The UK’s first fresh, insect-based dog food brand Tuggs, has secured £500,000 in funding, with lead investment from a major family-owned pet food manufacturer.
Latest news from Tuggs.
Tuggs first launched in 2022 with the goal of offering consumers fresh, insect-based food tailored to their pets’ specific needs, while helping to lower the carbon footprint associated with owning a dog.
Offering pet owners a more sustainable and eco-friendly alternative to traditional dog food, Tuggs’ innovative dog food pouches blend protein-rich black soldier fly larvae, with fresh vegetables and beef, turkey, pork or cod, to create nutritionally complete meals.
The new investment marks a substantial step for the brand, ushering in a new chapter and allowing it to expand its team and build on its successes to date.
Founder of Tuggs, Harry Bremner, said: “This recent investment is the culmination of months of productive talks discussing Tuggs’ requirements. Thanks to the funding, we’re well on our way towards consolidating a market share in the fresh insect dog food segment, with our investors sharing and championing the innovative products that we’re bringing to market.
“We’ll be using this crucial investment to bolster our expanding team and to develop and release more recipes, including some really exciting upcoming launches.”
The unnamed investor is a leading UK manufacturer, originally founded in 1649 as a flour milling business that branched into producing animal feed in the early 1960s. They are an independent, family-run business with generations of experience in pet food production and canine nutrition.
Harry added: “Partnering with such a large institutional investor at our pre-seed stage will provide numerous strategic advantages. Having the support of a company with generations of experience in the world of pet food is invaluable.
“It marks an exciting stage in the progression of the business and we look forward to drawing on their wealth of knowledge as we embark on the next phase of Tuggs.”
Tuggs’ pre-portioned meals have been developed over a one-year period in partnership with leading UK veterinary nutritionists. The brand’s launch came after the legalisation of insects for use in aquafeed in 2017 paved the way for new forms of animal feed.
Insects are high in protein, hypoallergenic, and can be farmed more efficiently than other animals, emitting 96% less carbon, using 95% less land and 94% less water in the process.
Available as a subscription or a one-off purchase, Tuggs uses an algorithm to calculate the correct amount of food in pre-portioned meals for every pet, based on information such as weight, dietary conditions and age submitted to the website.
To find out more about Tuggs pet food, visit: www.tuggs.uk