San Francisco’s PawCo Foods, founded by former Impossible Foods employee Dr. Mahsa Vazin, has achieved a significant milestone by reaching $1,000,000 in annual recurring revenue (ARR) within three years of its founding. The company, which specializes in plant-based dog food, reported a 1000% year-over-year growth rate, reflecting a rising demand for sustainable pet nutrition and the acknowledgment that dogs can thrive on a plant-based diet.
“We are excited to be leading the new generation of pet food”
Dr. Mahsa Vazin, founder and CEO of PawCo Foods and previous employee of Impossible Foods, noted her satisfaction with the company’s progress. “Three years ago when I founded PawCo, I couldn’t even dream about hitting $1M ARR and building this amazing team.”
In the past year, PawCo introduced two new products: LuxBites and InstaBites. LuxBites™ is a premium dog food designed to improve gut health with postbiotics and fermented proteins, aimed at dogs with sensitive digestion. InstaBites is a dry-to-wet food that offers the convenience of shelf-stability with the nutritional benefits of freshly prepared meals.
Recognition and funding
PawCo’s innovative products and approach have garnered recognition, including winning the 2024 Rally IN-prize pitch competition, which provided $2 million in seed funding. The company plans to use this funding to enhance research and development, particularly leveraging AI technology for further recipe innovation.
The company has expanded its operations significantly this year. A second production site was opened in Indiana to meet growing demand, and the original San Francisco facility was expanded. This operational growth was accompanied by a 27% increase in staff.
Since its founding, PawCo has served over 1200 dogs with its plant-based meals. The company estimates its environmental impact as saving 2190 livestock lives, conserving 280 million liters of water, and reducing CO2 emissions by 935,000 kg. Currently, PawCo offers six different recipes and plans to introduce more.
New generation of pet food
In celebration of its third anniversary, PawCo is preparing to launch upgraded formulations of two product lines. These new formulas are designed to be more inclusive, catering to all dog’s life stages, including puppies, with added omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids essential for growth and health.
Vazin continued, “While I’m proud of this achievement and celebrating it with my team, I feel that this is just the beginning of our journey, and we are excited to be leading the new generation of pet food in the market.”
