Pet treat brand Dogsee Chew raises Rs 50 cr in Series-A funding round

Drugmaker Mankind Pharma and existing backer Sixth Sense Ventures participate; recipient is only company to offer 100% vegetarian dog treats

Dogsee Chew, a fast-growing natural pet treat brand, has raised about Rs 50 crore in a Series-A round from drugmaker Mankind Pharma along with existing backer Sixth Sense Ventures. This marks Mankind Pharma’s entry into the pet food category. Sixth Sense Ventures had earlier participated in the company’s pre-series A funding in November 2021.

Founded by husband-wife duo Bhupendra Khanal and Sneh Sharma, Dogsee Chew is the only company to offer 100 per cent vegetarian dog treats. The young company is taking on the rawhide treat industry, whose products they believe are extremely harmful for dogs with all the added preservatives and chemicals. Dogsee Chew treats, in comparison, are all-natural, human-grade, and protein-rich which have made them a huge success in the pet parents’ community globally. Dogsee Chew is now India’s 4th largest pet food exporter and is used by pet parents in more than 30 countries.

“Our products are the result of years of careful research focused on the precise nutritional needs of dogs. We put research and innovation at the heart of everything we do,” said Dogsee Chew founder Bhupendra Khanal. “The more we understand, the better placed we are to make a positive difference to the health and well-being of pets. Mankind pharma has an established history of creating highly successful consumer products. Having the backing of such a giant is a huge vote of confidence for us and we look forward to learning from their expertise.”

The investment will primarily be used towards brand building, R&D, and building a strong distribution network.

“With Mankind, we share the common DNA of innovation. We are confident that with their support, we will be able to develop the niche that we have envisioned for the brand,” said Sneh Sharma, co-founder Dogsee Chew. “Sixth Sense Ventures has been a great partner for us. We are excited to be deepening our partnership with this round. It speaks a lot about the trust and comfort we have established between us in such a short span of time.”

Arjun Juneja, chief operations officer of Mankind Pharma said the trust that people have shown in Dogsee Chew has strengthened the organisation’s confidence to invest in a brand that is true to its nature. “Mankind has always believed in innovation and, with brands like Dogsee Chew that are innovative and young, we see the future of India,” said Juneja.

Nikhil Vora, founder and CEO of Sixth Sense Ventures with Dogsee Chew’s 100 per cent natural and vegetarian offerings, Dogsee Chew is uniquely positioned to make the most of the current global trends in the pet care industry. “We are excited to deepen our partnership with Sneh (Sharma) and Bhupi (Bhupendra Khanal) and are elated to be part of their journey.”

Dogs and cats are now considered members of the family, as confirmed by consumer trends within the pet owner category. A Euromonitor report in 2020 showcased a significant rise in the sale of pet products and forecasted a 68 per cent increase in value growth by 2025. This can be attributed to the rapid growth in pet ownership in the last 18 months, especially during the lockdown period.