Sweet potatoes, peas, basil, chicken — sounds like a dinner you’d prepare for yourself, right?
Not quite, says NYC-based startup Ollie. Those are actually the ingredients they use to prepare meals for your dog.
“Choosing dog food is like choosing baby food,” said co-founder Gabby Slome. “We have a team here that helps support pet parents throughout the whole process.”
The premise of Ollie’s service is simple: They want pet owners to feel good about the food they serve their furry friends. Every Ollie meal is made with all-natural, human-grade dog food that’s tailored to individual needs. Users provide details about their dog in an online assessment, then Ollie designs a meal plan and delivers it straight to their door. It’s a subscription service that includes such high quality food, even humans can eat it — and they do.
“Every single Ollie employee has eaten the dog food at least once,” said Slome. “One employee ate an entire plate!”
But the service goes far beyond healthier pet food. The e-commerce service is half production company, half technology company. The team marries both elements together to streamline the process, from sourcing ingredients all the way through meal delivery.
“Our technology allows us to trace every ingredient, batch and customer. If there was ever a problem, we could pinpoint it precisely,” said Slome. “This helps us avoid those major recalls you read about in the food industry, and it also builds trust.”
Pet owners can also trust they’re providing their dogs with a meal plan that best fits their needs. Ollie has worked with veterinary nutritionists to determine portions and recipes based on factors like your dog’s age, weight, breed and allergies.
“After I brought my dog Poncho home, I discovered he had a number of health issues, and the food he was eating was contributing to them,” said Slome. “Before Ollie, everything on the market was filled with ingredients I wasn’t comfortable feeding him."
Ollie was started in 2015 and has received funding from WME Ventures, Canaan Partners, Lerer Hippeau Ventures and Primary Venture Partners, and the company remains committed to helping people provide the best care for their dog.
“Food is the key ingredient to their well-being,” she added. “The greatest gift you can give is the gift of health.”
Photos via featured company and Facebook.
Know more companies that deserve coverage? Let us know or tweet us @builtinnewyork.
