The pet care scene in India is changing fast, with new direct-to-consumer brands that put science and good nutrition first. Smylo, a startup that focuses on cat food, is becoming a real player in this field.
Smylo got ₹75 lakh in funding on Shark Tank India from some big names like Anupam Mittal, Kunal Bahl, and Varun Alagh. They also gave up 5% of their company for advice. This deal values Smylo at ₹75 crore. This money is a big deal for Smylo, helping them grow and get more popular in India’s quickly growing D2C pet care market.
Abhishek Agrawal (IIT Delhi) and Kartikeya Gupta (BITS Pilani) started Smylo because they believe cats should have balanced, everyday nutrition, not just treats with junk in them. With more people in India wanting clear, honest ingredient lists and food that actually does something good, Smylo is marketing itself as a science-backed brand that skips the junk and focuses on keeping cats healthy.
Most pet food brands care more about how long the food lasts on the shelf than how good it is for your pet. Smylo makes natural cat food for daily meals, caring about protein, hydration, and digestion. Right now, they have flavors like chicken, tuna, and mackerel that cats love while still being good for them. To make it easier for people to try, Smylo has a ₹299 trial pack with a money-back thing, which is a common way for D2C brands to get customers.
Smylo is doing well so far. They’ve already served over four lakh cat meals, have around 2,500–2,800 customers each month, and about half of their customers buy from them again. This shows that people like their food. Smylo made ₹21 lakh in FY24–25, and by October 2025, they were making ₹56 lakh. They’ve sold ₹2.3 crore worth of food in total. Their bone broth products have really good profit margins, almost 75%, which means they can grow without spending too much money.
The Shark Tank money should help Smylo grow their D2C plans, like making their supply chains stronger, creating new products, and getting their name out there on the internet. More people in cities, especially millennials and Gen Z, are getting pets in India, and they’re spending more on good food. This makes the D2C pet care market a really good one to be in right now.
The fact that consumer-internet founders are backing Smylo makes their future look even better. They’re not just getting money, but also good advice on how to build a brand, sell to customers in different ways, and get people to trust them. This is really important in the pet food world, where people buy the same food over and over and tell their friends about it.
The D2C world in India is still pretty new, but Smylo is doing well with its focus on healthy pet food, good numbers so far, and a good plan. They are ready to take more of the pet food market in India.
