Today we’d like to introduce you to Petster Team.
Hi Petster Team, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
About Petster AI
Petster AI was founded by Dr. Shake, a veterinarian and University of Minnesota graduate; Cristina, a healthcare executive with an MBA from Cornell; and Joseph, a Harvard grad student and developer with a focus on data science. After more than a decade in practice, Shake became the go-to source for pet health questions in his community. Friends and family leaned on him for advice, and after a stint on reality TV ” Love is Blind”, even strangers began reaching out to him. It was eye-opening — a reminder of how often pet parents feel confused and overwhelmed when their animals are sick. Wanting to help more than just one person at a time, Shake envisioned a way to scale trusted veterinary insights for every pet parent. That vision became Petster.
The first stroke of luck occurred when Shake shared the idea with Cristina, who was then just a friend of a friend. Fresh from Cornell, she immediately saw the bigger vision and brought the business expertise to turn it into a company. A few months later, Joseph came along – a brilliant developer and animal lover, who was already pursuing his Master’s in Data Science at Harvard. He immediately understood the mission and joined as a full partner, helping transform Petster from a concept into a product with real momentum.
Today, Petster makes pet care more straightforward and transparent by helping pet parents upload and share medical records, understand costs with Vetstimate, and receive AI-powered insights tailored to their pets’ unique health journeys.
Petster AI — Your Pet’s Health, Simplified. Created by a Veterinarian to Empower Pet Parents.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
One of the surprising aspects of launching Petster is that the idea itself was never a difficult sell. Pet parents, veterinarians, and even investors quickly saw the value. The real challenge was finding the right partner to help us build it. We spoke with several developers who loved the concept but were focused on short-term gain rather than long-term vision. One even joined briefly before stepping away when it became clear the journey required commitment and persistence. At the same time, we conducted market research through surveys and interviews, gathering feedback from more than 300 pet parents. That data — combined with the arrival of early competition, including a Miami company that attempted to replicate our concept after learning of it through a mutual circle but ultimately pivoted when their technology fell short — only reinforced that there was both a real problem and a significant opportunity in the market.
Those obstacles highlighted the importance of finding the right technical partner: someone with both the expertise and a shared belief in the mission to build a customized, veterinarian-trained, large multimodal model system. That person was Joseph, a Harvard graduate student in data science and an animal lover, who joined as a full partner. He transformed Petster from a stalled concept into a product with real momentum and continues to improve it daily based on feedback from its use across three veterinary clinics. Petster is being trained every day by practicing veterinarians — creating personalized care for every pet.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Shake works as an urgent care veterinarian, where he sees a wide variety of cases, people, and situations every day. That frontline experience gives him constant insight into what pet parents struggle with most — and directly shapes how Petster is built. Within the company, his focus is on the clinical and medical side of the app. He trains and optimizes the AI so it can accurately interpret records and deliver case-specific insights that are truly helpful. He also plays a key role in feature development, always asking: Would this help my clients? Would this save time for other vets?
Shake uses and talks about Petster daily in his practice. Now that the app is live on the App Store, his clients are using it too — and they love it. His clinic staff has been involved from the beginning as beta testers, and their feedback continues to drive improvements. He has also brought in veterinarians from across the country through his professional network to ensure Petster works in real-world practices, not just in theory. At its core, Shake’s role is about bridging the gap between clinical medicine and innovative technology — ensuring Petster isn’t just a shiny app, but a tool that truly empowers pet parents and supports veterinary professionals when it matters most.
How do you think about luck?
Luck has been part of Petster’s journey from the very beginning. When Shake first imagined the idea, the earliest turning point came when he shared it with Cristina, then just a friend of a friend. Fresh from earning her MBA at Cornell, Cristina immediately recognized the broader vision. Where others saw a clever concept, she saw the potential for a transformative business. Her strategic insight and structure helped move Petster from an idea into a company with clear direction. Another stroke of luck arrived a few months later with the introduction of Joe, a brilliant developer, animal lover, and Master’s candidate in Data Science at Harvard. More than just technically skilled, Joe instantly understood Petster’s promise for both pet parents and veterinarians. He joined as a full partner, bringing the technical expertise needed to transform Petster from a stalled concept into a product with genuine momentum.
Today, Petster stands on the combined strengths of its founders: Shake guides the clinical vision, Cristina steers the business strategy, and Joe drives the technology. Together, they’ve built a robust platform that delivers personalized care for every pet — giving pet parents cost insights, health guidance, organized records, and instant expert advice.
Petster AI — Your Pet’s Health, Simplified. Created by a Veterinarian to Empower Pet Parents.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.petster.ai
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/petster.ai
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/petsterapp/
