Plant-based dog food brand PawCo raises $2 million as it embraces artificial intelligence technology

PawCo Foods, an AI powered, plant-based dog food brand, has 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.

It says it will use the cash to scale its operations by opening a second production facility (a midwest location to complement its current facility in California).

And it will also 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,” says Christopher Day, CEO at Elevate Ventures.

“We are excited about Mahsa’s vision, and background, to bring plant-based nutrition to pets by democratising access to nutritious and eco-friendly pet food.”

Founded by Dr. Mahsa Vazin, a former scientist at Impossible Foods, PawCo taps AI technology for nutrition optimisation and palatability improvement.

The company lays claim to the first fresh plant-based meat for dogs, GreenMeat, which is used as the base for all of its products and recipes.

“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,” says Vazin.

“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.”