Pets

The smart pet collar startup Fi has raised nearly $40 million, but its investors are clamoring to write new checks. So why is it shrugging them off?

Vetted Capital aims to raise between $150 million and $300 million to back pet-care startups.

Pet ownership in the US has boomed in recent years, particularly during the pandemic, and so has private equity’s footprint in the veterinary industry.

Pet adoptions surged during 2020’s lockdowns, with nearly 20% of US households taking in a dog or cat. A surge in venture activity has followed, as investors back an increasing number of pet-focused startups.

You have your lions, tigers and bears, sure. But the VC and PE world’s menagerie also includes zebras, blackbirds and elephants, not to mention hummingbirds, octopus (octopi?) and okapis. Yes, okapis.

Chewy priced its shares at $22, a day after upwardly revising its range, raising $1 billion for the pet supply retailer and its owner, PetSmart. We took a look at the numbers behind the upsized IPO.

At SXSW, the pet tech space was quick to show off the promises—and challenges—the industry faces as cats get their own equivalent of 23andMe.

In 2008, VC investment in the pet tech industry totaled around $1 million. Fast forward a decade, and funding in the space is on pace to surpass $600 million this year.

T. Rowe Price, TCV, Greenspring Associates and Spark Capital have participated in the round for the dog-walking startup.

Americans love dogs. And so do venture capitalists. In honor of National Puppy Day, here’s a list of the top VC backers of US-based dog tech companies.

The past month has brought a flurry (or should we say furry?) of private equity and venture capital deals involving companies related to dogs.

Pet-sitting businesses Rover and DogVacay have agreed to merge their businesses, with Rover purchasing its competitor in an all-stock deal.