Players in Germany, Switzerland, the US and Australia have recently attracted significant investment.
Investor appetite for #petcare remains strong, with fresh capital flowing into startups focused on #petfood and wellness.
HEY HOLY
German subscription-based dog food start-up HEY HOLY has recently closed its oversubscribed Series A funding round, raising €5.7 million ($6.2M). The round was led by Five Seasons Ventures, with participation from existing investors Slingshot Ventures and Feast Ventures.
HEY HOLY will use the funding to expand its team, scale its product portfolio and boost its digital presence.
In a recent survey conducted by the company, 80% of German #petowners reported subscribing to dog food services, citing convenience and cost savings as key factors.
“We see enormous growth potential for HEY HOLY, especially in the German #petmarket that’s still dominated by large corporates and private labels,” says Saskia Hoebée, partner at Five Seasons Ventures. “The exceptionally high customer retention clearly speaks to the quality and brand strength of the company.”
HEY HOLY offers a subscription-based #dogfood platform featuring wet and dry food, snacks and dietary supplements tailored to various dog breeds.
Oh Norman!
New York-based pet wellness startup Oh Norman! has raised $2 million (€1.7M) in its latest funding round. The round was 39% oversubscribed, bringing the brand’s total funding to over $5 million (€4.3M).
The transaction was backed by investors across consumer wellness, pet care, venture capital, and entertainment, including individuals such as Oh Norman! Co-founders Kaley Cuoco and Katie Hunt, as well as Tractive Founder Michael Hurnaus.
The company plans to prioritize further investment in expanding its wholesale business as well as its presence across e-commerce platforms.
“With support from our most recent investors, we’re well-positioned to accelerate our mission of delivering science-backed pet wellness products while championing ethical and eco-conscious practices,” says Oh Norman! Co-founder Katie Hunt. “Together, we’ll further improve the lives of the animals we love while giving back to the ones in need.”
Oh Norman! was founded in 2023 by American actress Kaley Cuoco and offers affordable, eco-friendly and ethically sourced products for dogs.
ASTRA Therapeutics
Swiss biotech startup ASTRA Therapeutics has secured CHF 8.3 million (€8.6M/$9.3M) in a seed funding round led by VC firm MIG Capital AG and U.S.-based Digitalis Ventures. MIG Capital AG and Digitalis Ventures each invested CHF 3 million.
Additional participation came from Borealis Ventures, Kickfund and Venture Kick.
The funding will support the company’s efforts to develop host-sparing therapeutics targeting parasitic diseases in animals.
“The animal health market is facing an ever-increasing need for novel anti-parasite drugs to combat the growing threat of drug resistance, ensure the health and welfare of our pets and maintain healthy and efficient food production,” says Natacha Gaillard, Founder and Co-CEO.
According to the company, the global parasiticide market is valued at more than $10 billion (€8.6B) and is growing at a compound annual growth rate of 5.6%. Established products are facing patent expirations, and increasing resistance is driving the need for new drugs – in some regions, up to 98% of heartworm cases are resistant to standard therapies.
Founded in 2022, ASTRA Therapeutics develops precision drugs against eukaryotic pathogens or disease-causing microbes using its proprietary technology.
Small Door Veterinary
Small Door Veterinary, a US-based membership-based veterinary clinic model, has successfully raised $55 million (€47.2M) in Series B funding to scale its proven, customer-focused approach to pet healthcare. This round was led by General Catalyst with participation from existing investors, including Reach Capital and Collaborative Fund.
The funding will be used to expand Small Door’s network of clinics and grow its tech-enabled veterinary services platform.
“We’ve validated our model across multiple cities, and we’ve shown that it’s not just differentiated, but deeply repeatable,” says Florent Peyre, Co-Founder and CEO of Small Door. “This raise gives us the capital – and the confidence – to double down on what’s working.”
The brand’s unique model offers transparent pricing, ease of access through an app, and emphasizes preventative care, making it easier for pet owners to manage their pets’ health.
Elita
Melbourne-based pet health startup Elita has raised $1.1 million (€943K) in pre-seed funding from LaunchVic’s Alice Anderson Fund, alongside support from Startmate, Side Stage Ventures, Archangel Ventures, M8 Ventures and XA Network.
The company enables pet owners to collect and store their pet’s healthiest cells during routine procedures like desexing and dental treatments, unlocking access to stem cell therapies already used around the world to treat arthritis, hip and elbow dysplasia and other chronic conditions.
“We’re building a proactive, preventative pet healthcare system,” says CEO Paloma Newton. “Our long-term vision is to create an integrated longevity platform that combines stem cells with health data to help predict, prevent, and treat disease before symptoms appear.”
Founded by Newton and biomedical engineer Jackson Gritching, Elita offers a one-off cell banking service priced at $3,899 (€3,342), plus a $16.50 (€14.14) monthly subscription. The company plans to expand its offerings and scale its operations in the coming months.
Tombot
Robotic pet company Tombot has secured $6.1 million (€5.1M) in Series A funding to support its health and senior care product line.
“Tombot is entering a high-demand, underserved market at the intersection of mental health and assistive technology,” says Tombot CEO and Co-Founder Tom Stevens.
The funding round was led by Caduceus Capital Partners, a Nashville-based team of veteran healthcare investors with a primary emphasis on accelerating growth of early-stage digital health startups.
This investment will be used to expand Tombot’s team, finalize engineering, complete regulatory and safety certifications and prepare its first robotic pet for customer shipments to its more than 16,000 pre-order and waitlist customers.
Other Half
Los Angeles-based pet wellness brand Other Half has secured $3 million in its first seed funding round.
“We’ve been intentional about building a strong foundation before seeking outside capital, using our own resources to develop initial products, gain early traction, and demonstrate the clear demand for cleaner, science-backed pet wellness solutions,” Mike Watts, co-founder and CEO said.
Since its launch in November last year, Other Half has been selling human-grade, powder-based pet supplements under its Everyday and Doggie Dental brands.
Other Half will use the funding to expand product innovation, hire across marketing and product development, and boost its direct-to-consumer and Amazon sales of its Everyday and Doggie Dental brands.
Other Half was co-founded by Zesty Paws founder AJ Patel along with Mike Watts who currently serves as the brand’s chief executive officer.
Source:GlobalPETS