SAN FRANCISCO — PawCo Foods, a plant-based pet nutrition brand dedicated to providing high-quality, sustainable and scientifically formulated food for dogs, on Thursday announced a $2 million seed funding round led by Elevate Ventures, as well as other angel investors, such as Arash Ferdowsi, co-founder of Dropbox.
With this funding, PawCo will scale its operations by opening a second production facility: a Midwest location to complement its current facility in California. Additionally, the brand will further invest in growth, research and development, new recipes and marketing tactics to drive awareness for the plant-based pet food category.
"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,” said Christopher Day, CEO of Elevate Ventures. “We are excited about Mahsa’s vision, and background, to bring plant-based nutrition to pets by democratizing access to nutritious and eco-friendly pet food.”
Founded by Dr. Mahsa Vazin, a former scientist at Impossible Foods, PawCo is the first plant-based dog food company to utilize AI technology for nutrition optimization and palatability improvement. The company created the first fresh plant-based meat for dogs, GreenMeat, which is used as the base for all of its products and recipes. Its core products include:
- InstaBites, the first fresh shelf-stable, plant-based dog food tailored for convenience and affordability
- LuxBites, a premium fresh dog food designed to enhance gut health, boost immunity, and ensure optimal nutrient absorption
- GreenBites, the original recipe consisting of fresh frozen meals filled with essential amino acids, vitamins, and minerals, available in several flavors like Peanut Butter & Apple or Blueberry & Veggies
“I’m excited to partner with Christopher and the team at 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,” said Dr. Mahsa Vazin, CEO and founder of PawCo. “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 for the planet.”
Traditional dog foods containing meat have been linked to numerous health issues in dogs, such as gastrointestinal distress, cancer, and allergies. PawCo offers a plant-based meat alternative that provides all the essential vitamins, minerals, and amino acids dogs need to thrive, without sacrificing taste and flavor. Born out of a gap in the market for healthy, plant-based alternatives for her dog, Vazin began working on a project that would fill that space, while simultaneously improving pet health, decreasing animal farming, and reducing the impact of pet food manufacturing on the environment.
