Empethy

What Empethy does

Empethy S.r.l. Società Benefit is an Italian digital platform founded in 2021 that operates as the country's first dedicated search engine for pet adoption, aggregating listings of adoptable dogs and cats from shelters, rescue associations, and individual volunteers across all Italian provinces. The web-based product combines a searchable database (built on Supabase storage with filters for species, age, sex, breed, size, and characteristics), real-time chat intermediation between adopters and shelters, and free adoption request handling. Adoption intermediation itself is provided free of charge to consumers; the company monetizes through three distinct streams: paid video consultancy with certified dog and cat educators (€43 per 45-minute session, €65 per 1-hour session, €335 for 5-session educational courses), a B2B Corporate Pet Responsibility program with Virtual Shelter portals, ESG/SDG reporting, team-building, and webinars priced as subscriptions for enterprises such as Credem, MSD Animal Health Italia, and Barilla, and a partner coupon/referral program distributing post-adoption discounts with brands including Hill's Pet Nutrition, Unipol, Arcaplanet, Animalia, Italo, and Grimaldi Lines. The company is incorporated as a Società Benefit (benefit corporation), was founded by Annamaria Barbaro and Lorenza Silvestri (both Forbes 30 Under 30 honorees), operates from a registered office in Naples, has 1–10 employees, and reports 10,254+ active pet listings and 7,922+ cumulative adoptions facilitated to date. Capital to date consists of a €385,000 non-repayable Campania Startup 2023 grant, prior accelerator participation with Techstars and B4i Bocconi for Innovation, and an early seed round.

Name

Empethy

Legal name

Empethy S.r.l. Società Benefit

Website

https://empethy.it

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Empethy is an Italian digital platform that aggregates dog and cat adoption listings from shelters, associations, and volunteers nationwide, connecting prospective adopters with pets. It monetizes via paid video consultancy with certified educators, a B2B Corporate Pet Responsibility/ESG program for enterprises, and partner coupon referral fees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pet Adoption Platform

NAICS

Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services (81291), Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services (812910)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Pet Care & Pet Services Platforms (Sitting, Walking, Grooming) (BPAMAHAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Animal Shelters & Adoption Services (BPAGAIAA)

Keywords

• Pet adoption platform
• Dog cat adoption
• Animal welfare services
• Corporate pet responsibility
• Pet consultancy services

Headquarters

HQ city

Milano

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Dog and Cat Consultancy Services: Online video consultancy sessions with certified dog and cat educators. Services include pet selection consultation, pre-adoption preparation, behavioral issue resolution, and educational courses for puppies and adult dogs. Packages range from single 45-minute or 1-hour sessions to 5-session educational courses.
2. Corporate Pet Responsibility (B2B): B2B services including Virtual Shelter portals, team building activities, Empethy Academy webinars, corporate solidarity gifts, and Pet Day events for companies integrating pet welfare into ESG strategies.
3. Partner Coupons and Discounts: Partnership-based discount programs for adopters and registered pet owners, offering exclusive deals on pet food, veterinary visits, insurance, grooming, and transport through partner brands.
4. Free Adoption Intermediation: Core adoption intermediation service is provided free of charge to adopters. The platform monetizes through B2B corporate partnerships and consultancy upsells rather than adoption fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Empethy runs Italy's first nationwide search engine for dog and cat adoption, aggregating listings from shelters, rescue associations, and volunteers into a province-level searchable database with adoption request and chat intermediation. The platform layers paid video consultancy with certified educators, a B2B Corporate Pet Responsibility program with Virtual Shelter portals and ESG reporting, and an exclusive partner discount program covering pet food, insurance, veterinary care, and travel.

Product overview

Empethy is a multi-sided digital platform focused on responsible pet adoption in Italy. The core offering is a pet adoption search engine that connects prospective adopters with shelters, associations, and volunteers across the country. The platform is built as a unified portal complemented by multiple service modules: a video consultancy service for dog and cat behavioral guidance (dog trainers and cat consultants), an educational blog covering adoption and pet care topics, a B2B Corporate Pet Responsibility program featuring Virtual Shelters and ESG reporting for companies, and a Partner & Coupon program providing post-adoption discounts on pet food, insurance, veterinary care, and travel. The Hill's Food Program partnership offers nutrition vouchers to new adopters, while the registration system supports three distinct user profiles (adopters, associations/volunteers, and pet owners).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Pet Adoption Search Engine Free-to-use national search engine that lets prospective adopters browse adoptable dogs and cats across all Italian provinces, filtering by animal type, age, sex, breed, size, and special characteristics, with detailed profiles connecting them to shelters, associations, and volunteers.
• Video Consultancy Service (Consulenza Cinofila e Gattofila)

Quantifiable outcome

• 10,254+ pets promoted for adoption
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

36 partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and major.

• ENPA (Ente Nazionale Protezione Animali)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerENPA is one of Italy's largest and oldest animal welfare organizations. Empethy collaborates with ENPA to facilitate pet adoptions and support shelters across the country.
• LAV (Lega Anti Vivisezione)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLAV is a major Italian animal rights organization. The partnership supports adoption promotion and animal welfare awareness campaigns.
• LNDC (Lega Nazionale per la Difesa del Cane)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLNDC operates shelters and rescue programs across Italy. Their collaboration with Empethy helps increase visibility for animals in their care.
• OIPA (Organizzazione Internazionale Protezione Animali)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOIPA is an international animal protection organization active in Italy. The partnership supports Empethy's mission to promote responsible pet adoption.
• ALI (Animal Law)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerALI is an animal law organization. Their collaboration contributes legal and advocacy expertise to Empethy's animal welfare mission.
• LEIDAA (Lega Italiana per la Difesa degli Animali e dell'Ambiente)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLEIDAA is an Italian animal and environmental defense league. Their partnership helps connect shelters with potential adopters through Empethy's platform.
• BalzoominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBalzoo is an animal welfare association partnering with Empethy to promote pet adoptions.
• Hill's Pet NutritioncoreGTM or Marketing PartnerHill's Pet Nutrition offers a €10 voucher on Science Plan premium food for newly adopted pets registered on Empethy. The partnership rewards responsible adopters and promotes quality pet nutrition.
• UnipolcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerUnipol provides 50% discounted pet insurance for Empethy adopters, payable in 12 monthly installments, plus a complimentary hour with a dog behavior expert. Also co-branded promotional campaigns are run on the Empethy platform.
• ArcaplanetcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerArcaplanet offers 10% discount (rising to 30% for Empethy adopters) on purchases in their pet retail stores, incentivizing adoption through tangible discounts on pet supplies.
• AnimaliaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAnimalia offers a complete veterinary check-up (clinical visit, blood count, fecal exam) at €80 for Empethy-adopted pets at their partner veterinary facilities.
• Italo (Trasporti)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerItalo offers free train tickets for adopters to travel and collect their adopted dog or cat, removing geographic barriers to adoption across Italy.
• Grimaldi LinesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGrimaldi Lines offers 50% discount on ferry tickets for adopters transporting their adopted dog or cat, particularly relevant for inter-island and international adoption logistics.
• PelomattominorGTM or Marketing PartnerPelomatto provides a free mobile dog grooming service (bagnetto a domicilio) for Empethy-adopted dogs.
• B4i – Bocconi for InnovationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerB4i Bocconi for Innovation selected Empethy as one of eight startups in its fifth acceleration program edition, providing funding, mentorship, and networking opportunities to support startup growth in Italy.
• BarillamajorGTM or Marketing PartnerBarilla promoted the adoption of 50 animals in 3 shelters in Parma province and shared corporate communications to raise awareness about animal abandonment and responsible adoption.
• MSD Animal Health ItaliamajorGTM or Marketing PartnerMSD Animal Health helped over 300 dogs and cats find new homes through the Empethy platform, supporting shelter animals and demonstrating commitment to animal health and welfare.
• CredemmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerCredem supported the adoption of 100 pets in Campania and Emilia Romagna, offering pre-adoption consultancy to over 2,000 employees to help them choose the most suitable pet.
• Banca IfisminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBanca Ifis partnered with Empethy to support corporate social responsibility initiatives related to animal welfare.
• HappilyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHappily partnered with Empethy for corporate social responsibility, supporting the project to contribute to the community and promote a work environment based on empathy and social responsibility.
• ExeinminorGTM or Marketing PartnerExein collaborated with Empethy, reporting positive impact on team and company culture, with a shelter visit experience strengthening commitment to social responsibility.
• Atida eFarmaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAtida eFarma chose Empethy's initiative because of their commitment to sustainability related to stray animal issues, contributing to creating a more sustainable environment.
• UnipolSaiminorGTM or Marketing PartnerUnipolSai partnered with Empethy as part of corporate pet responsibility initiatives, providing insurance products and services to adopters.
• YamamayminorGTM or Marketing PartnerYamamay partnered with Empethy for corporate social responsibility initiatives related to animal welfare.
• ItalominorGTM or Marketing PartnerItalo partnered with Empethy to offer free train travel for adopters to collect their adopted pets.
• HinowaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHinowa partnered with Empethy as part of its corporate social responsibility program.
• Neoparmed GentiliminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNeoparmed Gentili partnered with Empethy for corporate social responsibility initiatives.
• OptimaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOptima partnered with Empethy, enabling employees to participate in adoption and shelter experiences.
• QodeupminorGTM or Marketing PartnerQodeup partnered with Empethy for corporate social responsibility.
• TrixieminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTrixie partnered with Empethy for corporate social responsibility initiatives.
• GivaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGiva partnered with Empethy for corporate social responsibility.
• JoonsrminorGTM or Marketing PartnerJoonsr partnered with Empethy for corporate social responsibility.
• LevisminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLevis partnered with Empethy for corporate social responsibility.
• MyChefminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMyChef partnered with Empethy for corporate social responsibility.
• Up2YouminorGTM or Marketing PartnerUp2You partnered with Empethy for corporate social responsibility.
• LaborabilityminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLaborability partnered with Empethy for corporate social responsibility.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Petfinder: The largest US pet adoption search platform, aggregating shelter and rescue pet listings to connect adopters with animals. Operates the same core use case (search and matching between adopters and shelter/rescue organisations) as Empethy, and is the most direct global analogue to Empethy's platform.
• Adopt-a-Pet: US non-profit pet adoption platform offering searchable listings of adoptable dogs, cats, and other animals from shelters and rescues. Closely mirrors Empethy's model of search, filtering by pet characteristics, and direct intermediation between adopters and shelter organisations.

Broad incumbents

• Rover: Global online marketplace for pet care services (sitting, walking, boarding, daycare). Overlaps with Empethy's broader pet-care ecosystem vision but is a much larger, broader-scope platform that does not focus on adoption intermediation.
• Zooplus: Europe's leading online pet retailer operating across multiple markets including Italy. Competes for the same pet-owner attention and wallet share through pet supplies ecommerce, complementing rather than directly replacing Empethy's adoption intermediation model.

Regional players

• Wamiz: Leading French pet media and community platform combining editorial content, classifieds, and pet-owner services. Operates in a different geography but addresses the same audience (pet owners and prospective adopters) with a comparable content-driven engagement model.
• Pets4Homes: UK's largest pet marketplace for buying, selling, and rehoming pets. Operates a classifieds-style platform similar in structure to Empethy's search-led approach, though focused primarily on pet sales and rehomings rather than adoption intermediation.

Emerging players

• Pawshake: Online marketplace connecting pet owners with pet sitters, dog walkers, and boarders across multiple countries. Has meaningful overlap with Empethy's pet-services ecosystem ambitions but focuses on transactional care services rather than adoption.

Others

• Arcaplanet: Italy's largest pet retail chain with national physical and online presence. Existing Empethy partner offering 10-30% post-adoption discounts. Adjacent in the pet value chain as a retail destination and a channel for newly adopted pet owners.
• Hill's Pet Nutrition: Global premium pet food manufacturer (Colgate-Palmolive subsidiary) and existing Empethy partner providing €10 food vouchers to new adopters through the Hills Food Program. Adjacent as a supplier of pet nutrition with active co-marketing arrangement.
• Subito: Italy's leading online classifieds platform where pet listings (including some adoption listings) appear. Indirectly competitive as a destination for users searching for pets online, and a potential partner or substitute channel for adoption listings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/empethylive
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/empethy
• Instagraminstagram.com/empethy.it

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Empethy