Peqaboo interview with Hong Kong Business

“We have just under 100 merchants now, but we’re actively recruiting,” Simon Chan, director at the Hong Kong-based startup, told Hong Kong Business.

Peqaboo app has more than 50,000 users across Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, and Thailand, with 12,000 based in Hong Kong alone.

Through Peqaboo, merchants gain access to a subscription-based marketplace and targeted advertising, which form the company’s main revenue streams. The company is seeking to raise $7.8m to $23.4m (US$1m–US$3m) to fund its expansion.

“We provide personalized advertising for merchants,” Chan said via Zoom. “Our artificial intelligence (AI) system analyses their sales data and identifies users most likely to become potential customers.”

The app also features BOO AI, an AI-driven chatbot that delivers personalised recommendations based on pet profiles created by owners. These profiles can be enriched with medical records, test histories, and lab results to ensure accuracy.

Howard Chan, a veterinarian and co-founder of Decennium, said the system could recommend products or services specific to a pet’s condition.

“If you are looking for food supplements suitable for dogs with chronic kidney disease, which require a low-phosphate diet, our system will provide you with a list of merchants that can offer these,” he said in the same Zoom call.

Beyond products, merchants offer services such as grooming, pet walking, and pet hotels. The platform also helps pet owners find veterinary clinics suited to their pets’ specific needs.

“If users are looking for a clinic or hospital for a particular operation, we can filter and suggest the right one for them,” Chan said.

“This way, they don’t waste time calling clinics individually or being transferred elsewhere. We want to bridge that gap.”

While direct vet appointment booking is not yet available, Decennium is working with ezyVet, a widely used veterinary system, to integrate this feature. The startup is also working with clinics to allow direct uploading of test results into the app, improving the user experience.

Owners upload lab results themselves, which the app interprets through its Lab Report Analysis feature.

“When you get a blood test, the report usually contains many items that are hard to understand,” Chan said. “Nurses don’t explain each one because it’s too time-consuming. But as a pet owner, you want to know everything.”

Peqaboo also lets users track results over time to monitor chronic illnesses and treatment effectiveness.