Startup Deep Dive : Dogsee Chew — Raised $8 million Series B led by Ektha in Feb 2025; FY24 revenue Rs 53.76 crore with Rs 27.73 crore loss

Dogsee Chew (legal name Khanal Foods Private Limited) is a Bengaluru-based Indian maker of vegetarian, Himalayan-style hard cheese dog chews and other pet treats, sold mostly in export markets.

This Startup Deep Dive explains what Dogsee Chew does, how it makes money, who backs it, how it compares with rivals and what could go wrong, using publicly available information. It is educational and not investment advice. Last updated: October 2026.

Dogsee Chew in Brief

  • What it is: Dogsee Chew is an Indian Pet treats / pet food company based in Bengaluru.
  • Who it serves: online shoppers, retail customers, marketplaces and distribution partners.
  • Makes natural, 100 percent vegetarian, human-grade, protein-rich dog treats.
  • Signature product is a hard dental chew, with a cheesy chew from Himalayan-region sourcing as an alternative to rawhide.
  • Extended into cookies, shampoos and toys.
  • Funding: About $22 million+ across 4 rounds.

Dogsee Chew Quick Facts

Company Dogsee Chew
Founded 2015
Headquarters Bengaluru
Founders Bhupendra Khanal, Sneh Sharma
Sector Pet treats / pet food
Total funding About $22 million+ across 4 rounds
Latest round Series B, $8 million, February 2025, led by Ektha
Valuation Not disclosed for Series B; an aggregator attaches about $35 million to the 2022 Series A (unverified)
Website Not disclosed

Figures marked “reported” come from published reports and may differ between sources; “Not disclosed” means no reliable public figure was found.

What Is Dogsee Chew?

Dogsee Chew operates in the Pet treats / pet food space in India. Understanding a company like this starts with three questions: who is the customer, what painful problem is being solved, and why the solution is better than the alternatives. The sections below apply that lens to Dogsee Chew.

  • Makes natural, 100 percent vegetarian, human-grade, protein-rich dog treats.
  • Signature product is a hard dental chew, with a cheesy chew from Himalayan-region sourcing as an alternative to rawhide.
  • Extended into cookies, shampoos and toys.
  • Sells in 30+ countries; one report said about 90 percent of business was international (EU, UK, Japan, US, China).

The Origin Story of Dogsee Chew

Every company starts from a noticed gap and a team willing to commit to closing it. Strong origin stories are specific: a clear problem, a founding team with relevant skills, and an early product that real customers could test. Founder-market fit, meaning the team’s lived experience or technical depth in the domain, tends to predict how fast a young company learns.

  • Founders: Bhupendra Khanal, Sneh Sharma.
  • Founded in 2015 in Bengaluru by husband-and-wife team Bhupendra Khanal and Sneh Sharma.
  • Bhupendra previously built the company Simplify360 before this second venture.
  • An angel round of about $300,000 funded early growth.

Key Milestones and Challenges

No startup grows in a straight line. Early years usually involve slow adoption, product rewrites, hiring mistakes and funding gaps. In the Pet treats / pet food sector the common turning points are a first paying customer, a regulatory approval, a successful product demonstration or a funding round that lets the team invest ahead of demand. How a team responds to setbacks says more about resilience than any single headline.

  • 2015: Company founded.
  • 2016: Angel round of about $297,700.
  • November 2021: $7 million from Sixth Sense Ventures.
  • January 2022: Series A of about Rs 50 crore ($6.7 million) with Mankind Pharma and Sixth Sense Ventures.
  • FY23: Revenue about Rs 98 crore.
  • February 2025: $8 million Series B led by Ektha; plans to enter US and Canada in 2025.

Dogsee Chew Funding and Investors

Funding history shows how much outside confidence a company has attracted and how long it can operate before needing more capital. Figures below are reported and may differ between sources; valuation figures are estimates unless the company has confirmed them.

  • 2016 angel: about $300,000.
  • Nov 2021: $7 million, Sixth Sense Ventures.
  • Jan 2022 Series A: about Rs 50 crore, Mankind Pharma and Sixth Sense Ventures.
  • Feb 2025 Series B: $8 million, led by Ektha, with Shivanssh Holdings and Poddar Family Office.

How Does Dogsee Chew Make Money? (Business Model)

A business model describes who pays, how often and how much it costs to serve them. Strong models show repeat usage, improving margins with scale and acquisition channels that do not depend only on paid spend. Weak models show one-off sales, rising costs and growth that stops when spending stops. For companies selling to online shoppers, retail customers, marketplaces and distribution partners, sales cycles and contract size matter as much as headline growth.

  • Export-led sale of branded pet treats, including via Amazon Global Selling.
  • Own manufacturing; funds go to expanding factories and a new facility.
  • Domestic sales are a minor share (about 10 percent per one report).

The Numbers: Dogsee Chew Financials

Financial figures show whether growth is turning into a self-sustaining business. Small and private companies often disclose little, so any number below is included only if it was found in public reporting.

  • FY23: revenue about Rs 98 crore.
  • FY24: revenue Rs 53.76 crore (database shows Rs 54.8 crore); loss about Rs 27.73 crore.
  • FY25: revenue about Rs 35.6-35.7 crore, down about 34.7 percent (single database; no profit or loss found).

Market Opportunity for Dogsee Chew

Market size is easy to exaggerate, so a useful approach separates the total market from the portion a company can realistically reach with its current product and distribution. The main forces behind demand in this sector are rising internet and smartphone use, growing online retail, digital payments, quick commerce and a younger consumer base that is open to new brands. Each of these widens the opportunity, but capital efficiency and execution decide who captures it.

  • Global premium pet treat demand drives exports to 30+ countries.
  • Competes in natural and vegetarian pet treats against rawhide alternatives.

Technology and Product at Dogsee Chew

Technology is rarely the whole moat, but it drives speed, cost and customer experience. A practical way to assess it is to separate the capability the company controls from the commodity infrastructure it rents. In this sector the important factors are supply-chain reliability, brand trust, product quality, data on customer behaviour and the efficiency of fulfilment.

  • In-house manufacturing of cheese-based chews with expansion planned.

Team and Culture at Dogsee Chew

Teams are the most important and least measurable asset of a young company. Look at how complementary the founders’ skills are, how deep the second layer of leadership is, and how the company hires and retains specialists. Culture shows up in small repeated behaviours: how quickly bad news travels upward and whether commitments to customers are kept.

  • Husband-and-wife founders Bhupendra Khanal and Sneh Sharma lead the company.

Dogsee Chew Competitors: Competitive Landscape

A fair competitive analysis names direct rivals, adjacent players who could move into the space, and the customer’s default alternative. Durable advantages include proprietary data or technology, licences and approvals, brand trust, switching costs and cost leadership.

Competitor How it differs
Captain Zack Named as a competitor in funding coverage.
Fidele Dog Food Named as a competitor in funding coverage.
Himalayan Dog Chew Direct US competitor named in a 2015 profile.

Risks and Challenges for Dogsee Chew

  • Revenue fell sharply in FY24 and FY25 per database figures.
  • Large losses relative to revenue.
  • Heavy dependence on export markets.
  • Competition: low barriers to entry and large marketplaces make it hard for a brand to stay differentiated.
  • Customer acquisition cost: paid marketing can become expensive and erode margins as a brand scales.

Risk is not a reason to avoid a company; it is a reason to price it correctly and to monitor the right indicators over time. Regulation in this sector is shaped by consumer protection rules, FSSAI and BIS standards where relevant, the Legal Metrology rules and e-commerce regulations.

Dogsee Chew Growth Outlook: What to Watch

  • Series B aims to expand manufacturing and enter the US and Canada.
  • Management reportedly has long-term ambitions of a much larger revenue base and an IPO.
  • Key indicators: repeat purchase rate, average order value, gross margin, contribution margin and customer acquisition cost.
  • Funding position: Whether Dogsee Chew can reach its next milestone before needing new capital.
  • Regulation: Changes from consumer protection rules, FSSAI and BIS standards where relevant, the Legal Metrology rules and e-commerce regulations.

Industry Context: Where Dogsee Chew Fits

India's consumer market is large, young and increasingly online. Rising smartphone and internet use, digital payments and faster delivery have helped direct-to-consumer brands, marketplaces and quick-commerce platforms reach customers who once relied on local shops. Established companies, marketplaces and new brands now compete for the same shoppers.

Success in consumer businesses usually depends on a clear brand promise, repeat customers and healthy unit economics, not on sales volume alone. Companies that control quality, understand customer needs and manage marketing costs tend to build more durable brands than those that grow mainly by discounting.

For readers new to this field, a useful habit is to separate announcements from evidence. A plan, a partnership or a funding headline describes intent, while a delivered product, a paying customer or an audited financial statement describes results. Comparing the two over time shows how reliably a company turns promises into outcomes.

Bull Case and Bear Case for Dogsee Chew

An investment thesis is a short, testable statement of why a company could become far more valuable, together with what evidence would prove it wrong. The points below are general to this sector and are not forecasts for Dogsee Chew.

Bull case

  • A growing base of online shoppers expands the potential market.
  • Strong brands can earn repeat purchases and pricing power.
  • Distribution through marketplaces, quick commerce and stores widens reach.

Bear case

  • Heavy competition and discounting can hurt margins.
  • Rising marketing costs can slow profitable growth.
  • Supply-chain or quality problems can quickly damage trust.

Lessons Founders and Investors Can Take from Dogsee Chew

Studying a company in the Pet treats / pet food space offers lessons that go beyond any single firm. The points below are general lessons for the sector and are not claims about Dogsee Chew.

  • A clear brand identity and consistent product quality matter more than short-term sales spikes.
  • Repeat customers lower acquisition costs and make growth more profitable.
  • Controlling the supply chain helps protect quality and margins as volumes grow.
  • Selling across several channels, such as own website, marketplaces, quick commerce and stores, reduces dependence on one platform.
  • Healthy contribution margins are a better sign of progress than revenue growth alone.

How to Evaluate Dogsee Chew as a Startup

  • Customer clarity: Can Dogsee Chew name its customer and the problem it solves in one sentence?
  • Evidence of demand: Look for repeat customers, signed contracts or measurable usage rather than announcements alone.
  • Economics: Check whether margins improve as volume grows.
  • Execution: Compare announced timelines with what has actually been delivered.
  • Funding runway: Estimate how long current capital lasts at the present spending rate.
  • Regulatory standing: Confirm required approvals are in place.
  • Customer concentration: Check whether a few customers account for most of the revenue.
  • Management depth: Look for experienced leaders beyond the founders and a stable core team.

The Takeaway

Dogsee Chew is part of India’s growing Pet treats / pet food ecosystem. The useful lesson from studying it is the discipline of asking structured questions about customers, economics, advantage and resilience. Companies that answer them well, repeatedly and under pressure are the ones that endure. Readers should treat any single report, ranking or funding headline as one input among many, and should re-check key facts against recent company announcements. Because public information on young companies is often limited, patience in verifying claims is part of good analysis. Public sources can also describe the same company in different ways, so it is worth checking dates, definitions and whether a figure refers to revenue, total income or transaction value, and whether it covers one entity or a wider group, before drawing conclusions. Small differences in rounding, currency conversion or reporting periods can also change how a figure reads. Comparing the same figure across several recent reports helps show whether it is stable or has changed over time. This article is educational and is not investment advice.

  • Clear customers and repeat demand matter more than announcements.
  • Regulation and capital needs shape how fast a startup in this sector can grow.
  • Track a few leading indicators over time rather than one headline metric.

Dogsee Chew FAQs: Frequently Asked Questions

What is Dogsee Chew?

Dogsee Chew (legal name Khanal Foods Private Limited) is a Bengaluru-based Indian maker of vegetarian, Himalayan-style hard cheese dog chews and other pet treats, sold mostly in export markets. It is profiled in the Startup Deep Dive series, which explains business model, funding, competitors and risks.

Who founded Dogsee Chew?

Dogsee Chew was founded by Bhupendra Khanal, Sneh Sharma, and the company reports a founding year of 2015.

How much funding has Dogsee Chew raised?

About $22 million+ across 4 rounds. Funding figures are reported and may differ between sources, so readers should check the latest company announcements.

How does Dogsee Chew make money?

Dogsee Chew earns revenue from its Pet treats / pet food products and services sold to online shoppers, retail customers, marketplaces and distribution partners. The exact revenue mix is described in the business model section and is not fully disclosed publicly.

Who are the competitors of Dogsee Chew?

Reported rivals include Captain Zack, Fidele Dog Food, Himalayan Dog Chew. See the competitor comparison above for how they differ.

What are the main risks for Dogsee Chew?

Main risks include competition: low barriers to entry and large marketplaces make it hard for a brand to stay differentiated, funding and capital needs, competition and regulation by consumer protection rules, FSSAI and BIS standards where relevant, the Legal Metrology rules and e-commerce regulations. This is educational content, not investment advice.

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Source

Source: Publicly available data, published reports, industry research, and other credible sources.

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