NEW YORK, June 24, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — PerkyPet AI, the veterinary-built AI platform for proactive pet health, has appointed veteran technology leader Jamal Jackson as Global Head of Applied AI. In this role, Jackson will lead the development and scaling of the company’s AI capabilities, advancing PerkyPet AI’s mission to support more informed preventive care for pets and their parents through everyday health monitoring.
“As an animal lover and the pet parent of an 80-pound dog who has shaped everything from my daily routine to how I travel, this mission is deeply personal to me,” said Jackson. “I know how much can happen between routine vet visits and how difficult it can be to gauge whether a small change in behavior is meaningful. What drew me to PerkyPet AI is that we’re building a clinically grounded system that helps pet parents understand their pet’s health over time, rather than just another chatbot that returns answers without context. My focus is ensuring our AI continues to meet the highest standards for safety, accuracy, and reliability while helping families move from reactive to proactive pet care.”
Jackson brings more than 15 years of experience building and scaling technology products across enterprise organizations, emerging AI companies and startups backed by reputable venture capitalists including Sequoia Capital, Founders Fund and Techstars. Before joining PerkyPet AI, he held engineering leadership roles at companies including Jumpcut, Box and Apple. At PerkyPet AI, his work will focus on strengthening AI systems that analyze daily health data, highlight important changes over time and keep recommendations and guidance within clear safety guardrails.
According to the American Pet Product Association (APPA), 95 million households in the U.S. have pets, accounting for 71.6% of households nationwide. In 2026, veterinary care and related product sales are projected to reach $42.4 billion.
PerkyPet AI was founded on the principle that pet health is shaped by daily decisions and behaviors made between veterinary visits, not solely during annual appointments. The platform serves as a centralized health record and intelligent monitoring system helping pet parents track nutrition, behavior, activity, symptoms, medications and other health indicators in one place, making it easier to identify shifts in a pet’s health over time.
“The AI industry has no shortage of people who can build impressive demos, but healthcare-related applications, like the PerkyPet AI model, require a different standard,” said Tim Maliyil, co-founder and CEO of PerkyPet AI. “Pet parents trust us with decisions that impact the wellbeing of a member of their family. Jamal understands that trust, safety and clinical rigor are requirements for useful innovation, not constraints. He brings the technical depth, operational discipline and judgment we need as we continue building PerkyPet AI.”
Jackson’s appointment underscores PerkyPet AI’s commitment to building AI responsibly in a healthcare-adjacent category where transparency, accountability and oversight are critical. Led by the company’s veterinary advisors and medical leadership, including co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer Dr. Dara Huang, MD, MMSc, Jackson will help ensure PerkyPet AI’s intelligence systems are developed with the oversight, evaluation and safeguards required for real-world pet health use.
PerkyPet AI is actively preparing for its Summer 2026 launch while continuing to expand its team, technology platform and veterinary partnerships. To learn more about how PerkyPet AI is helping pets live longer, healthier and happier lives through proactive, data-driven care, visit www.perkypetai.com.
About PerkyPet, Inc.
Established in 2024, PerkyPet, Inc. is an AI-powered pet health monitoring platform designed to help pet parents better understand and manage their pets’ health between veterinary visits. By combining longitudinal health tracking, veterinary-informed guidance and advanced AI, PerkyPet AI helps pet parents identify health trends, maintain comprehensive health records, monitor changes over time and make more informed decisions about when professional veterinary care may be needed.
About Jamal Jackson
Jamal Jackson is the Global Head of Applied AI at PerkyPet AI, where he leads the development of veterinary-driven artificial intelligence systems designed to help pet parents monitor health trends and make more informed care decisions. Jackson oversees AI governance, clinical safety frameworks and the continued evolution of PerkyPet AI’s longitudinal health intelligence platform. A lifelong animal lover and pet advocate, he is passionate about applying AI responsibly to improve animal health outcomes.
Media Contact:
Cecily Parry, SHIFT Communications on behalf of PerkyPet AI
cparry@shiftcomm.com
612-849-2174
