French pet food startup Pepette has collected about €6 million (US$6.1 million) from a group of investors to build a new, 1,000-square-meter factory. The project will allow the company to manufacture its own products, boost its output and, eventually, pursue international expansion plans. 

Marine Thersiquel, the founder and chief executive of Pepette, said she established the company in June 2019 to propose a healthy and fresh alternative source of pet food for cats and dogs. The business offers pet food tailored to the needs of particular pets and delivered directly to their owners, she explained. 

“Owing to an algorithm that is our property, our brand proposes a nutrition program that is perfectly calibrated to the energy needs of each particular animal. All of this is available through a subscription service,” she said.

New pet food product launches, nutritional consultations

Some of the pet food company’s plans for the near future include introducing a range of new recipes and products. “This September, we will launch a new line of nutritional supplements under the form of snacks,” Thersiquel said.

In addition, Pepette will also make available a new service that will offer nutritional consultations for pet owners interested in ensuring a healthy diet for their cats and dogs.

Currently, the business outsources manufacturing to facilities operated by its partners, but the secured funds are to allow Pepette to launch its own plant in France, Thersiquel said. “We want to internalize production in the Centre Val de Loire region at a plant fitted with a surface of 1,000 square meters within a period of 24 months.”

Doing business in Europe’s second largest pet market

Asked about the company’s international expansion plans, Pepette’s founder said that, for the time being, Pepette’s efforts are focused on exploring its domestic market before it pursues customers in other European countries.

“France is the second largest European market with regard to the number of dogs and cats, at 21 million. There is a major potential for expansion here that we want to explore in the coming months,” Thersiquel said. 

“In the mid-term, we intend to expand to other European countries,” she added. “This concerns a number of markets, such as Germany, and southern European countries such as Italy and Spain.”