Spot & Tango, with $4.2 million in seed funding, launches UnKibble

Spot & Tango, the D2C pet food brand, has today announced the launch of a new line of pet food called UnKibble. Alongside the announcement of the launch, the company has also closed on a $4.2 million seed funding round led by Guild Capital.

Spot & Tango launched 2018 with a line of fresh, wet dog-food recipes. Competing with Farmer’s Dog, Spot & Tango developed customized meals for pups using fresh ingredients fine enough for human consumption, taking into account the dog’s weight, age, breed and activity level. Thus far, the startup has delivered more than 1 million meals to pups and their owners, quadrupling the size of the business in the last six months.

With today’s launch of UnKibble, the company looks to bring a slightly more convenient alternative to market without sacrificing quality.

Unlike most dry pet food, which is made using processed powdered meat and artificial additives, UnKibble uses a unique Fresh Dry process to preserve only whole food ingredients, with no artificial additives or coloring.

This is done by mixing whole ingredients and forming them into bite-sized pieces, which are then gently heated very slowly in a vacuum chamber to maintain freshness. This process removes water content and any potential pathogens and bacteria without extracting nutritional value. The bags are then sealed to remove oxygen and keep the UnKibble fresh.

Spot & Tango subscriptions for UnKibble start at $9/week, with three different options: Beef & Barley, Chicken & Brown Rice, and Duck & Salmon. The startup sends a scooper along with the UnKibble that is perfectly portioned to a single serving for your specific dog, ensuring you don’t over- or underfeed the little one.

The company also looks to be as eco-conscious as possible, shipping in bulk to delivery partners using recyclable and compostable materials.

Founder and CEO Russell Breuer explained that Spot & Tango is looking to be a health and wellness platform for pet parents.

“Whether it’s treats or other products or services, ultimately we’re building a brand around health and wellness and making it accessible for all pet parents in as many formats as required,” said Breuer. “Fresh food may not be a ubiquitous product for every single household in America. Dry food may not be, either. Maybe treats are a preference for some families. We want to be able to serve as many needs as possible under the health and wellness umbrella.”

Spot & Tango plans to use the funding to expand its R&D capabilities and build out the team.