Anushka Iyer, Founder and CEO of Pune-based pet care platform Wiggles, says the COVID-19 pandemic was extremely challenging for pets and pet parents. “They were confined within homes and a lot of dogs developed anxiety.”
Wiggles, which was founded in 2018 and offers a wide range of pet care products and services, was flooded with calls from pet parents.
“We were a very small team back then, and didn’t know how to manage the outpouring of calls and questions,” she says.
The entire team soon started taking phone calls and began making deliveries as demand suddenly rose.
The lockdown led to an upsurge in the at-home demand for services like veterinary and grooming care, says Anushka, adding that the pet care startup at present serves 25,000+ pets.
The brand launched a new category – pet food – during this time, converting the office into a makeshift kitchen and delivering fresh food across Pune.
“Maybe, this is what we are here for. We are here to take responsibility. This is the time we need to be most active when others are not,” Anushka says.
Anushka Iyer, Founder and CEO, Wiggles
Anushka says Wiggles has raised $2.5 million from angel investors and is now looking to raise another $3 million. The team is in talks with several institutional investors.
The founder claims the pet care startup has grown 6.5X year on year and aims to be profitable by 2023.
Wiggles recently did a pilot in Kolkata and is looking to enter into two to three more cities by the end of this year. It is also interested in creating more categories and disruptive products.
“By 2022, first quarter, I’d be operationally breakeven or say second quarter at the most,” Anushka says.
Wiggles offers products as well as services. They have 36 SKUs along with vets on call, grooming services, and dog training services. The food segment attributes to 35 percent of their revenues. “Our products are doing phenomenally well in the market,” she says.
The brand is now looking to provide options for all kinds of pets, from cats and turtles to guinea pigs. “This is under work; let’s see. Fingers crossed,” Anushka says.
