[Funding alert] D2C pet care brand Wiggles.in raises $5.5M in Pre-Series A round led by Anthill Ventures

Wiggles — a D2C petcare brand — on Thursday has raised $5.5 million in a Pre-Series A round led by Anthill Ventures with participation from Panthera Peak Ventures and several new and existing investors.

These include Varun Alagh, Founder, Mamaearth, Nikhil Bhandarkar, Ubiquity Capital, Nachikhet Deshpande, COO, L&T Infotech, Siddharth Sikchi, Promoter, Clean Science and Technology Ltd, Nitin Chandel, Ex-Microsoft & Visa, Rahul Rathi, Promoter of Sudarshan Chemicals Ltd., Abhay Amrite, Partner, IIFL Wealth, T Krishnakumar, Ex-Chairman Coca Cola India, Amit Waikar, MD ASEAN, Doehler F&B, Kunal Sikchi, Matrix Life Science, amongst several other HNIs.

The company stated that the fresh infusion of funds will enable the brand to significantly increase its investment in R&D thus accelerating the development and launch of new category-creating products.

A part of the funds will also help Wiggles.in deepen its geographical footprint and presence in India. Wiggles.in aims to launch its services in at least two new markets by FY-22.

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Speaking on the new fundraise, Anushka Iyer, Founder and CEO, said,

“Wiggles has been at the helm of India’s pet care industry. Over the last 3 years, our bond with pets and pet parents has only strengthened and this has given us a deeper insight and understanding into the needs of pets and their parents. Leveraging these learnings and insights, we have been able to introduce products that filled grey spaces and created new categories.

"Products like our Instant Pet Sanitizer, CannaPaw, Dentapet, Stripzy, Wet Food, Cocotail, Hemp Seed Oil are loved by pet parents across India. It is our excellence in service that has helped us identify age-old gaps in our existing system making way for such need of the hour products.

"Our preventive care approach and focus on healthcare has successfully positioned the brand as a trusted partner of choice for pet parents especially loved by Gen Z and millennials. With the new infusion of funds, we will continue to invest in research and dial-up our offerings that will further add value to the pet care ecosystem. Our ultimate goal is to ensure that pets live longer and healthier lives and we can be their #PartnersInPethood right from puppyhood to seniority. We are excited to welcome Anthill Ventures, Panthera Peak Ventures and other new investors in this journey.”

Kabir Kochhar, Partner, Anthill Ventures said,

“Having tracked this space for some time, Wiggles really stood out for us. The founders have built the brand focused on trust, compassion, customer feedback and much-needed innovation. Rajh and Anushka have elevated the game for our pet companions by treating their ailments and nutritional needs as we would for our own human family. This unique approach will ensure the exponential growth of Wiggles. Their service offerings form a powerful feedback loop that further informs their DTC products. This, combined with Wiggles deep research in medicine ensures a steady rollout of exciting and essential products for our pets. We are thrilled to be a part of Wiggles growth journey at an early stage and support them through our Athena Speed Scaling program.”