Polish pet service startup animalhotels, which offers an app for booking pet services, has secured $280,000 (PLN 1.08 million) to expand globally and launch its app in the UK market, the startup told Vestbee. The investment came from five existing private investors and four new participants in this funding round.
- Founded in 2022 by Łukasz Klab and Marcin Osinski, animalhotels develops a booking pet services app that connects pet owners with petsitters.
- The animalhotels app allows pet owners to easily find petsitters by entering their details, and the system sends requests to nearby sitters, who then set their rates, with a 20% service fee added.
- Since its inception, the startup has served 51,000 registered users, including 12,000 petsitters in Poland. In the past seven months, the user base has grown fivefold.
- The financing round was completed, marking the launch of the animalhotels app in the UK and the company's first step toward international expansion. The startup will analyze data and develop a new investment proposal for private investors and venture capital funds.
"We believe that the strategies we've refined in Poland will resonate well with British pet owners, but we're also committed to carefully analyzing the UK market to ensure our platform meets local needs. This thoughtful approach to expansion is something we plan to carry forward as we enter other European markets," Co-founder and CEO of animalhotels, Łukasz Klab, told Vestbee.
- The new capital will help animalHotels to enhance its app, prioritizing improved safety and convenience for bookings. The startup also plans to broaden its service offerings by introducing pet walking, giving users more choices, and meeting a wider array of pet care needs. Additionally, animalHotels aims to expand into new European markets and strengthen its marketing efforts.
