funding. The investment came from top investors, including firstminute capital (backed Storyblok and Layla), 2100 Ventures, and Vento by Exor Ventures (which recently backed Desia). Other investors include top McKinsey, BCG, JP Morgan, Nexi, and NovaCapital angels.
Lupa will use the new funding to accelerate product development and commercial expansion. It wants to become an all-in-one ecosystem connecting veterinary practices with pet owners. With its comprehensive mobile application, Lupa plans to help vets monetise pet owners in ways that they never managed to in the past. It helps them tap into the £320 billion global pet spend market outside of core veterinary services and products.
AI resolves challenges of veterinarians
The veterinary industry faces mounting pressure from increasing pet ownership – which grew 36% during COVID, exacerbated by a growing shortage of UK-based Vets. Current software solutions are outdated and inefficient, with only 11% of UK vets satisfied with their PMS. Most vets spend 10-20 hours per week on administrative tasks that could be automated.
Lupa was founded by ex-Boston Consulting Group Nicolò Frisiani and Matei Bjola alongside ex-Meta Raul Lozano Martin. Raul heard first-hand the problems faced within the veterinary industry through his sister who works as a Vet in Spain. The team includes engineers from Google, Amazon, and Palantir.
Lupa is reimagining practice management software (PMS) for veterinary clinics with an intuitive, AI-powered Veterinary Operating System that automates administrative tasks.
All-in-one petcare solution
The company’s PMS focuses on the AI co-pilot, an intelligent assistant, in the shape of Jerry the animated mouse, that provides diagnostic suggestions, operational insights, and automated client communications, freeing up valuable time for veterinarians. However, it is not intended or designed to make the overall decision on treatment, which will always ultimately lie with the qualified veterinarian.
It also includes Lupa Notes, an AI-powered scribe that automates clinical documentation, saving hours weekly while ensuring compliance. Offered as a standalone product, it serves as a bridge to adopting Lupa OS. Lastly, Pet Parent Interfaces are user-friendly apps and portals that streamline booking, payment, and communication for enhanced pet owner engagement.
With AI-enabled data migration, standardised templates, and both clinical and non-clinical automation, Lupa can save vets up to 10 hours per week on administrative tasks while providing clinical decision support. Early trials show the platform is 20 times faster to learn than legacy systems.
Partnerships
The company has already onboarded multiple clinics and secured an exclusive partnership agreement with Vetsure, the UK’s largest vet buying group with over 1,200 member clinics. Within the first month of this agreement, 12 new clinics entered the final negotiation stages with Lupa. The platform was also recently ranked the Best New Veterinary PMS in the State of the PMS Report, surpassing over 100 evaluated solutions.
Nicolò Frisiani, co-founder and CEO at Lupa, said: “The veterinary industry desperately needs modern software solutions that can help practices handle growing demand while reducing administrative burden on overworked staff. We’ve built Lupa from the ground up to be AI-native, making it dramatically more efficient and easier to use than legacy systems that are holding practices back. Our early results show that practices can save significant time on administration while providing better care.”
Sam Endacott, Partner at Firstminute Capital, said: “Lupa’s vision of unifying veterinary workflows into a single, powerful platform addresses a critical industry need. With pet ownership at record highs and a growing vet shortage, the timing couldn’t be better for a modern, AI-native solution. We’re thrilled to be backing this exceptional team on their journey to transform veterinary care.”
One user of Lupa is a Head Vet based in Ipswich, they say: “This is an incredible tool. I save hours of work a week, never overrun and for the first time I am able to finish work at 5 PM.”
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