Pets at Home invests in cultivated meat start-up Good Dog Food

Cultivated pet food company, Good Dog Food, has secured funding from Pets at Home in a funding round worth £3.6m.

Agronomics, the UK’s leading biotech VC, Jim Mellon, executive director of Agronomics, Siddhi Capital and others also participated in the funding round.

According to GDF the investment will help its firm to transform the pet food industry with cultivated meat.

Currently in development, its aim is to produce pet food which is sustainable, nutritious and antibiotic free.

It said that meat provides “essential nutrients for companion animals, however, when produced from livestock or fish, it is a major driver of climate change and often results in the overexploitation of natural resources”.

Food for companion animals accounts for almost a quarter of meat produced in the US, and in the US alone it is estimated dog and cat food is responsible for 65 million tonnes of CO2-equivalent methane and nitrous oxide.

Lisa Miao, chief operating officer Retail at Pets at Home, said, “Our values underpin everything we do, and one of these core values is our focus on the planet and how we make pet care more environmentally sustainable, while ensuring nutritional needs are met in an affordable way.

“It’s still very early days, but it’s important to be part of that commitment to sustainability, to test and learn for the future and to help drive change.If we can replace some of the meat and fish used globally in pet food with a more sustainable alternative, that would be a real step change for the industry.”

Owen Ensor, chief executive officer of Good Dog Food, added: “We’re thrilled to have the opportunity to work with Pets at Home. As the UK’s leading pet care business, they have deep expertise and knowledge of the UK pet market and could be instrumental in helping us transform food for our pets. With them, we believe we can launch a product that is not only healthy and delicious but also truly sustainable.”