TrustedHousesitters, the world’s largest pet-sitting network, today announces that it has secured €8.64 millionin Series A funding to continue expanding into the US market. The capital injection is coming from Rockpool Investments and will help the company to grow its membership base, with a particular focus on California.
The Brighton-based company is already seeing revenue at twice pre-pandemic levels, despite travel restrictions over the last 18 months.
The pandemic saw a huge increase in global demand for pets, with 3.2 million UK homes acquiring a pet over lockdown, according to the Pet Food Manufacturers’ Association annual pet population report, bringing the total number of UK pets to 34 million. As pet ownership increases, more people are seeking alternatives to boarding pets in unfamiliar environments that can cause stress and separation anxiety for animals and their owners.
Founded in 2010, TustedHousesitters has now facilitated more than four million nights of pet sitting across 130 countries. TrustedHousesitters enables a value exchange between pet owners and pet sitters – for £99 per year, owners have access to unlimited pet-sitting by a network of caring sitters who offer their services for a welcoming place to stay on their unique travel lifestyles and a shared love of pets.
As travel opens back up and remote working is enabling more people to become digital nomads, TrustedHousesitters has seen over 30,000 new owner and sitter members since the start of 2021.
“We are excited to grow our membership base in the United States and across the world and assure new and existing pet owners that they can travel without worry by knowing a verified sitter is caring for their animals as if they were their own,” explained Mathew Prior, CEO of TrustedHousesitters. “Our sitters provide genuine one-to-one love and care in the comfort of the pets’ home, so owners don’t have to worry about making their beloved pets feel anxious about being separated from their own familiar and safe environment.”