Round-up: pet wellness and nutrition attract fresh investments

Pet care investments show no signs of slowing. GlobalPETS highlights the latest funding activity.

Science-driven supplements

Zesty Paws co-founders AJ Patel and Mike Watts are back with the Boston-headquartered wellness venture Other Half. The brand has recently secured a $3 million (€2.8M) seed round led by Willow Growth, with support from Habitat Partners and Off Leash Capital.

“We’ve been inside this category long enough to understand the real challenges pets and their owners face and where legacy brands fall short,” says AJ Patel.

“This is a space we helped shape, and we’re re-entering it with a clear mission: to lead with transparency, simplify wellness routines, and deliver meaningful results – not marketing noise.”

The firm will use the new cash injection to accelerate research and development (R&D), support team expansion and enhance marketing efforts, as the company aims to disrupt the pet supplements market with human-grade, science-backed ingredients sold directly to consumers (DTC) and via Amazon.

Vegan space

Munich-based vegan dog food and treats brand VEGDOG has raised €9 million ($9.6M) in a Series A round led by the European Circular Bioeconomy Fund (ECBF), the first venture capital fund in Europe dedicated to the bioeconomy.

Also joining the round are existing investor Green Generation Fund and Andrea Skersies, a Non-Executive Director of The Nutriment Company and a former Zooplus executive.

According to ECBF’s Investment Director, Mathias Brink Lorenz, VEGDOG is “well-positioned” to challenge the status quo for the European pet food industry.

“This financing round enables us to accelerate innovation and growth. The bigger VEGDOG is, the greater our impact on dog health and animal welfare,” adds Co-Founders Valerie Henssen and Tessa Zaune-Figlar.

With annual revenue of €10 million ($10.7M) in 2024, up 66% from the previous year, VEGDOG plans to double its staff and expand its presence across the DACH region (Germany, Austria and Switzerland) and the Netherlands.

Indian developments

New Delhi-based Pawfect Pet Foods is targeting $17 million (€16M) in its first funding round, facilitated by the global investment firm Lincoln International.

Known for its export-led model and natural, high-end product line, Pawfect already distributes to over 30 countries. The capital raised will fund the company’s long-anticipated India launch later in 2025 and help scale its global operations.

Meanwhile, Goofy Tails has recently raised $1 million (€860K) in pre-Series A funding from Wipro Consumer Care Ventures, bringing its total funding to $2 million (€1.9M).

Co-founder Karan Gupta states that the funds will be used to scale nationwide and enhance R&D for new product lines, including freeze-dried meals and functional snacks.

Since launching in 2021, the company claims to have served over 200,000 pets through its website, e-commerce channels and quick-commerce apps.