Pet tech investors bankrolling dog trackers, veterinary software, and pet care platforms

Pet tech isn't slowing down. VCs closed $660M in deals through 2025, and the investors below are still actively writing checks. Don't waste time on firms that exited the space three years ago.

Quick list

Finding the right pet tech investor

Find investors who've backed companies through actual scale challenges, not just seed checks. A firm that led Rover through marketplace dynamics understands unit economics differently than one that wrote a check into a hardware prototype. Ask their portfolio companies about response times during supply chain issues or customer acquisition cost spikes. Generic "we help with hiring" doesn't count.

Experience: Look for investors who understand pet ownership trends and consumer behavior shifts. Mars Petcare knows the category from owning 2,500+ vet clinics. Generic consumer VCs don't. Before you send anything, review the best way to send decks.

Network: Check if they can intro you to Petco, Chewy, or retail buyers. Brand partnerships matter more than another SaaS connection.

Alignment: Smart collar investors won't understand subscription pet food margins. Vet tech funds don't get hardware manufacturing timelines.

Track record: Look at whether their portfolio companies raised follow-on rounds. Dead pet tech startups from 2021 are everywhere.

Communication: Use Ellty to share your deck with trackable links. You'll see who actually opens your financial projections versus just skimming the product slides. If forwarding is a concern, apply PDF controls to limit resharing.

Value-add: Ask what happened when their last pet tech company hit manufacturing delays. Vague answers about "our network" are useless without specifics.

Getting meetings with pet tech investors

Research recent deals on Crunchbase and look at who led rounds in your category. Seed funds won't lead your Series B regardless of how good your smart collar metrics look. Show unit economics and payback period in your first slide. Most investors are tired of "humanization of pets" trend slides without actual customer acquisition data.

Identify potential investors: Filter by pet tech deals in the last 18 months. Firms that haven't invested since 2021 aren't active anymore. Read this investor outreach tactics guide for helpful tricks and tips.

Craft a compelling pitch: Lead with retention rates and lifetime value. Don't bury your subscription metrics on slide 12. When sharing sensitive design files, verify your process is DPA compliant.

Share your pitch deck: Upload to Ellty and send trackable links. Monitor which pages investors spend time on - if they skip your unit economics, that's useful information.

Utilize your network: Message portfolio founders on LinkedIn and ask about actual support during scaling. Most will be honest about investor involvement.

Attend networking events: Pet industry events like SuperZoo and Global Pet Expo are where deals actually happen. Skip generic startup conferences.

Engage on online platforms: Connect with partners on LinkedIn after you've been introduced. Cold DMs rarely work in pet tech. Secure your materials using best practices to protect decks.

Organize due diligence: Set up an Ellty data room with your financial model and cap table before they ask. It speeds up the process.

Set up introductory meetings: Lead with your customer retention data. Don't waste 20 minutes on market size slides they've seen 100 times.

Why pet tech funding matters in 2026

Pet tech funding hit $660M through 2025, up from the prior year but way down from 2021's peak. The market's consolidating. Investors want proof of unit economics now, not just GMV growth. PetScreening's $80M Series B in March 2025 and Modern Animal's $46M Series D in September show VCs still back proven models with real revenue. The humanization trend continues but investors learned their lesson from overvalued 2021 deals.

15 best pet tech investors

1. Mars Petcare / Companion Fund II

Mars owns the category through 2,500+ vet clinics and brands like Pedigree and Whiskas, giving portfolio companies real distribution access.

• Recent Deals: Companion Fund II launched with $300M in 2023, following $100M Fund I that backed Smalls, MySimplePetLab, and Scratch
• LinkedIn: Loïc Moutault
• Sector Focus: veterinary diagnostics, pet nutrition, pet health monitoring, online platforms
• Stage Focus: seed, Series A, Series B
• Location: McLean, Virginia
• Website: mars.com

2. General Atlantic

Led the largest pet tech deal ever with Butternut Box's £280M round, showing they write big checks for proven subscription models.

• Recent Deals: Butternut Box £280M Series E (September 2023)
• LinkedIn: Melis Kahya Akar
• Sector Focus: fresh pet food, subscription services, D2C pet brands
• Stage Focus: Series C, Series D, Series E, growth
• Location: New York, United States
• Website: generalatlantic.com

3. Addition

High-growth focused firm that backed Modern Animal through multiple rounds as revenue hit $100M run rate.

• Recent Deals: Modern Animal $46M Series D (September 2025)
• LinkedIn: Robbie Horwitz
• Sector Focus: veterinary services, pet telehealth, membership-based pet care
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B, Series C, Series D
• Location: New York, United States
• Website: addition.com

4. SOSV / HAX

Hardware-focused accelerator that's backed 15+ pet tech companies, mostly in smart devices and IoT categories.

• Recent Deals: Petcube Series A $10M (2017), Seismi seed round (2025)
• LinkedIn: SOSV
• Sector Focus: pet cameras, smart feeders, IoT devices, animal biotech
• Stage Focus: seed, accelerator, Series A
• Location: Princeton, New Jersey
• Website: sosv.com

5. Madrona Venture Group

Pacific Northwest focused firm that was Rover's sole seed investor and stuck with them through IPO.

• Recent Deals: Rover seed $3.4M (2012), continued through Series F
• LinkedIn: Matt McIlwain
• Sector Focus: pet services marketplaces, software platforms
• Stage Focus: seed, Series A, Series B
• Location: Seattle, Washington
• Website: madrona.com

6. Upfront Ventures

LA-based firm that's backed Modern Animal since day one, understanding both retail economics and healthcare.

• Recent Deals: Modern Animal $46M Series D (September 2025), backed since 2019 seed
• LinkedIn: Mark Suster
• Sector Focus: veterinary clinics, pet healthcare membership models
• Stage Focus: seed, Series A, Series B, Series C, Series D
• Location: Los Angeles, California
• Website: upfront.com

7. True Ventures

Early-stage firm that co-led Modern Animal's recent round, focused on technology-enabled services.

• Recent Deals: Modern Animal $46M Series D (September 2025), participated since Series A in 2020
• LinkedIn: Tony Conrad
• Sector Focus: pet healthcare platforms, veterinary technology
• Stage Focus: seed, Series A, Series B, Series C, Series D
• Location: Palo Alto, California
• Website: trueventures.com

8. Digitalis Ventures

Health-focused VC that manages Mars Petcare's Companion Fund and understands both human and animal health.

• Recent Deals: Manages Companion Fund II $300M (2023), invested in Napo, PetMedix
• LinkedIn: Geoffrey W. Smith
• Sector Focus: veterinary diagnostics, pet health monitoring, animal biotech
• Stage Focus: seed, Series A, Series B
• Location: New York, United States
• Website: digitalisventures.com

9. Slow Ventures

Seed-stage firm with strong pet tech track record including Whistle and Wag before their acquisitions.

• Recent Deals: Whistle Series B $15M (2015), Wag multiple rounds, Gallant Pet
• LinkedIn: Slow Ventures
• Sector Focus: pet wearables, pet services marketplaces, animal DNA testing
• Stage Focus: seed, Series A
• Location: San Francisco, California
• Website: slow.co

10. Founders Fund

Peter Thiel's fund that takes concentrated bets on category-defining companies like Modern Animal.

• Recent Deals: Modern Animal $46M Series D (September 2025)
• LinkedIn: Founders Fund
• Sector Focus: veterinary healthcare, pet technology platforms
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B, Series C, Series D
• Location: San Francisco, California
• Website: foundersfund.com

11. Volition Capital

Growth equity firm that led PetScreening's $80M Series B for B2B pet policy software.

• Recent Deals: PetScreening $80M Series B (March 2025)
• LinkedIn: Volition Capital
• Sector Focus: B2B pet software, property management tools, pet screening platforms
• Stage Focus: Series B, Series C, growth
• Location: Boston, Massachusetts
• Website: volitioncapital.com

12. Leap Venture Studio

Accelerator backed by Mars Petcare and Michelson Found Animals providing $200K plus intensive mentorship.

• Recent Deals: Dog Child, Hound, Oliver Pets, Rex (2025 cohort)
• LinkedIn: Leap Venture Studio
• Sector Focus: pet care innovation, veterinary technology, pet services
• Stage Focus: accelerator, seed
• Location: Hybrid program
• Website: leapventurestudio.com

13. Felix Capital

European consumer-focused firm that backed Pure Pet Food's personalized dog food model.

• Recent Deals: Pure Pet Food £15M round (2024), Butternut Box early investor
• LinkedIn: Antoine Nussenbaum
• Sector Focus: D2C pet food, subscription pet products, personalized pet nutrition
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B
• Location: London, United Kingdom
• Website: felixcap.com

14. L Catterton

Consumer-focused PE firm that led Butternut Box's $55M round before the mega-round.

• Recent Deals: Butternut Box $55M Series (August 2021), continued through £280M round
• LinkedIn: L Catterton
• Sector Focus: fresh pet food, D2C pet brands, subscription models
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B, growth, buyout
• Location: Greenwich, Connecticut
• Website: lcatterton.com

15. Guidepost Growth Equity

Growth-stage investor that co-led PetScreening's Series B for property management software.

• Recent Deals: PetScreening $80M Series B (March 2025)
• LinkedIn: Guidepost Growth Equity
• Sector Focus: B2B pet software, SaaS platforms, property tech
• Stage Focus: Series B, Series C, growth
• Location: Boston, Massachusetts
• Website: guidepostgrowth.com

Track your investor outreach

These 15 investors closed deals from 2023 through 2025. Before you start reaching out, set up proper tracking.

Upload your deck to Ellty and create a unique link for each investor. You'll see exactly which slides they view and how long they spend on your financials. Most founders are surprised to learn investors skip their market size slides but spend 5+ minutes on unit economics and customer cohorts.

When investors ask for more materials, share an Ellty data room instead of messy email threads. Your cap table, financial model, and supply chain docs in one secure place with view analytics. You'll know if they actually reviewed your burn rate or just said they did.

Common questions

How do I know if a pet tech investor is still active?

Check their portfolio page for deals in the last 18 months. If their most recent pet tech investment was in 2021, they've moved on. Search Crunchbase for recent rounds they've led.

Should I cold email pet tech investors or get introductions?

Warm intros work better. Message portfolio founders on LinkedIn and ask if the investor would be a good fit. Most founders will tell you response times and actual involvement.

What's the difference between pet tech seed and Series A investors?

Seed investors want traction and early product-market fit. Series A investors want proven unit economics and clear path to $10M+ ARR. Don't pitch Madrona for seed - they focus later stage.

How many pet tech investors should I reach out to?

Start with 10-15 that have actually invested in your category recently. Quality over quantity. Use Ellty to track who opens your deck and focus follow-ups there.

When should I set up a data room?

Before your first investor meeting. Investors expect fast diligence now. Having your financials and cap table ready in an Ellty data room shows you're organized.

Do investors actually care about pitch deck analytics?

Yes. Seeing which pages they spend time on tells you what matters to them. If they skip your tech specs but study your customer acquisition costs, you know what to emphasize in follow-ups.