LOS ANGELES — Front of the Pack, a direct-to-consumer pet supplement and treat brand, announced July 14 it has closed a series A funding round with $10 million in investments, led by Stride.VC, bringing the company’s total funding to $13.5 million since late 2020.

Heartcore Capital, an existing investor in the company, also contributed to the investment round, as well as Founder Collective and independent investors Andrew Dudum, Steph Corey, and TJ Parker and Elliot Cohen.

Fred Destin, founder of Stride.VC, and Max Niederhofer, partner at Heartcore Capital, will join Front of the Pack’s board of directors following their investments.

“I am so bullish on Front of the Pack's product range, present and future, but it's really the founding team and the talent they've attracted that excites me about their potential to redefine the pet nutrition industry,” Destin said. 

Front of the Pack sells powdered dog supplements targeting total health and wellness, anxiety relief and mobility support, as well as freeze-dried raw dog treats formulated with either free range beef tripe, farm-raised rabbit or wild Alaskan salmon proteins and mixed tocopherols.   

“Over the last 18 months we have worked tirelessly to assemble the world's greatest team in dog health products and research, build relationships with the finest suppliers and bake into our DNA a steadfast commitment to science, efficacy, transparency and purity,” said Chris Wilkinson, co-founder of Front of the Pack. “This investment allows us to redouble our efforts in bringing new and novel products to market whilst continuing to build on our strong fundamentals.”

The company stated the $10 million investment will be used to fund clinical trials at The University of California-Davis (UC Davis). The trial will test the Front of the Pack’s dog nutrition products using technologies and methods to measure dogs’ reactions and results throughout the course of the study. The trial will be led by Jamie Peyton, DVM, associate director of the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine’s Center for Advancing Pain Relief and chief science officer at Front of the Pack.

“I'm excited to partner with a team that has the same passion as I do for science,” Peyton said. “Our clinical trial at UC Davis is just the start of our journey to reward the love pet parents share with their dogs with science-backed products.”

Additionally, Front of the Pack will use its new funding to develop and launch new products. These include a healthy pet treat portfolio expected this summer, a “category-defining” pet food launching this fall, and an expanded line of supplements also launching this fall.

“With this investment, we’ll be able to make strides with product development through clinical trials and continue our mission to raise the standards of quality control within the industry as well as save the lives of dogs in need,” said Neil Hutchinson, co-founder and chief executive officer of Front of the Pack.

Read more about corporate strategy, financial performance, mergers and acquisitions on our Business page.