Top trends at Interzoo

As journalists from the PET worldwide editorial team, we had the great privilege of being able to explore all the exhibition halls – despite a packed schedule – and even catch a glimpse or two behind the scenes at the stands. Of course, buzzwords such as longevity, dietary supplements, lifestyle, closeness to nature and pet parents were on everyone’s lips and came up in almost every conversation – and quite rightly so. The exhibitors at Interzoo easily proved that these were not just empty words, but rather the verbal red carpet rolled out for trending topics.

The 59 young companies and startups alone – 27 from Germany and 32 from around the world – at two shared booths transformed their section of Interzoo into a veritable hub of ideas where visitors could easily lose themselves.

Driven by vitality and entrepreneurial spirit, the International Start-up Area and Young Innovators were the places to be for discovering innovations and exploring fresh ideas. From sustainable dog waste bags and high-quality cork accessories to dietary supplements, skincare products, and indestructible activity toys – there was a suitable answer here for every question about life with pets.

There was always something happening on the nearby Fresh Ideas Stage as well: 37 startups and established companies presented solutions and products for the future of pet care – the whole event proved to be a real crowd-pleaser. The Fresh Ideas Contest honored the most outstanding ideas: First place went to Mousebouncer, a German company that developed an AI-controlled cat flap with facial recognition. Second place went to Kuro & Kai, a Spanish startup offering sustainable cat litter made from olive pits. Lumiies, the newcomer from Frankfurt (Germany) specializing in high-quality dog accessories, took third place. The two founding sisters had already won the pet Best Newcomer Award last year and continued their success at Interzoo.

The Interzoo Pioneer Award was also presented for the first time: The prize went to Redoggo, a company that has been on the market for less than two years. The Cologne-based company focuses on dog toys made from upcycled materials from the automotive industry, such as airbags and seat belts.

For many people, pets hold significant emotional value as members of the family. In…