EIR & Co-Founder (Pet Health & Longevity AI)

Location: United States (remote-friendly; preference for major tech/bio hubs)

This is a ground-floor, equity-only role for a founder-level executive to build a new AI-native pet health and longevity company and transition into President/CEO post-funding.

About the NewCo

This NewCo is a joint venture between:

• De Patas (Argentina): Pet parent behavioral and lifestyle data across Latin America
• Snoots (Italy): Clinical veterinary EHR and outcomes data from European practices
• ScaleUp Labs (Cambridge, MA): AI-first venture studio specializing in applied, data-moat businesses

Together, we are building an AI-powered preventive wellness and longevity platform that fuses clinical veterinary data with real-world behavioral data to help pets live longer, healthier lives.

Role Overview

We are seeking an Entrepreneur in Residence / Co-Founder to lead the creation, launch, and funding of this new AI-powered pet health and longevity venture in the U.S.

You will act as the founding commercial and fundraising leader, shaping strategy, validating the U.S. market, and securing Seed funding, with a planned transition into the President/CEO role upon successful financing.

This is an equity-based role with no cash compensation until external funding is secured.

What You’ll Own

Venture Strategy & Company Building

• Co-create and refine the NewCo vision, value proposition, and roadmap across pet wellness, preventive care, and longevity
• Define initial U.S. beachhead segments (for example: progressive veterinary groups, specialty clinics, early-adopter pet parents)
• Partner with Snoots, De Patas, and ScaleUp Labs teams to turn data assets into differentiated AI products

Capital Formation & Investor Relations

• Design and lead the fundraising strategy for Pre-Seed/Seed and subsequent rounds, including target investor mapping and process design
• Drive all investor-facing activities: narrative, deck, data room, diligence responses, and term-sheet negotiations
• Leverage your network of pet health, health-tech, and AI-focused investors, including VCs, strategic corporates, and family offices

Pet Health, Longevity & Ecosystem Partnerships

• Build and manage relationships with veterinary schools, university research groups, and translational longevity programs focused on companion animals
• Develop collaborations with veterinary hospital groups, PIMS/vet software vendors, and pet-health platforms to validate and pilot NewCo solutions
• Engage with key players in the emerging pet longevity ecosystem, including therapeutics, diagnostics, and wearables, as potential partners

Go-to-Market & Product-Market Fit (Founder-Level)

• Work with founders and product/AI teams to define the first MVP use cases (for example: risk scoring, “wellness score,” or early-disease prediction)
• Run structured customer discovery with veterinarians and pet parents to validate problems, willingness to pay, and adoption dynamics
• Shape early commercial models (B2B2C, SaaS for practices, or hybrid) informed by the economics of veterinary practices and pet-owner spend

Ideal Profile

Founder / Co-Founder Experience

• You have previously founded or co-founded a technology startup, ideally in health-tech, pet health, or B2B SaaS, and taken it through early funding and launch
• Direct responsibility for fundraising (angels, Seed, or Series A), including owning investor relationships and closing rounds

Deep Pet Health & Longevity Domain Expertise

• 5+ years working in or around veterinary medicine, pet healthcare, animal health, or companion-animal research
• Existing relationships with:
• Veterinary schools and academic research labs focused on pet health, aging, or comparative medicine
• Industry R&D teams in animal health, pharma, diagnostics, pet nutrition, or wearables
• Strong grasp of how veterinary practices operate, including economics, workflows, decision-making, and software stack

AI / Data-Driven Product Orientation

• Familiarity with AI/ML applications in health or pet care, and understanding of how data quality, labeling, and clinical validation impact product success
• Comfortable collaborating with data scientists and engineers to translate clinical and behavioral insights into product requirements

Founder Mindset & Leadership

• Operates with extreme ownership, bias to action, and comfort with ambiguity and resource constraints
• Exceptional communicator who can move seamlessly between conversations with vets, scientists, investors, and pet parents
• Deep personal passion for pets and belief in preventive health and longevity science

Minimum Requirements

• 5+ years of relevant experience across pet health/veterinary, health-tech, or longevity, plus startup leadership
• Demonstrated experience as a founder, co-founder, or very early executive in an early-stage tech company
• Proven track record participating in or leading equity fundraising (angel, Seed, or institutional VC)
• Existing network in at least two of the following:
• Veterinary schools
• Animal health industry
• Pet-health startups
• Health-tech investors
• Based in the U.S. with ability to travel periodically for key meetings and relationship-building

Compensation & Structure

• Pre-funding: Equity-only EIR / Co-Founder role, with meaningful founder-level equity commensurate with experience and contribution
• Post-funding: Planned transition into full-time President/CEO with competitive cash compensation, benefits, and expanded equity package, subject to mutual alignment and board approval

How to Express Interest

Please include:

• LinkedIn profile or CV
• Brief note on:
• Your experience in pet health/veterinary or related research
• Your founder/co-founder journey and fundraising history
• Relevant relationships in veterinary schools, animal health industry, or longevity research
• Any notable publications, partnerships, or products you’ve led in pet or human health

Send materials to Gregg Bauer – Managing Partner at gbauer@scaleuplabs.vs