From AI to fresh food: pet players secure millions in investment

Pet tech and food companies across the globe received new funding rounds to expand, innovate and build next-generation solutions for animal health and pet nutrition.

Dog Heroes

Italian fresh pet food maker Dog Heroes has recently raised more than €5 million ($5.4M) in a funding round led by VC Partners-Gestore EuVECA, with participation from CDP Venture Capital, Albemarle Asset Management and angels investors.

The new fund will boost Dog Heroes’ online growth, expand its retail presence and prepare for the launch of its first cat food line in 2026.

“We believe Dog Heroes is perfectly positioned to lead the shift toward healthier, more transparent pet nutrition, in a European market worth over €29 billion ($33.8B) and growing fast,” says Alberto Grignolo, Managing Partner at VC Partners-Gestore EuVECA.

Founded in 2020, Dog Heroes serves more than 25,000 dogs across Italy, delivering over 4 million meals directly to pet parents’ doors. The products are also available in over 300 Arcaplanet stores.

Lupa

London-based pet tech startup Lupa finalized its Series A funding round with $20 million (€17M) to expand its suite of AI agents and launch the world’s first veterinary AI-lab.

The round was led by European venture capital firm Singular, with participation from the existing investor Firstminute Capital and angel investors including Michael Callahan. The new round brings Lupa’s total funding to date to $25M (€21.4M) and comes just 5 months after its seed round.

The veterinary AI Lab will develop AI tools for veterinary care, serving as both a product and research hub. It will create AI agents to support every stage of veterinary care, from reception to diagnosis.

Çağatay

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) acquired a minority stake in Turkey-based pet food producer Çağatay.

EBRD is joined by Turkven, a private equity firm focused on Turkey, and the International Finance Corporation (IFC).

The new shareholders will support the company in realizing its growth potential and increasing its competitiveness in the pet food sector by expanding production capacity with a new facility and upgrading technological infrastructure.

In addition, the project will broaden opportunities for Çağatay’s workforce, contributing to overall employment in the sector.

“We are proud to support Çağatay’s growth and partner with Turkven and IFC in this important investment,” says Wojtek Boniaszczuk, head of Transactions in the EBRD’s Food and Agribusiness team. “Together, we aim to play a meaningful role in the company’s journey toward becoming a stronger and more competitive player in the sector.”

Çağatay is a dry pet food maker with a direct-to-consumer e-commerce platform and export footprint in 55 countries.

The EBRD is one of the largest investors in the Turkish economy, with more than €22 billion ($23.8B) committed across 499 projects and trade finance limits since 2009, mostly in the private sector.

BOM BOM

Singapore-based precision pet nutrition company BOM BOM closed a SG$3.5 million ($2.5M/€2.1M) pre-Series A funding round led by Blueprint Ventures, a seed-stage consumer venture capital firm.

BOM BOM will use the funding to automate production, advance its nutrigenomic research capabilities and further enhance its precision nutrition platform.

The platform is powered by thousands of pet health profiles and AI to deliver personalized meals. This includes integrating factors such as breed, age, weight, activity level, health condition and allergies. Currently, this proprietary technology has been deployed in both Singapore and South Korea.

Founded in 2017, BOM BOM is a pet nutrition tech company that serves a client base in Singapore and Korea via its direct-to-customer (DTC) model.

Gallant

Back in July, American biotech company Gallant raised $18 million (€15.5M) in a Series B financing round led by Digitalis Ventures, with continued support from BOLD Capital and Hill Creek Partners, and new participation from NovaQuest Capital Management.

The funding will accelerate Gallant’s initial commercial rollout of its lead product for feline chronic gingivostomatitis (FCGS) and advance a pipeline of therapies for canine and feline osteoarthritis (COA and FOA), canine atopic dermatitis (CAD), and feline chronic kidney disease (CKD).

According to Gallant, these are conditions where current standards of care manage symptoms rather than address the underlying diseases.

“The FDA approval of the first human allogeneic stem cell therapy was a historic milestone, and we’re looking forward to delivering this breakthrough therapy for animal health,” says Dr. Linda Black, CEO of the company.

Gallant is an animal health biotechnology company that focuses on veterinary medicine, with a pipeline of off-the-shelf stem cell therapies targeting the root causes of diseases in pets.