PawCo Foods scales commercial production of plant-based nutrition for dogs

01 Mar 2024 --- Plant-based pet nutrition brand PawCo Foods secured US$2 million in seed funding, which it will use to scale its operations, invest in growth, R&D and new recipes. The company will also drive awareness about the value of plant-based pet food.

PawCo will open a second production facility in the US midwest region to complement its California-based factory. The company uses AI to optimize the nutrition of the food and improve its palatability. It created the first fresh plant-based meat for dogs, GreenMeat, which it uses as the base for its other recipes.

“The widespread adoption of plant-based foods has changed how we approach nutrition; however, there has been less innovation in this category when it comes to pet food. We support the founding vision to bring plant-based nutrition to pets by democratizing access to nutritious and eco-friendly pet food,” says Christopher Day, CEO of Elevate Ventures, which led the funding round. 

Barking up the premium tree
The pet food business is “getting personal” as pet parents prioritize their companions’ health as much as their own and purchase healthier, more premium ingredients with functional benefits.

PawCo’s InstaBites range is a fresh, shelf-stable dog food tailored for convenience and affordability. LuxBites is PawCo’s premium fresh dog food for enhancing gut health, boosting immunity and ensuring optimal nutrient absorption. 

“I’m excited to partner with Elevate Ventures as we embark on a major year for PawCo through market expansions, new production facilities and big product launches. We intend on solidifying the plant-based pet food category,” says Dr. Mahsa Vazin, CEO and founder of PawCo. 

The signature recipe GreenBites consists of fresh frozen meals filled with essential amino acids, vitamins and minerals, available in peanut butter and apple or blueberry and veggies flavors. 

“We look forward to growing and providing pet owners with healthy and nutritious options for their dogs while also creating a product that’s safer and more sustainable,” says Day.

Biting back on dangerous pet meatAn illustration of the ingredient composition of PawCo's signature GreenMeat dog food blend. 
A major concern driving PawCo’s support for plant-based nutrition is the unhealthy profile of traditional dog foods containing meat, which has been implicated in severe disorders in dogs, such as gastrointestinal distress, cancer and allergies. 

The company was conceptualized through a gap in the market for healthy, plant-based alternatives, which could also help improve pet health, decrease animal farming, and reduce the impact of pet food manufacturing on the environment.

This funding round also included several angel investors, including co-founder of Dropbox, Arash Ferdowsi. 

In other industry developments, researchers have identified two probiotic strains that help reduce weight in obese dogs by inducing changes to the gut microbiota. The selected strains, Enterococcus faecium IDCC 2102 and Bifidobacterium lactis IDCC 4301, effectively reduced body fat and rectified the imbalances in gut microbiota induced by obesity.

Scientific evidence is increasingly suggesting that “super fats” in dogs’ diets can prolong the length and quality of the animal’s life, according to US-based dog nutrition brand Yumwoof.

Meanwhile, Symrise Pet Food transformed its nutrition ingredients brand from Nutrios to Nuvin to grow and advance sustainability for the complete offering of egg, chicken, hydrolyzed proteins and health solutions.

By Inga de Jong