We’re incredibly honoured to have been selected by the jury to pitch at Nexus 2026 in the Digital Health & Platform category.

As a selected startup, we were given a booth for the two-day event (June 10–11). And to be honest—what a ride it was.

Because we value transparency and sharing real experiences, I wanted to take you behind the scenes. This is a side of the journey we don’t often show.

If you’re building something yourself—or hesitating to put yourself out there—I hope this gives you a useful, honest perspective.

Day 1: The Reality of Being “Out There”

We arrived in the morning to set up our booth: our laptop with the live pet services directory, newly designed flyers, stickers, cat and dog balloon, etc.

I had created some posters highlighting our giveaway partners:

• Coconut Pets (Grooming & Boutique),
• Pandoga (Canine Behaviorist),
• Nadine Baur (Massage Therapist)

We also highlighted our Nexus partner, Oscar’s Favorites, who supported us during the event.

Very quickly, the day took on a life of its own.

Diego from Oscar’s Favorites came by to support us and brought samples of their freeze-dried, single-ingredient, local treats. In a space dominated by AI, deep tech, and big corporations, seeing a familiar face from the pet community made a real difference. It also didn’t hurt that their packaging & samples attracted attention.

From a marketing perspective, many people— visitors, fellow startups, and mentors—complimented us on how strong and attractive our booth looked. It stood out. It was fun, human and we had amazing discussions.

Then came the constant flow of people. Investors, potential partners, pet owners, curious visitors... it didn’t really stop.

What stood out most was how quickly interactions became personal. Almost everyone shared photos or stories of their pets. Many resonated with Livy’s story and our mission to elevate the standards of pet care. Some had experienced similar loss, others knew someone who had, or had heard about issues in the pet care industry.

We also learned a lot. People shared what they struggle to find, what they value, and what they wish existed. Some gave us ideas for future features and categories. Many didn’t even know services like physiotherapy, osteopathy, acupuncture or behaviourists for pets existed.

We spoke to owners with anxious pets who didn’t know fear-free certified professionals exist or that behaviorist can help prepare visits. Others had exotic pets and described how time consuming it was calling multiple clinics just to find someone who could treat them. That’s exactly why we built the “animals” filter to simplify that process. (coming out in couple days!)

Some people without pets, or pets back in their hometown said they hesitate to adopt/bring their pet here in Luxembourg because they don’t have reliable care when they work or travel. But now that they know Pet Pro Booking exists, it gave them a new perspective on the question.

Some also shared their struggle with pet emergencies. That's why we have the red banner in our footer which includes the updated link to on-call vets, emergency clinics and our emergency guide to better prepare such urgent situations.

All those conversations confirmed something important: access and awareness are still major gaps.

I love learning about people, helping them and connecting them, so I felt like I was accomplishing my mission, all while having a lot of fun.

What stayed with me most was the human connection. The pet community is just different. Conversations felt real, open, and often emotional.

This shows me we’re building in the right space.

Community Support (Behind the Scenes)

Another important part of this experience was the support from the Alzette Valley community. It’s a group of local entrepreneurs and mentors who share real experiences and actively support each other. On our WhatsApp group, we exchanged tips, feedback, and what to expect from the event, which helped a lot going in. Arnaud came by our booth to give me personal pitching advice and he and Catalina made sure to keep the whole community connected throughout the event.

I didn’t have time to attend the events they organised (we barely left the booth) but it still felt really good to finally meet in person the people behind the conversations. That sense of support in this kind of environment makes a difference.

We also had support directly from the pet community. Diego from Oscar's favorites and Aimée from Pandoga came by to support us. Both the samples and business cards ended up being really useful for pet owners looking for their services and products (on top of searching on our directory).

This is exactly why this ecosystem matters.

Other pet owners, partners and professionals shared our stories to help promote us.  I am so grateful for such a generous and caring community, that's always ready to help out.

The Physical Reality (Less Glamorous, But Real)

Morgan and I spent the entire day at the booth, talking, explaining, listening, repeating. It was amazing, but also exhausting.

Crowded space, constant noise, no real breaks.

I’m someone who needs fresh air, a lot of natural light and movement outside (I guess I'm a dog? lol), so being in that kind of environment felt intense at times.

But then someone would light up when they saw our booth or show me a photo of their pet, and everything softened again.

That balance between intensity and meaning is something I didn’t fully expect.

A First Milestone: Media Recognition

One of the highlights of the first day was being selected for an interview with Paperjam. This was our first official interview, and I’m so excited to share it.

I remember in the beginning, imagining myself being interviewed one day. And now that vision has become reality. I'm so grateful.

Being able to share our story, why we started all of it, highlighting the realities of the pet care industry and reach more pet owners matters to us.

👉 Read the article here.

Day 2: The Pitch

The second day started a little more calmly, which helped because I had to prepare for my first live pitch.

I’ve pitched before—especially during Founder Institute—but always online.

This was different: a live audience, a large venue, and a stage surrounded by people on all sides.

The format was three minutes, requiring a condensed and updated version of our story.

Fatigue from the previous day didn’t help, and I’ll be honest: I was nervous.

Backstage, things kept shifting. Time slots changed multiple times. Instructions came quickly.

I could feel it physically: dry mouth, fast heartbeat, shaky legs.

Then my name was called. (Finally!)

I walked on stage, stood on the mark, saw the timer start and started speaking.

And almost immediately, it felt better.

Not 100% like I had practiced: I skipped a couple lines, but I kept going. And before I even realised it, it was over.

Relief and pride, more than anything.

After the Pitch

A few people came by the booth afterwards to say the story and mission resonated with them. That meant a lot.

But what stayed with me most happened just before we left.

As we were packing up, one of the jury members came over to congratulate me on a really good pitch.

Hearing that from someone who listened to pitches for hours all day and evaluates so many startups meant a lot.

It gave me confidence that we’re not only building something meaningful, but also something that resonates at a broader level.

A very good way to close the experience.

Final Thoughts

So many visitors loved our project, whether they’re pet owners or not, and especially the fact that we focus on trust and transparency.

Many people are encouraging us and supporting us, from near or far.

Everyone can feel our passion.

This means the world to me.

I’m so grateful for this community, and for Livy, for opening my eyes and leading me down this path.

I’m so glad we attended this event. It opened up a whole new world to us.

I’m so excited to see where this amazing journey takes us.

All I can say is that it’s just the beginning.

If You’re Hesitating…

If you’re building something and unsure about putting yourself out there—this is your sign to try.

It’s uncomfortable. It’s intense. But it can unlock more than you expect, both externally and internally.

And remember: everything you've ever wanted is on the other side of fear.

Thank you for reading.

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