Pawp's Unique Software-First Approach
Marc Atiyeh, CEO of Pawp, on building telehealth for pets
Pawp is trying to make virtual care the front door to veterinary medicine, not a backup when clinics are full. That means the product is designed so intake, triage, follow ups, reminders, pharmacy, and emergency cost avoidance all start in software, then route into physical care only when hands on exams or lab work are needed. In practice, that is a very different operating model from pet companies that begin with stores, clinics, food, or pharmacy and add telehealth on the side.
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The clearest evidence is how Pawp describes diagnosis versus treatment. Pets often need physical exams or tests to figure out what is wrong, but once that is known, ongoing treatment can happen digitally through repeat check ins, medication workflows, and access to the same care team. That makes software most valuable after the first visit, not just before it.
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That is also why Pawp says it does not want to become a 100 clinic operator. The goal is small, efficient physical footprints that prove the model, while digital handles the high frequency work. The economics resemble newer telehealth companies that use physical access to improve retention and lower CAC, instead of treating clinics as the core product.
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A useful comparison is Modern Animal. It also blends app based care, prescription refills, records, and 24,7 virtual support with in person clinics, but its model is anchored in owned clinics and unlimited exams. Pawp is pushing the center of gravity further toward software led care coordination, with physical touchpoints used more selectively.
The next step is a veterinary stack where the app becomes the primary relationship and clinics become one service layer inside it. If that model keeps proving it can cut unnecessary visits, keep vets focused on medical work, and make follow up care easier, more chains and retail partners will adopt digital first workflows that look much more like Pawp than like a traditional vet office with video bolted on.