Hajung Hwang CEO of Merry Nova Inc.
-‘MataPet’ addresses trust issues in pet-sitting through identity verification based on official pet registration data
-Designed to ensure only users with verified identities and proven pet-rearing experience can access the service
![[The Kwangwoon University 2025 Pre-Startup Package CEO] Merry Nova Inc., a Startup Developing a Specialized Pet-Sitting Matching Service](https://img.hankyung.com/photo/202603/AD.43519323.1.jpg)
“The company name, ‘Merry Nova’ reflects a core belief I have developed throughout my career: that new opportunities are born from the connections between people”, said CEO Hwang. “I have often experienced how brief encounters evolve into collaborative partnerships and how small seeds of trust blossom into new business ventures. I chose the name Merry Nova because I want everyone—customers, partners, and colleagues—to experience joyful and meaningful connections through our company.”
The flagship service, MataPet, is a dedicated pet-sitting matching platform. “As a pet owner for over 10 years, my first concern whenever I had a trip, a business meeting, or even a short outing was always, 'Who can I trust to watch my dog?'” Hwang explained. “Every pet owner has faced this. The issue in today’s pet-sitting market is not simply availability—the real problem is the lack of objective methods to verify who these sitters are and whether they are truly reliable. Consequently, owners end up relying on subjective reviews or intuition, eventually reverting to asking personal acquaintances for favors.”
To address this, Hwang conducted Customer Experience (CX) research with 152 pet owners who had used pet-sitting services within the past year. The findings showed that the most important criteria when choosing a sitter were ‘Identity and Reliability’ (41.4%) and ‘Actual Pet-Rearing Experience’ (27%). For pet owners, the primary concern was not price or convenience, but the quality and credibility of the caregiver.
MataPet solves this fundamental problem through a data-driven verification system. During the sign-up process, both owners and sitters must verify their identities using official pet registration data. This structure ensures that only users with authenticated identities and verified pet-rearing experience can access the platform.
In the same survey, 93.4% of respondents stated that this verification process would be helpful in resolving trust issues when entrusting their pets to others—a result that solidified Hwang's strategic direction.
MataPet’s competitive advantages can be summarized in three points. First, a Trusted Ecosystem. By allowing only verified owners and sitters to participate, the platform ensures safety from the very first point of transaction.
Second, Precision Matching, The service finds the ‘right match’ based on actual rearing experience and specific canine data. Since different breeds and temperaments require different caregiving skills, MataPet matches pets with sitters who have the relevant expertise.
Third, Owner-Centric Efficiency, The structure allows owners to propose specific pet-sitting conditions first, to which qualified sitters respond. This significantly reduces search time and streamlines the booking process.
Regarding future plans, CEO Hwang stated, “MataPet aims to be more than just a matching service. The essence of the problem we want to solve is not simply, ‘Can I find a sitter?’ but rather, ‘Can I truly feel at peace?’ Our short-term goal is to establish a market standard where owners can make informed choices based on transparent data, knowing exactly who is caring for their pets.”
Date of Establishment: August 2025
Core Business: Pet-sitting matching services, AI-powered referral services based on pet data
Key Achievements: Selected for the 2025 Preliminary Startup Package (Ministry of SMEs and Startups), Official App Launch Schedule for February 2026
reporter jinho lee
jinho2323@hankyung.com
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