Introducing FoundYa: NFC Tags That Bring Pets Home
Every year, tens of thousands of Australian pets go missing. Collars fall off, microchips require a vet visit to scan, and traditional ID tags scratch until they're unreadable. We knew there had to be a better way.
Why we built FoundYa
FoundYa started with a simple question: what if anyone who found a lost pet could instantly connect with the owner - no app download, no vet visit, no squinting at a scratched tag?
The answer was NFC technology. A single tap from any modern smartphone opens the pet's secure profile, shows their photo, and lets the finder message the owner directly. No friction. No barriers. The person who finds your dog at the park doesn't need to download anything or create an account - they just tap and connect.
We looked at the smart pet tag market and kept running into the same problems. Every product locked you into one vendor's hardware. The platforms behind the tags were thin - a profile page and not much else. Privacy was an afterthought. And when a pet actually went missing, the "smart" tag wasn't much smarter than the engraved disc it replaced.
So we built something better.
What makes FoundYa different
Zero-friction finder experience
Tap the tag, see the pet's profile. No app needed. The finder gets your pet's photo, name, and a way to message you - all in their phone's browser within a second of tapping. That speed matters when a lost pet is stressed and a well-meaning stranger is trying to help.
Hybrid NFC - online and offline
FoundYa tags work in two modes: online (cloud profile with messaging and GPS) and offline (a vCard stored directly on the chip). If the finder has signal, they get the full experience. If they're on a bush track with no reception, your contact details are still right there on the chip. Your pet is identifiable anywhere.
The NFC chip is rated for 100,000+ taps and has no battery - it's powered by the energy from the scanning phone. Your FoundYa tag genuinely lasts a lifetime.
Real-time alerts and lost-pet tools
When your pet's tag is tapped, you get an instant push notification with the finder's approximate location. But FoundYa goes beyond passive scanning. Activate lost mode and your Sentinels - trusted contacts like neighbours and local community members - receive targeted alerts. Geo-targeted outreach and timed messaging across physical and digital channels give you a real, coordinated response instead of just hoping someone stumbles across a URL.
BYO any NFC chip
This is the one that surprises people. You don't need to buy our tag. FoundYa works with any NFC chip - a $2 sticker from Amazon, a coin from eBay, whatever you've got. The platform is the product, not the hardware. Of course, we sell tags too (epoxy, metal, silicone, and 3D-printable designs), but the barrier to getting your pet on the platform is as low as we can make it.
Got an NFC sticker lying around? You can register it with FoundYa right now and have your pet's profile live in minutes.
More than an emergency tool
Most smart pet tags sit on a collar doing nothing until the worst happens. FoundYa is designed for daily use:
- Household shared access - your whole family can view and manage your pet's profile. No more "which email was the tag registered under?"
- Reminders - vet appointments, flea treatments, vaccinations. Set them once, never miss one.
- Activity tracking - log walks, meals, and notes. Useful for multi-carer households or when a pet-sitter needs context.
- Vet records - upload and store vaccination certificates, microchip details, and medical history in one place.
These aren't premium add-ons behind a paywall. They're part of the platform.
Built in Australia
We design and manufacture in Australia because we understand the unique challenges of keeping pets safe here. From suburban backyards to bush trails, our tags are built to handle it all - UV, rain, sand, saltwater.
Privacy matters to us. Your pet's data stays private until you explicitly choose what to share. Lost mode amplifies your reach without exposing your personal details. Where supported, we password-protect NFC chips and hand you the credentials - you hold the keys, not us.
Get started
Head to our Tag Designer to see what your tag could look like, or sign up to link a tag and start using the full platform.
Already have questions? Check out why NFC beats QR for pet tags, or see how we stack up against other smart tag brands in our comparison posts.
