Awarded Forbes Asia 30 Under 30 entrepreneur builds pet care platform attracting 60,000+ pet parents

Fluv, the visionary pet-sitting platform founded by Candace Chen, has become Taiwan's guardian angel for furry friends. With a surge in pet ownership, the demand for reliable pet care has soared. Fluv fills this void across Asia with its innovative online matchmaking services. Recognized for its excellence, Fluv proudly secured a spot on Forbes' Asia 30 Under 30 list.

More and more Taiwanese are keeping furry friends at home. Hence, pet sitting is becoming a pain point for many owners. Imagine white collars that live alone and keep pets. What are they to do when a week-long business trip comes up? Surely, they will be on tenterhooks if no one was there to look after their furry friends.

Such a dilemma caught the eye of Candace Chen, the co-founder and CEO of Fluv. When Chen was in the U.S., she had access to a U.S. pet-sitting platform. After she returned to Taiwan, she couldn't find similar services. To close the gap, Chen founded Fluv, a well-loved pet-sitting platform.

“I have first-hand experience with the hassles of finding the right pet-sitting services. Plus, I've seen similar platforms overseas, so I decided to meet up with the team," said Chen Lijun, the Angel Investor of Fluv, director of B Current Impact Investment, and former VP of Finance at IBM Taiwan.

Fluv specializes in online pet care matchmaking services. Chen pointed out that "the market size of Taiwan is approximately US$716,000 (NT$22M), on par with Singapore. The Japanese market is 20 times bigger.” Clearly, the demand for pet sitting in Asia has not yet been satisfied.

In May 2023, Forbes released its annual report of Asia 30 Under 30, awarding “300 young entrepreneurs, leaders, and trailblazers,” who exerted positive influence amid economic uncertainty. Among the list was Fluv, a proud Taiwan-based pet care platform provider.

Fluv specializes in pet care services, using an online app to match pet owners with pet sitters. / Photograph : 毛小愛

Strictly selected pet sitter and prompt report builds word of mouth

Fluv currently provides an array of services catering to different animals, including birds, dogs, cats, rabbits, and rodents. Services include home care, boarding, pet walking, and grooming. Usually, cat owners will choose home care plans, while dog owners mainly opt for boarding services.

The app is like an Airbnb for pets – users can see the photos, prices, and animals that each pet sitter specializes in. Home care and pet walking services are provided for clients who are away; therefore, the most vital component is trust. Chen said, "In order to build trust, we invested a great deal of effort in selecting nannies.

"At first, many could not accept letting strangers into their houses,” said Chen. Fluv is very strict in the selection of pet sitters. Those who want to register on the platform must be experienced in animal care with no criminal record. Furthermore, they have to take online training and tests. Out of the initial 5,000 interviewees, only 1,500 passed.

While similar platforms may require nannies to take one or two photos only, Fluv nannies must take pictures of food consumed and medication taken, as well as photos that show pets playing. Furthermore, nannies are asked to monitor their feces. Clients may also rent pet cameras on the app. Much to the users’ liking, reviews of the sitter are offered, which further facilitated trust.

With word of mouth, the number of Fluv users reached more than 60,000. Chen added that the major attraction of the platform is the safety net it offers.

Within 3 days after services were provided, Fluv would hand out compensation if issues were to arise. Since Fluv services come with insurance, users are further incentivized. Fluv also strives to increase the remuneration for pet sitters. Investor Chen Lijun pointed out, "It is also important that the nanny can fully dedicate to the platform.”

Expected triple revenue growth

So far, the user retention rate of Fluv reached 50%. Chen also revealed that revenue in 2022 would exceed approximately US$325,000 (NT$10M). With border restrictions lifting and international travel booming, the demand for pet sitting is on the rise.

Revenue in 2023 is expected to triple. Fluv is ready to enter Singapore, "where many single people keep pets,” analyzed Chen. Fluv has also approached pet sitter dispatch companies in Japan.

"In Japan, this profession has long been in practice. The Japanese are willing to accept this idea. The biggest difference is they are used to making reservations for pet sitting services on the phone.” Accordingly, the focus of the expansion to Japan will be on digital transformation.

Looking ahead, Chen announced the plan is to leverage big data for AI-powered pet consulting services. The data includes information on pet breed, gender, and age, which help owners solve their problems through online chatbots.

Fluv’s approach solved existing pain points. “Most veterinarians are conservative, which makes data difficult to collect. Furthermore, we pay extra attention to data privacy regulations,” said Chen. With AI, Fluv is bound to dole out more agile strategies.

〔Original :Meet Global〕
https://meet-global.bnext.com.tw/articles/view/47925