It all started when Rocky the Chihuahua would scratch and bark so loudly while at home alone, that the neighbors threatened to call the police because of the noise.
Alex Neskin decided to create an Arduino-based robot using a web camera and remote-controlled laser pointer that would distract his dog from barking every time he left for work. Neskin interacted with Rocky throughout the day via a web interface that would eventually become the first prototype of the Petcube Camera.
Pets are family, and Petcube devices help strengthen the bond pet owners share with their furry companions.
Alex Neskin
Neskin, co-founder and CTO of Petcube, founded the company in late 2012 along with friends Andrey Klen, co-founder and CDO, and Yaroslav Azhnuyk, co-founder and CEO, to create innovative ways for pet parents to stay connected to their furry companions.
More than five years later, Petcube has a team of more than 60 professionals and 20 pets working across the globe in multiple time zones. “Hiring the right people has been, and still is, the biggest challenge,” said Neskin. “From engineers and designers to product managers and support, it takes tremendous human talent to drive our efforts to create the most innovative product for pet parents.”
Petcube’s premium interactive cameras have either a built-in laser toy or treat dispenser so that pet parents can watch, talk to, play with, or reward their pets remotely. These devices are the only pet cameras with a cloud recording service, which enables pet parents to capture their pet’s activities with a 24/7 video history.
“The goal is to help humans understand their pets better, while also giving pets a voice using Internet of Things connectivity,” said Neskin. For the Petcube team, it has been rewarding to develop products that inspire deeper connections among pet owners and their pets. Neskin explained, “Pets are family, and Petcube devices help strengthen the bond pet owners share with their furry companions.”
To expand their reach, Petcube joined Amazon Launchpad in 2015 with their first product, Petcube Camera.
The startup was creating a “Connected Pet” category within retail, a challenge in terms of customer education. Amazon Launchpad helped Petcube with enhanced product content and “a beautiful and functional template for photos, copy, and video to educate prospective customers about the product,” said Neskin. “We are now on our third product launch with Amazon Launchpad.”
The Petcube team has also worked with other teams across Amazon. They've updated their devices to be compatible with Amazon Alexa and Amazon Dash Replenishment Service. Petcube owners can now go hands-free and ask Alexa to play, dispense, and reorder treats. Petcube also participated in an Amazon Treasure Truck offer, where they delighted customers nationwide.
Petcube cameras have helped thousands of pet owners worldwide catch silly and cute moments of their furry troublemakers left home alone. For some pet parents, however, Petcube has gone beyond fun and cute, helping to save a pet's life.
“We love hearing that Petcube is helping pet parents solve mysteries and furkid shenanigans,” said Neskin. “We couldn’t be happier to hear how Petcube cameras have helped get a lost cat back home, catch a dog’s hive emergency on time, save a pet from an asthma attack, or avert a dangerous situation.”
“We’re excited to continue driving innovation in the pet care space, and plan to roll out advancements in pet behavioral diagnostics later this year,” Neskin said. “Our goal is to help pet parents take proactive actions when it comes to their pet’s health and wellness.”
