Meet Andre from Tobipets
Q: Can you briefly introduce yourself and your startup?
A: Yes, I’m André Robert, founder and CEO of Tobipets. We’re a one-stop shop, multi-platform focused on pet health and wellness.
Q: What sort of inspired this venture?
A: I’m a pet lover. I have always been a pet lover. I’ve had many, many, many pets, and then seeing the opportunity experience with mergers and software implementation, I saw a gap in Latin America and decided to go for it.
Why Leap?
Q: What motivated you to get in contact with Leap?
A: Just the potential and the value I saw in the program; that was my initial punch. For us, networking is very important. It has been key to speaking with experts, leading thinkers, and leaders in diverse industries. It has been key to our business, and we saw that in potential. Additionally, we wanted to be in an environment surrounded by other top founders and be challenged by the program.
Q: Can you describe the application process a little bit?
A: Yes, it was a multi-stage process. We started with a form, some initial calls with one of the program managers, and then I remember around five or six interviews. Toward the last one, I remember seeing all the interviews had been two or three people until the last one, which was a 20-minute one, and there were around 30 people on that call.
A Day in the Leap Accelerator Program
Q: Once you got in, can you describe what a typical day was like in the program? What did the program look like?
A: None of the days were typical. There were founder meetups, mentorships, one-on-ones, and a lot of workshops, and then toward the end, the second half was more one-on-one with a sort of consulting strategy around the business, marketing, customer experience, etc.
Q: Did you receive funding as part of the program as well? Was it in exchange for some equity?
A: Yes. $200,000 and for future equity.
Excitement, Challenges, and Growth in the Leap Program
Q: And looking back at the program, was there any particular aspect of it that made you excited?
A: Yes, of course. I mean, I’d say most if not all, excited me. The structure that provides confidence, I mean structure in terms of processes, finance, marketing, how to approach customer experience, all of that added plenty of value.
Q: Did you face any challenges during the program? How did you overcome them?
A: Everyone in the program faced it. We had to dedicate hours to the program while still working full-time. And that program, as we started moving forward, demanded more time, which in turn reduced my bandwidth. Specifically, I was the only one from Latin America, so there were some hour differences and some language gaps that of course we tried to work around.
Q: What’s the status of the company now, post-accelerator, what have you achieved so far?
A: 4x growth, we’re in the growth stage.
Q: Would you say your growth trajectory has changed since completing the accelerator program?
A: I would say yes. I would say it’s not 100% but a big factor, yes.
Q: Can you share any quantifiable metrics to highlight the success your startup has achieved post-accelerator?
A: 26% compounded monthly growth rate.
Q: Have you increased your products or services post-accelerator as well?
A: Yes, we’ve developed additional revenue streams in B2B sales, we’ve launched and dove deeper into the pharmacy line, which has been key to our business, and then Autoship perfected it with them, which is the backbone. Autoship is the backbone of a subscription service.
Q: What are the next milestones you’re targeting, and how do you think the accelerator has prepared you for these?
A: Expansion, and they helped with all the business strategy, Latin America, market research, go-to-market, I mean a whole plan, so I think we’re ready.
Q: What would you say is your long-term vision for the startup? How has the accelerator helped you shape that vision?
A: The vision is to become a vertical player in this digital ecosystem from product to distribution, product creation to software, and software as a service. We see a high potential there and we developed most of the vision before but refined it with the team and the program.
Final Advice for Prospective Accelerator Participants
Q: Do you have any final piece of advice for anyone considering LEAP or any other accelerator programs?
A: Yes, I would say take the leap. But do prepare. It is intense; you have to have dedication to it. I wouldn’t say you would be able to do two programs at the same time; it’s demanding, and it will always be challenging, but the results are worthwhile.