The Farmer’s Dog, the leading direct-to-consumer, fresh pet food company, today announced it has closed an $8.1 million Series A financing round led by Shasta Ventures with participation from previous investors including Forerunner Ventures, Collaborative Fund and SV Angel. The company is now backed with $10.1 million in funding and has delivered over one million meals nationwide since launching just eight months ago.
The Farmer’s Dog is on a mission to disrupt the $70 billion global pet food market and is completely rethinking how pet food is manufactured and marketed, by sending freshly made food directly to customers’ doors.
This fresh food method directly contrasts the typical high-temperature process of making starchy pet foods which has been linked to a variety of health issues.
Co-founded by Forbes “30 Under 30” entrepreneurs
Brett Podolsky and Jonathan Regev, The Farmer’s Dog leverages smart technology and proprietary algorithms to create customized meal plans based on a dog’s individual profile including age, breed, size, activity level, and sensitivities. The fresh, veterinarian-designed food is then pre-portioned and delivered in personalized and ready-to-serve meals within days of preparation.
“We simply made a product that we wished existed for our own dogs,” said Jonathan Regev, Co-Founder and CEO of The Farmer’s Dog. “This is an enormous and fast growing market, yet all the innovation seems to revolve around marketing instead of food quality and service. People are becoming better educated about what goes into pet food and simultaneously becoming more knowledgeable about the power food has on health. We saw a real opportunity to use a new business model to not only provide a more convenient experience but also a product that’s far superior, healthier, and simply not available through traditional retail channels.”
By shipping directly to their customers on subscription, The Farmer’s Dog is able to circumvent retail stores and make their food fresh, reducing their costs for superior ingredients and offering their customers unparalleled food quality at an affordable price point, with meal plans starting at just $11.00 per week.
The company’s investors have also backed other disruptive direct-to-consumer businesses like Dollar Shave Club and Warby Parker. This fresh financing will be used to develop new products, grow customer experience teams, and expand production capacity to bring fresh pet food to the mainstream.
“At Shasta Ventures, we love investing in direct-to-consumer brands that are redefining their industry with a much better consumer experience and an authentic brand voice. The Farmer’s Dog team is on a mission to make all dogs happier and healthier, and we could not be more excited to lead the company’s Series A financing,” said Nikhil Basu Trivedi, Principal at Shasta Ventures.
To learn more about The Farmer’s Dog or to sign up for your first delivery, visit: www.thefarmersdog.com.
About The Farmer’s Dog:
The Farmer’s Dog is the leading direct-to-consumer, fresh pet food company offering customers and their pets the highest quality and convenience without retail markups. All meal plans are made-to-order, designed by veterinarians, and customized using smart technology to meet the ideal nutritional needs of every dog. By shipping freshly made meals in recurring deliveries, customers will never run out of food or feed their pets products that have spent years sitting on a shelf.
