Americans love dogs. And so do venture capitalists.
From 2010 to 2017, the amount of VC invested in dog-specific pet technology followed an upward trend. In 2010, just $8.5 million was invested, with that number continuing to rise to more than $140 million by 2016, per the PitchBook Platform. Capital invested in tech related to our furry friends dropped slightly in 2017 to just about $126 million, still significantly higher than it was at the beginning of the decade.
The funding has gone toward a variety of dog-related companies, including Rover and Wag, which offer platforms to connect pet parents with dog walkers, pet sitters and other services. Other doggie-centric startups include Embark, which provides a dog DNA testing kit, and Whistle, a pet activity tracker.
In honor of National Puppy Day, we’ve put together a list of the 10 most active venture capital investors in US-based dog tech companies since the beginning of 2010:
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