Pet nutrition specialist Omni has raised £11m as the business aims to disrupt the category with products targeted at tackling obesity and food allergies in dogs.
It follows Guy Sandelowsky and Shiv Sivakumar winning the backing of Deborah Meaden and Steven Bartlett when the pair appeared on Dragons’ Den last year. Meaden has reinvested as part of the latest funding round.
The new round was led by London VC firm IW Capital, alongside Redrice Ventures and Rootbridge Capital, Digitalis Ventures, Lever VC, Ani VC and Ami Capital.
Omni plans to use the money to accelerate customer acquisition online, expand into retail and to launch proprietary new products, including an ‘Ozempic-style’ natural weight-loss supplement for dogs.
“The pet sector is undergoing a structural shift with owners increasingly treating pets as family members, driving an unprecedented rise in demand for health-focused nutrition and personalised care,” said Sandelowsky, who is a practicing vet.
“With chronic conditions in pets growing at double-digit rates, consumers are actively moving away from allergy-triggering and calorie heavy brands. Omni Pet is leading this shift by bringing together clinical know-how and round-the-clock vet access to give pet owners practical, long-term support for their pets’ health.”
Omni Pet’s food, treats and supplement range replace traditional animal proteins with novel yeast/algae/pulse-based alternatives in fat-moderated recipes. The business claimed these products delivered veterinary-grade nutrition without triggering allergies in dogs.
In the past year, the business has grown more than tenfold and attracted in excess of 100,000 new customers since its Dragons’ Den appearance.
Investor Deborah Meaden said: “Pet health is becoming an increasingly important issue, with more dogs struggling with obesity, allergies and other chronic health conditions.
“What impressed me about Omni from the beginning was its commitment to combining science and innovation without compromising on sustainability or ethics to tackle these problems properly. The team have continued to execute exceptionally well, building a fast-growing brand with real purpose behind it. That progress is exactly why I chose to double down and reinvest.”
IW Capital investment director Alex Petri added: “Omni Pet stands out not just for its exceptional growth but for the clarity of its vision: to reshape a category that has seen little true innovation for decades.
“As consumers demand transparency and real health outcomes through clinically credible products, Omni Pet is positioned to lead the next wave of pet wellness disruption.”
Giles Humphries at Redrice Ventures, the investment fund backed by Wimbledon champion Andy Murray, said: “Great businesses solve real problems at scale. Omni is doing exactly that in one of the fastest-evolving consumer categories, combining clinical credibility, exceptional execution and products that pet owners genuinely love.”
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