10 Innovative Pet Food Startups To Watch In 2023

1. Pawsible Foods

Headquarters: Singapore

Founded: 2022 by Samyak Baid and Armaan Dhanda

Activity: Mycelium technoloy

Pawsible Foods is a trailblazing startup in the alternative protein landscape, with a focus on leveraging fermentation processes to create highly nutritious pet food. As one of the first fermentation-driven pet food companies in the Asia-Pacific region with an emphasis on the Indian market, Pawsible Foods is taking strides to minimize dependence on animal products in the pet food supply chain.

2. Good Dog Food

Headquarters: London, England, United Kingdom

Founded: 2022 by Helder J.S. Cruz

Activity: Cultivated meat for pet food

Good Dog Food is a UK-based startup revolutionizing pet food manufacturing. Founded in 2022, it creates cultivated meat for pet food by replicating the natural growth conditions of cells from a single chicken egg. The process, similar to fermentation, results in clean meat that retains the taste, smell, and nutrition of traditional meat. This innovation aims to replace 20% of meat and fish globally used in pet food, offering an ethical and sustainable alternative to conventional pet food.

3. Yeasty food

Headquarters: Evry, France

Founded: 2021 by Nikola Stefanovic, Juan Londoño Leon, and Mathieu Durand

Activity: Repurposing yeast

Yeasty is a startup that innovatively repurposes brewer's yeast, a byproduct of beer production, into a high-protein flour suitable for various uses, including alternative protein products, pet food, and sports and medical nutrition. The company's proprietary process removes the inherent bitterness of the yeast, unlocking a new realm of applications. Yeasty not only contributes to the burgeoning alternative protein market, but also aids beer producers in reducing their economic and environmental impact. By valorizing this underused resource, Yeasty opens up a new dimension in sustainable food production.

4. Kito

Headquarters: Istanbul, Turkey

Founded: 2021 by Alper Cagdas and Alex Cem Üster

Activity: Pet food made by grass-fed lamb meat

Turkey-based startup Kito redefines pet food production by offering products made from grass-fed lamb meat sourced from Karkas Çiftliği. Founded in 2021, Kito uses a Fresh Meat Injection System (FMIS) to process its products, preserving all nutrients and enhancing digestibility and taste. Their offerings include traditional dry and canned food, fresh pet food, natural dried chewing products, supplements, and cookies for both cats and dogs. In partnership with Istanbul University Cerrahpaşa Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kito ensures the quality of its products, all GMO and antibiotic-free, paving the way for sustainable and healthier pet food production.

5. The Pack

Headquarters: London, England, United Kingdom

Founded: 2020 by Russell White, Damien Clarkson, Michiel Van Deursen and Judy Nadel

Activity: Plant-based meals for dogs

The Pack is a UK-based startup leading the way in providing healthy, plant-based meals for dogs. Founded in 2020, the company offers a variety of nutritionally complete meals filled with pulses, proteins, seeds, fruits, vegetables, and superfoods, all meticulously designed for doggy health and wellbeing. With a clear commitment to environmental sustainability, The Pack has employed eco-friendly packaging solutions and conducted a carbon assessment of their products, proving they are significantly more sustainable than meat-based counterparts. The company's mission extends beyond providing delicious meals; they are revolutionizing the pet food industry by making it more sustainable, all while ensuring the health and happiness of our furry friends.

6. Omni

Headquarters: London, England, United Kingdom

Founded: 2020 by Guy Sandelowsky and Shiv Sivakumar

Activity: Plant-based meals for dogs

Omni, a direct-to-consumer pet food company based in London, is redefining pet nutrition with its vet-formulated, nutritionally complete plant-based food. Launched in 2020, Omni's platform offers dog food, fitness products, treats, and merchandise. Notably, Omni is the first UK plant-based dog food brand with published peer-reviewed research indicating guardian reported health benefits such as improved stool consistency, skin condition, and reductions in anxiety and aggressive behavior. The brand's plant-powered dog food contains 30% protein - higher than most meat-based alternatives - with ingredients ranging from microalgae and oats to peas, lentils, and antioxidant-rich fruits. The company emphasizes that their product is not only healthier for pets but also significantly less impactful on the environment, requiring 61% less water, 92% less land, and emitting 85% fewer greenhouse gases compared to traditional pet food. Omni represents a leap toward a kinder, more sustainable future in pet nutrition.

7. Percuro earth

Headquarters: Henley-in-Arden, England, United Kingdom

Founded: 2020 by Denise Saber and Brett Vye

Activity: Insect-based dog food

Percuro Earth, a British pet food company, specializes in producing sustainable and nutritious insect-based dog food and treats. Founded on a holistic approach to pet health, Percuro aims to deliver benefits for pets' bodies and minds while also being environmentally responsible.

In December 2023, Percuro launched new insect protein dog treats, called Snappies, which are disc-shaped, designed to easily break into portions, and each treat contains just 10 calories. The ingredients include 26% insect protein, dried potato flakes, naked oats, and green peas, all of which are hypoallergenic and planet-friendly.

8. Grub Club

Headquarters: London, England, United Kingdom

Founded: 2020 by Alessandro Di Trapani and Hugh Petit

Activity: Insect-based dog food

Grub Club Pets, a UK-based company founded in 2020, offers an innovative approach to pet food with its naturally hypoallergenic, vet-approved, insect-based products. The company harnesses the nutritional power of insects, particularly black soldier fly larvae, to create sustainable, high-protein, and allergy-friendly dog food and treats. Co-founders Hugh Petit and Alessandro Di Trapani emphasize sustainability and quality in their supply chain, meeting the increasing demand for environmentally friendly pet products. Their All-Day Buffet dog food, introduced in 2022, has seen significant success as a sustainable and hypoallergenic alternative, even helping dogs with severe skin conditions caused by food allergies.

9. Wild Earth

Headquarters: Berkeley, California, United States

Founded: 2017 by Abril Estrada and Kristin Wuhrman

Activity: Cruelty-free dog food

Wild Earth, a cruelty-free dog food company, offers clean protein, superfood-rich, and nutritionally complete dog food, created without harming any animals or the environment. The company announced in 2023 that it has developed a cell-based meat broth topper for dogs, a first in the pet food industry, using its proprietary technology in its Berkeley, California labs.

Wild Earth aims to significantly reduce the environmental footprint of pet food, noting that 30% of the meat consumed in the US goes to pets. By replacing factory-farmed products with sustainable, cruelty-free cell-based meat, they're addressing the issues of low quality, often contaminated meat used in pet food while improving sustainability in the industry.

10. Biocraft

Headquarters: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

Founded: 2016 by Shannon Falconer and Joshua Errett

Activity: Human-grade and 100% animal-free pet food

BioCraft, formerly known as Because Animals, was the first company to develop a proprietary growth medium as an alternative to fetal bovine serum (FBS), drastically reducing production costs and facilitating a crucial step towards commercial scaling.

Today, BioCraft boasts a diverse team of PhD scientists, a veterinarian, and serial entrepreneurs, all dedicated to creating a sustainable and supply-chain stable meat for dogs and cats that removes animals from the supply chain.

The company makes pet food that is human-grade and 100% animal-free, using a mix of plants, microalgae, cultured protein, and clean meat. BioCraft combines these ingredients with nutrients sourced from bacteria and yeast to formulate nutritionally-complete foods for dogs and cats.

Conclusion

As we've seen, the future of pet food lies in innovative and sustainable alternatives. These companies are pushing boundaries and redefining industry standards. Their work marks an important step towards more environmentally friendly, cruelty-free, and nutrient-rich pet food options. At BoortmaltX, we recognize and celebrate these advancements, committed to fostering similar innovation. As the conversation around sustainable pet nutrition continues to evolve, we look forward to seeing these companies—and others like them—continue to shape the industry for the better

‍