Creature Comforts raises £7m in seed round
It will also fund the build of a proprietary app by an in-house tech team, supporting 24/7 virtual care and customer queries
Pet tech startup Creature Comforts has raised £7M in seed capital to “redesign” the veterinary care experience.
The round was co-led by Torch Capital, Hanaco VC and Boost Capital Partners alongside Active Partners, Tarek Abuzayyad of Initial Capital and Steve Rosengarten of Vet One.
The cash injection will be used to design, open and staff its first two clinics, with a St John’s Wood branch due to open in early 2024.
It will also fund the build of a proprietary app by an in-house tech team, supporting 24/7 virtual care and customer queries.
Russell Welsh, COO and co-founder of Creature Comforts, said: “Our goal is healthier pets and happier vets. We want to fix the state of affairs for animals, customers and veterinary teams all at the same time because, right now, no one is winning. When you can access it, vet care in the UK is almost always exemplary, but the experience around it is broken.
“Every day, pet owners are struggling with a lack of continuity of service, glitchy tech, inconsistent pricing, and operational inefficiencies. And vets are struggling with unsustainable caseloads and chronic stress. There’s clearly room for a new veterinary care experience offering world-class customer service and working conditions for vets and their hardworking teams. Because we know that when employees are happy, their customers – both human and non-human – are happy too.”
Sam Jones, partner at Torch Capital, added: “As pet owners’ healthcare expectations continue to climb and pets are increasingly treated as true members of the family, consumers are demanding a premium experience and deeper relationship with their vet. Creature Comforts’ integrated approach, combining telehealth consultations with aesthetically beautiful and digitally enabled in-person clinics, prioritises both the customer experience and the wellbeing of veterinary staff.
“Having seen the tremendous value this model has provided both consumers and vets in the US, we are incredibly excited by what the business is set to achieve across the UK.”
