DELHI, INDIA — Indian pet nutrition company Benny’s Bowl announced Feb. 10 it has raised $1.4 million in a Pre-series funding round A, which the company plans to use to foster product innovation and research and development to launch new functional pet food lines. The funding round was led by Atomic Capital, a Mumbai-based, early-stage venture capital fund.
Founded in 2021 by Akshay Gupta and Aashna Jain, Benny’s Bowl specializes in clean, functional and science-backed pet nutrition, seeking to solve nutritional gaps in the Indian pet food market through innovation, transparency and consumer education. It recently launched a line of clinical nutrition, addressing several need states including gut health, allergies, renal health, skin and coat health, and weight management.
“Pet nutrition today is broken and filled with poor-quality ingredients, and little to no transparency,” Gupta said. “At Benny’s Bowl, we are on a mission to build a trusted ecosystem and take active ownership of fixing the pet nutrition market.”
With the funding, Benny’s Bowl plans to introduce fresh cat food, as well as protein supplements and meal toppers for cats and dogs, further expanding its portfolio and dedication to high-quality nutrition. It also plans to significantly expand its online and offline distribution channels to make its products more accessible to pet parents across India, while also focusing on consumer education initiatives.
“This funding allows us to double down on innovation, clinical nutrition and accessibility, so pet parents don’t have to choose between convenience and quality. Our goal is simple: build nutrition that actually works,” Gupta said.
“We are on a strong growth trajectory, over the last 12 months we have recorded two-times revenue growth with 85% of revenue coming from repeat customers, reflecting strong product acceptance and brand loyalty,” he added. “As we scale, our focus continues to build nutrition that works, with a clear roadmap to ₹100 crore ($11.04 million USD) ARR [annual recurring revenue] by next financial year.”
Apoorv Gautam, managing partner at Atomic Capital, added, “Pet nutrition is a large and under-served opportunity in India. While pet-focused marketplaces have expanded choice across food segments, very few brands are addressing the broader, everyday concerns of pet parents.
“Raising a pet is a full-time commitment, and Benny’s Bowl is building a support system that goes beyond just products, which stood out to us,” Gautum said. “The timing couldn’t be better, especially given the surge in pet adoption post-COVID and the team’s ability to move quickly across categories, including their upcoming expansion into cat nutrition. As a consumer-focused fund that works closely with founders, we believe Benny’s Bowl is well-positioned to build long-term leadership in pet nutrition.”
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