For startups bridging AI and animal health, early commercial validation can be the difference between momentum and stalling. Bernardo Petriz, CEO & Co-Founder of Peptidus Biotech, shares how Peptidus secured its first seed round, engaged directly with livestock producers in Brazil, and built industry credibility through programmes like vHive, to move from discovery platform to commercial pipeline.

Placing the pet owner and their companions at the center of the entire animal health value chain, how do we design a future where everyone in this ecosystem wins? We’ll discuss…

• The full spectrum of information that helps define prevalence of disease and wellness needs
• Pet owners' need for convenience, transparency and accessibility
• How data unlocks accessibility, affordability, personalization and prediction
• In order for this vision to happen, what are the roadblocks we need to overcome?

Fundraising often reflects progress, it doesn't define it. Michael Rhys (CEO) shares how Barnwell Bio has prioritised producer feedback, early customer validation, and real-world data generation to drive focus, support partnerships, and set the foundation for long-term scale.

Approval alone doesn’t guarantee commercial success. Robert Jordan shares how Vetirus Pharmaceuticals combines in-house regulatory expertise with early manufacturing planning, ensuring supply, shortening timelines to revenue, and enabling global expansion.

Some of the most commercially significant opportunities in animal health are in categories that barely existed five years ago. But building a new therapeutic category is fundamentally different from launching a product into an established one. There are no existing treatment protocols, no established referral pathways, and often no clear regulatory template. This session will explore what it actually takes to build a category from scratch: the science, the regulatory strategy, the commercial model, and the investment thesis.