Part of our news archive — a retrospective record of NSG and AniVatio milestones, each dated to the day it was announced. AniVatio is NSG's consumer companion-animal brand, with all nutrition technology developed in-house by the group.
Six weeks after the PetQuip silver, a second shortlist arrived. On 11 November 2025, AniVatio announced that ProJoint Oral Gel had been named a finalist in the Health & Hygiene category at the Pet Industry Federation (PIF) Awards — the brand's logo up on the finalists' board alongside long-established names in the UK pet industry.
The PIF Awards finalists board — AniVatio among the industry names, two years after launch
Two years, one anniversary
The announcement carried a milestone inside it: the nomination landed almost exactly two years after AniVatio launched — a leap taken, as Lisa Hilton recalled, after nine months of dedicated R&D inside the group. The product carrying the nomination was the one that started it all: ProJoint, the oral gel joint supplement built on NSG's patented delivery technology and formulated around undenatured type II collagen.
The recognition pattern
By this point the young brand's trophy shelf told a consistent story — PetQuip finalist across three categories, silver for Best Newcomer, and now a PIF finalist place for its flagship product. Different judging panels, same conclusion: a formulation-led brand competing on evidence and delivery technology could hold its own against far bigger names. Within the month, the group's attention was already turning to the next frontier — the cats that were quietly buying ProJoint.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Pet Industry Federation?
The Pet Industry Federation (PIF) is the UK's membership association for pet businesses, and its annual awards recognise excellence across the pet trade, from retailers and services to products.
What was AniVatio shortlisted for?
ProJoint Oral Gel was named a finalist in the Health & Hygiene category at the PIF Awards, announced by the brand on 11 November 2025.
When did AniVatio launch as a brand?
November 2023, following nine months of research and development inside Natural Science Group — making the November 2025 PIF shortlist a two-year anniversary marker for the brand.