Pet Plate is revolutionizing the pet food industry one healthy meal at a time!
Renaldo Webb never would’ve imagined that he would become the founder of the pet food company — Pet Plate — which has delivered over 15 million meals to dogs since 2017. In fact, when he first started out as a student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), he wanted to be a physics professor.
Although he chose a different path, he still teaches today by sharing his expertise on the science behind pet food through his company. Pet Plate delivers food made with freshly cooked, high-quality, human-grade ingredients (think Blue Apron or Hello Fresh, but for dogs, and you have Pet Plate).
For Webb, his interest in the dog food market began while he worked as a consultant for various pet food companies. It was then that he truly discovered how pet food was actually made.
“Traditional dog food is made with what they call the four Ds: Dead, Dying, Diseased, Disabled animals,” said Webb as he shares the alarming facts about the makeup of the current food on the market for dogs. “The dog food supply chain isn’t nearly as regulated as closely as human food is and so you end up with a lot of recalls due to the conditions that dog food is made in.”
Webb soon began to take matters into his own hands by cooking for his own dog that suffered from a lot of health issues. He began to cook food for him right within the confines of his own kitchen and started to wonder what pet food could look like if he took what he was making for his own pup and delivered it to pets across the world.
“I quit my job in 2016 and started biking around NYC delivering dog food and it’s been an amazing journey ever since,” Webb explained to AfroTech.
From day one, he has worked alongside veterinary nutritionist Dr. Renee Streeter, and together they design all of the meals and treats launched by Pet Plate.
Not only are they making healthy meals, but each plate is proportioned so that dogs are fed the right amount of food.
“Over 50% of dogs in America are overweight and obese,” shared Webb. “That alone can shave two years off of their life expectancy.”
Despite the pet food industry not being fully receptive of Pet Plate, Webb says that he’s on a mission to make a difference in the lives of pets across the nation.
“We’re making a meaningful difference just by providing higher quality food that provides higher quality nutrients that are available,” Webb told AfroTech. “We are also making sure that pets are eating the right amount of food to maintain not only a healthy weight but a healthy metabolism too.”
Since its appearance on ABC’s “Shark Tank” in 2016, Pet Plate has grown tremendously and has just closed a $9 million Series A funding round, according to a press release.
Led by DFE Capital Management and 301 INC, a venture capital arm of General Mills, the funds will be used to support the company’s rapid growth. Other investors include Marco Polo and Fernbrook Capital Management LLC, and existing investors, The Yard Ventures and Castor Ventures.
“With the backing of industry leaders and world-class investors in this round, Pet Plate is now poised to scale its business and its brand to reach millions of dogs across the country,” Gertrude Allen, CEO of Pet Plate said in a statement. “This milestone represents the next leg of our journey to improve the lives of pets through better nutrition.”
To learn more about Pet Plate and making the move toward healthier food for your pup, click here.
