$44M funding round will grow veterinary team and expand service offerings
SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 22, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Fuzzy, the leading digital pet care company, today announced it has raised $44 million dollars to continue its mission to make digital veterinary care accessible and affordable to all. The round was led by Icon Ventures, with existing investors Greycroft, Matrix and Crosscut participating. The company also secured investment from owners of veterinary clinic groups in US, UK and Germany, and from high profile individuals including Mark Vadon (former Chairman of Chewy) and Jose Feliciano (founder of Clearlake Group), with 25% of the capital raised from underrepresented communities (female, Black, LatinX, LGBTQ+).
This latest round enables Fuzzy to grow its network of veterinary professionals, accelerate the development and launch of new product offerings, extend its market-leading educational content and continue to accelerate new member growth. With these enhancements, Fuzzy will provide even more comprehensive veterinary care online, ultimately reshaping the pet health experience for pet parents.
As the first digitally native pet health provider, Fuzzy eliminates financial and geographical barriers that impede access to quality care. Fuzzy provides 24/7 live chat and telehealth, ship-to-home prescriptions, vet-curated items in its e-commerce marketplace, educational content, and programs for nutrition, training, and obedience, an approach that saves pet parents up to $750 a year on healthcare expenses.
“Pet care has become so prohibitively expensive that it's leading to some shockingly sad statistics around euthanasia and pet abandonment. With the explosion of pet adoption we've also seen veterinary clinics be overrun, causing scarcity of appointments and veterinarian burn out,” said Zubin Bhettay, co-founder and CEO of Fuzzy. “We believe the industry has to find new ways to address the strain on veterinarians and use technology to deliver care efficiently, where possible. Fuzzy is making it possible for veterinary clinics to free up their schedules and use their time more productively.”
With this $44 million dollar financing round, Fuzzy will expand its offerings with additional product categories, a new Fuzzy Academy for pet parents to enroll in guided classes about how to optimize their animal’s wellness, and financial offerings including Fuzzy Insurance to better manage costs for in-person procedures.
Along with the digital platform updates, Fuzzy is growing its veterinary clinic program, currently operational in 25 locations. This program works with clinics to deploy and utilize telemedicine for their patients, unlocking the ability to receive care even after the brick and mortar clinic has closed for the day, allowing for more flexibility with patient treatment, and increasing availability for in-person appointments for urgent needs.
“We’ve heard from veterinary clinics that their staff are drained and the hours they are working are unsustainable,” said Dr. Cherice Roth, Chief Veterinary Medical Officer at Fuzzy. “Fuzzy opens up their schedules, allowing low-margin triage and basic care to happen online, refocusing the in-person care on more involved procedures.”
“Fuzzy is rethinking how pets and their owners receive veterinary care in a way that’s improving outcomes, as well as relieving strain on the veterinarians themselves,” said Tom Mawhinney, General Partner at Icon Ventures. “We believe telemedicine and Fuzzy’s always-on approach to care will transform pet ownership for millions of households across the U.S. and the globe, very similarly to how telemedicine has reshaped human patient and doctor care for the better.”
In addition to relieving strain on the veterinary health care system, Fuzzy will also partner with animal rescue organizations and shelters to provide a more seamless transition for new parents as they welcome home their pets.
To become a member of the Fuzzy community, visit yourfuzzy.com. To learn more about Fuzzy’s veterinary clinic program, click here.
ABOUT FUZZY
On a mission to make pet care more accessible, Fuzzy is a subscription-based service, offering members 24/7 Live Vet Chat support, virtual vet consultations, and on-demand answers from a team of licensed, on-staff pet health experts. Fuzzy offers pet parents vet-tested and recommended products and personalized programs for nutrition, training, and obedience. For more information, visit yourfuzzy.com or download the Fuzzy app.
Media Contact
LaunchSquad for Fuzzy: fuzzy@launchsquad.com
