Petco today announced that it has acquired PetCoach, a digital services company that connects pet parents with experienced veterinary professionals for personalized answers to improve the overall health and well-being of their pets by providing convenience, data and easy access to expert advice.
As part of the acquisition, Brock Weatherup, PetCoach co-founder and CEO, joins the national pet specialty retailer as Executive Vice President, Strategic Innovation & Digital Experience. In this new role, Weatherup will be responsible for driving Petco’s growth through innovation and enterprise-wide, consumer-focused digital initiatives.
“Nurturing powerful relationships for better lives together is at the heart of all we do,” said Petco CEO, Brad Weston. “As we continue evolving our value proposition – helping pet owners wherever and however they want to improve the health and well-being of their pet — we believe that an entrepreneurial and digital leader of Brock’s caliber will help Petco exceed the ever-changing digital expectations of the modern pet parent.”
“We are thrilled to be joining a talented team and a leading company like Petco. Connecting even more pet parents and their pets to the personalized tools, resources, veterinarian advice and products they need is exciting,” said Weatherup. “Having had the opportunity to lead and build several startups, we are ready to bring the speed, innovation, competitiveness and scrappiness of entrepreneurialism to Petco, while leveraging their scale, infrastructure, resources and strong brand.”
In recent years, Weatherup has been highly engaged in the Philadelphia startup community as an angel investor, mentor, and community leader, including serving as volunteer President of Philly Startup Leaders. He looks forward to continue supporting Philadelphia while also bringing that experience with him as he relocates with his family to Southern California.
“I’m really looking forward to engaging with the rapidly growing San Diego/Southern California startup ecosystem, specifically to identify those individuals and companies that can innovate with the Petco team, engaging the hearts and minds of pet parents,” said Weatherup.
Before co-founding PetCoach, Weatherup served as Venture Partner of tech accelerator ICONYC Labs and managing director of his angel investment fund, Atai Ventures. Previously, he was SVP/Chief Digital Offer at Petsmart after their purchase of Pet360, where he was Co-Founder/CEO for five years. Weatherup was also Co-Founder/CEO of Fathead (Fathead.com) and a senior leader at InterActiveCorp. A graduate of the University of Colorado, he sits on the board of the Adirondack Chapter of the Nature Conservancy and can often be found hiking with his five-year-old English retriever, Boulder.
Terms of the deal will not be disclosed.
About Petco and the Petco Foundation
With more than 50 years of service to pet parents, Petco is a leading pet specialty retailer that focuses on nurturing powerful relationships between people and pets. We do this by providing the products, services, advice and experiences that keep pets physically fit, mentally alert, socially engaged and emotionally happy. Everything we do is guided by our vision for Healthier Pets. Happier People. Better World. We operate more than 1,500 Petco and Unleashed by Petco locations across the U.S., Mexico and Puerto Rico; prescription services and pet supplies from the leading veterinary-operated pet product supplier, Drs. Foster & Smith; and petco.com. The Petco Foundation, an independent nonprofit organization, has invested more than $175 million since it was created in 1999 to help promote and improve the welfare of companion animals. In conjunction with the Foundation, we work with and support thousands of local animal welfare groups across the country and, through in-store adoption events, help find homes for more than 400,000 animals every year.
