Vetchat

What Vetchat does

VetChat Services Pty Ltd, trading as VetChat, is an Australian veterinary telehealth company founded in 2017 by veterinarian Claire Jenkins. The company operates a browser-based platform (no app download required) that connects pet owners with a panel of 50+ Australian board-registered veterinarians — averaging 11 years of clinical experience — via on-demand video calls and live chat, with an average response time under two minutes. The platform supports photo and video uploads for remote assessment and delivers personalized consultation summaries plus 24-hour follow-up check-ins. A free Chocolate Toxicity Calculator is offered as a top-of-funnel consumer tool.

VetChat monetizes through two primary D2C tiers: a one-off consultation at A$59 and the VetChat Plus annual subscription at A$259, which bundles unlimited 24/7 access with PawCare Cover — a group pet insurance product underwritten by PetSure (Australia) Pty Ltd providing up to A$10,000 per year in cover for seven specified emergency events across up to five pets. On the B2B side, the VetChat Clinic service integrates with veterinary clinic phone systems to act as an after-hours triage extension, with Vets following each clinic's custom protocols; partner clinic Tropical Vets reports up to 90% fewer non-urgent after-hours calls and a 50% reduction in on-call veterinarian workload. A B2B2C distribution layer was added via a 2026 partnership with Greyhound Racing NSW, providing 24/7 veterinary access to NSW greyhound trainers and breeders at no cost to participants.

The company has delivered 250,000+ consultations cumulatively and serves 50+ veterinary clinic partners across Australia and New Zealand. It maintains 100+ five-star Trustpilot reviews and operates with a lean organizational footprint, having raised only approximately A$73K in disclosed seed funding across 2017 (Artesian VC and BlueChilli). There is no publicly disclosed AI/ML capability, and the core service remains human-veterinarian-led rather than automated.

Name

Vetchat

Legal name

VetChat Services Pty Ltd

Website

https://vetchat.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

VetChat is an Australian veterinary telehealth platform founded in 2017 that connects pet owners with Australian-registered veterinarians via on-demand video and chat, monetizing through A$59 one-off consults, an A$259/year VetChat Plus subscription bundled with PetSure-underwritten insurance (PawCare Cover), and B2B after-hours triage for 50+ clinics across Australia and New Zealand.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Veterinary Telehealth

NAICS

Veterinary Services (54194)

akta.pro primary industry

Online Booking, Intake & Digital Front Door (Forms, Consent, Waitlist) (HLAMAGAD)

Keywords

• Veterinary telehealth
• Online vet consultations
• After-hours pet triage
• Pet insurance subscription
• Clinic triage services

Headquarters

HQ city

Sydney

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. VetChat Plus Annual Subscription: Recurring annual subscription at $259/year providing unlimited 24/7 Vet consultations plus PawCare Cover financial protection for up to 5 pets. The subscription auto-renews and can be cancelled at any time. This is the primary recurring revenue stream.
2. One-Off Consultation: One-time consultation fee of $59 per session. Customers can choose video or live message format. This is a transaction-based revenue stream for non-subscribers or casual users.
3. PawCare Cover Insurance Commission: VetChat acts as policyholder and authorised representative (AR 001299710) for the VetChat Group Pet Insurance - PawCare Cover underwritten by PetSure (Australia) Pty Ltd. VetChat receives no direct payment from PetSure for the group policy but earns subscription revenue from VetChat Plus memberships that bundle the insurance benefit.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

VetChat provides a 24/7 online veterinary consultation service that connects Australian pet owners with 50+ board-registered Australian veterinarians via real-time video calls or live chat through a browser-based platform (no app download required). Consumers can purchase one-off consultations at $59 or join the VetChat Plus annual membership at $259 for unlimited consultations plus up to $10,000 of PawCare Cover emergency pet insurance. VetChat also supplies a B2B after-hours triage service to 50+ veterinary clinics in Australia and New Zealand, where its veterinarians follow each clinic's custom protocols to handle client calls after hours.

Product overview

VetChat operates as a unified telehealth platform offering two main service tiers: individual one-off consultations ($59) and the VetChat Plus annual subscription ($259/year) which bundles unlimited 24/7 veterinary access with PawCare Cover insurance protection. The company also provides VetChat Clinic, a B2B after-hours triage solution for veterinary practices. A free Chocolate Toxicity Calculator tool is offered for consumer education. The platform connects pet owners with Australian-registered veterinarians via video or live chat, serving both direct-to-consumer and clinic partnership channels.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• VetChat Plus: Annual membership subscription offering unlimited 24/7 vet consultations, video calls with experienced vets, connection in under 2 minutes, and financial cover up to $10,000 per year for pet emergencies including snake bites, tick paralysis, car accidents, poisoning, and swallowed objects.
• PawCare Cover

Products and services

• VetChat (24/7 On-Demand Vet Consultations) Core 24/7 telehealth platform connecting Australian pet owners with 50+ board-registered Australian veterinarians via real-time video calls or live chat through a browser (no app download required). Targets individual pet owners needing after-hours triage, symptom guidance, and remote assessment with photo/video upload support.
• VetChat Plus Annual subscription membership ($259/year, auto-renewing and cancellable at any time) providing unlimited 24/7 video and live-message consultations with Australian-registered vets for up to 5 pets, plus bundled PawCare Cover financial protection up to $10,000/year for common pet emergencies. Targets Australian pet parents who want year-round peace of mind and protection from emergency vet costs.
• PawCare Cover Group pet insurance product bundled with VetChat Plus (VetChat Group Pet Insurance – PawCare Cover), underwritten by PetSure (Australia) Pty Ltd. VetChat Services Pty Ltd (ABN 96 616 786, AR 001299710) is the policyholder and authorised representative. Provides up to $10,000/year in cover for 7 specified emergency events with a $500 excess per claim and a maximum of 3 claims per policy period, claims submitted via the MyAccount portal.
• VetChat Clinic (After-Hours Triage Service) B2B after-hours triage solution for veterinary clinics in Australia and New Zealand. Integrates with the partner clinic's phone system so VetChat veterinarians answer client calls when the clinic is closed, following each clinic's custom protocols and producing consultation summary notes. Targets clinic owners/practice managers seeking to reduce non-urgent after-hours calls and on-call vet workload; designed to keep clients loyal to the partner practice rather than routing them to competitor emergency clinics.

Quantifiable outcome

• 250,000+ consultations delivered as of 2025
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Greyhound Racing NSW (GRNSW)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 June 2026GRNSW partnered with VetChat to provide NSW greyhound racing participants (trainers and breeders) with 24/7 access to veterinary advice at no cost to participants, with no time limit on calls. The service began July 1 and aims to support animal welfare in the greyhound racing industry. GRNSW CEO Steve Griffin stated the partnership represents a significant investment in the industry's welfare focus.
• Tropical VetscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2022Tropical Vets has been using VetChat as an after-hours triage service since 2022. The partnership has reduced non-urgent after-hours calls by up to 90% and decreased on-call veterinarian workload by 50%. VetChat flexible and accommodating to individual business needs while maintaining high-quality client care.
• PetSure (Australia) Pty LtdcoreOthersPetSure is the insurer providing the PawCare Cover group insurance policy (VetChat Group Pet Insurance - PawCare Cover) underwritten for eligible VetChat Plus subscribers. VetChat Services Pty Ltd (ABN 96 616 786, AR 001299710) is the policyholder and authorised representative. PetSure (Australia) Pty Ltd (ABN 95 075 949 923, AFSL 420183) underwrites the policy.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Greencross Vets: Australia's largest veterinary clinic network and parent of Petbarn. Comparable to VetChat as a dominant AU pet health player, with overlapping end customers though primarily delivering in-person care.
• VetPartners: Large Australian and New Zealand veterinary group operating hundreds of clinics. Comparable to VetChat as a major AU/NZ vet care provider and potential B2B partner or competitive threat to VetChat's clinic channel.

Direct peers

• FirstVet: Sweden-based tele-vet platform offering on-demand video consultations with licensed veterinarians, operating across multiple European markets. Most direct global comparable to VetChat in business model, customer segment, and subscription-led monetization.
• Vetster: Canadian-founded tele-vet marketplace connecting pet owners with veterinarians for video, chat, and voice consultations. Closely mirrors VetChat's on-demand model, target customer, and browser-based delivery model.
• Pawp: US-based pet health membership offering 24/7 tele-vet consultations bundled with an emergency fund (up to $3,000). Direct functional analog to VetChat Plus in combining tele-vet access with a financial protection layer.
• Airvet: US tele-vet platform providing on-demand video consultations for pet owners, plus a B2B offering for veterinary practices. Closely comparable to VetChat in operating both D2C and clinic-channel models.
• whiskerDocs: US-based 24/7 pet telehealth service offering phone, chat, and video access to veterinary professionals. Comparable to VetChat in around-the-clock triage model and pet-owner target audience.
• Fuzzy: US-based pet health membership combining tele-vet chat access with on-demand veterinary advice. Comparable to VetChat Plus in subscription-based tele-vet with bundled pet health benefits.

Regional players

• PawSquad: UK-based tele-vet service offering video consultations with UK-registered vets. Closely comparable to VetChat in business model, though focused on the UK market rather than ANZ.

Emerging players

• Modern Animal: US tech-enabled veterinary care company combining physical clinics with a digital/membership platform. Comparable to VetChat in subscription-led pet health model, though anchored on physical clinic visits.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@vetchat1273
• Facebookfacebook.com/vetchat
• Instagraminstagram.com/vetchataustralia
• Xx.com/vetchatau

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 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 Vetchat