Simba founder launches pet care brand with £5m investment

A new Yorkshire-based subscription model pet wellbeing brand launches today after securing £5m in seed funding.

Co-founded by entrepreneur and founder of sleep tech firm Simba James Cox, Leeds-based pet care brand ITCH is launching following investment from the likes of seed funding specialist Seedcamp, financier Nigel Wray and James’ own firm YYX Capital.

Along with co-founders of Monster Pet Supplies Jonny and Adam Gould and marketer Charlotte Harper, former CMO of Zoopla and UK MD of Match.com, James hopes to disrupt the pet care market with the new brand.

Initially providing a flea care subscription service, ITCH also plans to offer range extensions into the wider pet care market with innovative personalised calming, skin, joint and dental products.

The firm also has ambitions to create an online platform and community with curated content, in collaboration with its team of veterinary specialists.

Following the seed funding, the startup intends to raise a further £10m at the end of the year to support the brand’s roll out to the US at the start of 2020.

ITCH co-founder and executive chairman James Cox said: “The popularity of direct-to-consumer goods brands offering products continues to grow at pace.

“We’ve seen everything from healthcare, financial services, travel, transport and electronic goods all race to innovate so that they can directly engage with customers using social, mobile, and digital channels and devices. It’s now time for the buoyant pet care market to innovate”.

Jonny Gould, co-founder and CEO ITCH said, “The pet market has traditionally relied on the middle man to provide the services needed to care for pets.

“ITCH has been created to respond to a gap in the market and give pet care some real personality by providing pet owners with direct access to the best wellbeing products, personalised just for their pets’ needs, along with easy to consumer advice.”