David Servodidio | Co-Founder, VetVerifi

David Servodidio is one of the co-founders of VetVerifi, a pet health technology company building the infrastructure that connects veterinary vaccine records to the places pets go—boarding, grooming, housing, short-term rentals, and beyond.

In this interview, David breaks down how a frustrating real-world problem turned into a venture-backed startup, what interoperability in pet healthcare is still missing, and how VetVerifi is positioning itself at the center of an increasingly connected pet ecosystem.

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In one paragraph or less, explain VetVerifi.

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VetVerifi is a technology company that connects your pet’s vaccine records to the places you need to go, securely, setting the standard for pet care compliance as people continue to live active, fun-filled lives with their pets.

We build and curate data verification pipelines to meet the specific health & safety compliance requirements of companies like groomers, pet resorts, multi-family housing properties, short-term rentals, and beyond—essentially anywhere pets go.

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As three co-founders, how did you come together to start this venture and how did you meet?

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Tim, Chris, and myself all met and got to know each other as teammates working together to solve problems on the human side of healthcare. But the original idea started as just that—sharing a concept between friends after a frustrating experience as a pet owner while trying to drop our pups off at a pet resort before a family vacation.

The epitome of a “what if we built this? Could we build this?” conversation that has turned into the wild and wonderful ride it’s been.

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What were your professional backgrounds before launching VetVerifi?

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Tim Ridgway is a commercial leader that has built and led high-performing sales teams in tech, working with companies that have shaped entire categories such as Tableau and Equifax.

Chris Lynn is a data and engineering leader who has built, managed, and scaled data verification pipelines and large verification teams.

David Servodidio is a marketing and strategy leader that has led strategic planning at multiple organizations and built high-performing teams at category-building companies, from energy drinks to healthcare.

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What inefficiencies or gaps in the pet healthcare industry led you to create VetVerifi?

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The problem we solve is simple, but yet has never been solved. Let’s set the stage: it’s the day before my family vacation, I need to drop my pup off at a pet resort for a week’s stay, and to do so requires an up-to-date vaccine record on file from my vet.

There are no tools—zero—that help connect your vet clinic to the companies that require a verified health record from a veterinarian. And thus everyone in the industry is calling each other multiple times a day with the same question: “Can you send over Max’s vaccine records for boarding?”

Pet owners (like us) are caught in the middle of trying to get a vaccine record sent from the vet clinic to the groomer. We’re told to use apps on our phone, to carry around paper receipts, to fax over requests, to save screenshots on our phone, etc. It’s a broken, economic problem. We’re here to solve it.

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Last year you were accepted into the Leap Ventures accelerator. How was that experience, and what impact did it have on your growth as an early-stage startup?

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The team at Leap is fantastic, and the backing partners—MFA, Mars Petcare, and R/GA Ventures—collectively are a powerful trio with incredible industry perspectives and influence.

Like anything, a venture studio is what you make of it. For those that lean into the accelerator, build connections across the portfolio, and are intentional about the role that it plays in their startup’s story, you’ll find it to be an amazing corner of the pet care ecosystem and a great springboard.

Beyond the program, we maintain active relationships with the cohort and Leap partners. They continue to help us further our mission. I consider the individuals that run Leap to be “master networkers” in their own right—and having that alone in your corner is invaluable. But like anything, you must hustle your tail off to earn that endorsement.

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In 2024, you closed a $1.5M pre-seed round, and recently raised a $2.8M seed round. What has the fundraising process been like, and how have the two rounds differed?

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Fundraising is always a grind and a necessary distraction at times. The best fundraisers manage the process like a sales quota—you understand where you must be, then work backwards. The magic happens when you start to find really good fits for your organization and culture.

In my opinion, raising pre-seed is tougher than seed. At pre-seed, it’s almost entirely a bet on the founding team, idea, and early traction signs. You’re bringing on investors who believe in the vision, knowing pivots are coming.

At seed stage, especially with a lead investor, there are many more indicators to lean on—traction, KPIs, financials, and team execution. It becomes a multi-year alignment exercise. We’ve raised two rounds and I’m proud to say we have a diverse, passionate cap table that truly leans in to help.

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How do you see the veterinary and pet health tech landscape evolving over the next five years?

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Pet owners are more active than ever and are seeking seamlessly connected, integrated experiences with their pets. Convenience and connectivity continue to drive preferences—often outside the four walls of the veterinary clinic.

Examples include pet-friendly apartment complexes offering onsite care, pet resorts administering fecal exams, and dog parks requiring vaccines with clinic referral programs. These experiences are incredibly convenient for consumers, but they disrupt traditional veterinary workflows.

At the same time, interoperability remains largely unsolved in animal health. AI will continue to advance rapidly, but without true data connectivity across systems, its impact will be limited. Veterinary groups that embrace connected, interoperable ecosystems will write the next chapter of animal healthcare.

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How do you approach brand building when running a B2B brand vs a consumer product?

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Brand reflects how the industry feels about your startup, which dictates how they interact with you. In the early days, brand is a reflection of the founding team.

Brand building goes far beyond a website—it’s how you show up at trade shows, how you follow up, how you treat people, and how you handle conflict. Someone once told me, “The behaviors of the leaders become the values of the organization.” That’s where brand really begins, especially in B2B.

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What advice would you give to other entrepreneurs looking to innovate in the pet industry, especially when it comes to securing funding?

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Find a coach or mentor—ideally someone who’s done this recently and in the industry. I had a fundraising coach while raising our last round; we met weekly for three months, and it made a massive difference.

Also, pay attention to market trends. Follow insights teams like Carta’s. These trends dictate valuations, equity expectations, and investor sentiment—and give you common ground when navigating fundraising conversations.

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