Partnership seeks to revolutionise industry

Vet-tech start-up, Vet-AI, has formed a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) with University of Leeds academics to revolutionise the pet healthcare industry.

The collaboration between academia and industry will bring world-leading Artificial Intelligence experts in image analysis, Professor David Hogg and Dr Derek Magee, from the University’s School of Computing to supervise a ground-breaking new project.

Vet-AI launched its flagship app – Joii – earlier this year and has now received grant funding from Innovate UK for this KTP to bring in the academic expertise to enhance its customer experience. It will see a full time KTP Associate working within Vet-AI’s team at Nexus.

Using video-based machine learning models, the new features will enable pet owners to use the video camera on their smartphone to detect gait abnormalities, such as arthritis and hip dysplasia.

Paul Hallett, co-founder of Vet-AI, said: “Our KTP Associate will work closely with our software development team as well as our clinical team of vets and vet nurses, as part of a multi-disciplinary partnership, focused on developing the diagnosis, instructions and advice elements of our product.

“Our move to Nexus was driven by our desire to collaborate with academic minds at the University of Leeds to overcome complex challenges and grow our platform’s technology. This partnership clearly vindicates that decision and we’re delighted to be working with world leading tech experts as we move into a new phase of AI development.”

Dr Martin Stow, Nexus Director, added: “Vet-AI’s KTP is a true meeting of minds between academia and industry. It’s a great example of the deep and long-term collaborations we can facilitate between the University and Nexus members, to power innovation and increase competitiveness. As leading disruptors in the vet-tech industry, Vet-AI has already enjoyed rapid growth this year and with the support of its new KTP colleagues, I’m excited to see where the company will go next.”