InsurTech focus: Pet City

Pet insurance has been available in China since around 2004. However, low demand, a small market and relatively small bills, meant it never really gained much of a foothold.

As a result, It has been an often-overlooked sector within digital insurance.

Pet City medical Insurance 365 product was launched in 2017.

It is more than medical insurance for animals, as it offers vouchers for the Pet City technology platform.

The Vetsource tool allows owners access via their veterinarians’ online stores to request prescription refills and order nutritional and over-the-counter healthcare products.

Owners may request virtual consultations directly to the clinic. After the vet has reviewed the request, a diagnosis and treatment plan for the pet’s health condition is agreed with the owner.

A second service allows veterinarians to conduct convenient follow up appointments with pets they have already provided health care services for.

This gives veterinarians a chance to check up on the healing progress of their patient and ensure the pet is completely healthy.

Owners are also able to buy pet supplies, grooming, etc, via the platform and to receive discounts on these goods and services.

Pet City Medical Insurance 365 is seeing 25% monthly growth, and year on year has grown by a factor of 270 times in a year.

Xu Hua, founder of Pet City is not content with growth alone. He acknowledges that to stop from just standing still, products must be constantly updated and upgraded.

He says Pet City Technology was always intended to be a service company to service the needs of both businesses and consumers. The entire value chain of the business has pet insurance running through it, but to view the company as an insurance broker is to miss the point.

“If you think I’m selling insurance, you have not understood my operating model,” says Xu Hua. “Pet City Technology has established a complete supply chain. On one hand, businesses are empowered and on the other, consumers receive service.”