MOVA Pets Raises Series A to Build "Digital Twins" for Pets — Here's What That Means for Smart Pet Hardware

Beijing-based MOVA Pets closed a Series A round led by Skyworks Venture Capital, betting that the next wave of pet tech won't be about smarter devices — it's about turning hardware into a data moat. The company's "digital twin" platform, PetGPT, positions smart litter boxes and collars as entry points to an AI-driven ecosystem, not standalone products.

What Happened

Lingwei Jiyuan Technology (operating as MOVA Pets) announced Series A funding with Skyworks Venture Capital leading. The company did not disclose the exact funding amount, describing it only as "millions of dollars."

The company has reached profitability, with monthly GMV exceeding several million dollars in Europe through retail partnerships with MediaMarkt, Fnac, and Boulanger. Its flagship product, the LB10 Prime smart litter box, has shipped over 30,000 units.

The funding will accelerate development of PetGPT, the company's "digital twin" platform that aggregates data from hardware devices to create AI-generated health profiles for pets. At CES 2026, MOVA also debuted the SureTrack Pro, a smart tracking collar with two-way voice communication.

CEO Jerry framed the strategy explicitly: "Hardware is only the beginning. Devices act as the eyes and ears, capturing signals. AI is the brain that interprets this information and turns it into insights people can actually use."

Why It Matters

1. The "digital twin" concept signals where smart pet hardware is heading. MOVA isn't the only company making this pivot. PETKIT showcased similar ambitions at CES 2026 with its unified health dashboard, and Whisker — valued near $1 billion according to reports of Pondera Holdings exploring a sale — has been building out its connected ecosystem. The pattern: hardware margins are thin, so the value capture shifts to software and services layered on top.

For operators watching this space, the question isn't whether your litter box has AI — it's whether you own the data relationship with the pet owner. A "digital twin" that tracks a cat's weight, bathroom habits, and behavioral patterns over years becomes stickier than any single hardware purchase.

2. European retail distribution is an unusual entry strategy for Chinese pet tech. Most Chinese smart pet companies target Amazon first. MOVA went straight to brick-and-mortar through MediaMarkt (Germany's largest electronics retailer), Fnac (France), and Boulanger (French electronics chain). This suggests a bet on in-store demos for hardware that's hard to explain online — and potentially a path to European retail partnerships for the software ecosystem.

3. The smart litter box category is getting crowded fast. PETKIT has raised $108M total with backing from CDH Investments, Sofina, and Qiming Venture Partners, per PitchBook. Whisker (Litter-Robot) is reportedly exploring a sale at a ~$1B valuation. homerunPET is launching AI camera add-ons in 2026. MOVA's differentiation hinges on whether PetGPT can create a platform moat that competitors can't replicate with their own AI features.

4. Profitability at this stage is notable. Most hardware startups burn cash on inventory and customer acquisition before reaching scale. MOVA claims profitability with 30,000 units shipped — a signal that either margins are strong, burn is low, or both. For operators evaluating the smart pet hardware market, this suggests the category can support sustainable businesses at relatively modest scale.

What to Watch

Platform lock-in. The digital twin play only works if pet owners stay within MOVA's ecosystem long enough for the data to compound. Watch whether PetGPT can generate health insights valuable enough to drive repeat hardware purchases (collars, feeders, cameras) versus owners treating the litter box as a one-time buy.

US market entry. MOVA has European distribution but no announced US presence. The American market is where PETKIT and Whisker have established footholds. MOVA's Series A may fund US expansion — or the company may focus on consolidating Europe first.

Competitive response. PETKIT's CES 2026 announcements included nearly identical positioning: AI ecosystem, health monitoring, unified dashboard. The question is whether the category supports multiple "platform" winners or consolidates around one or two ecosystems, similar to smart home (Alexa, Google Home).

The global AI in pet care market was valued at $4.2 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach $15.3 billion by 2035, according to MetaTech Insights. If those projections hold, there's room for multiple players. But the prize goes to whoever owns the data layer — not the hardware.