Rover.com announced today that it closed $3.5 million in additional funds from a group of investors led by pet speciality retailer Petco. In addition to the new capital, the “Airbnb for dogs” startup revealed that it signed an exclusive partnership deal with the retailer to promote its service on its website and in all of its stores.
The new funding gives Rover.com a total of $14.15 million, of which a majority was raised in February through the Foundry Group and its existing investors, CrunchFund and Madrona Venture Group. All participated in the new investment.
Grabbing a partnership with Petco appears to be a logical option for Rover.com. The startup says that it operates across the US with more than 150,000 users, 25,000 approved dog sitters, all in 4,300 cities. For some dog owners, finding a responsible and safe place to house their beloved animal while they’re away can be a rather stressful time. Some may even think that going to Petco is rather expensive — but now Rover.com being promoted by the retailer, customers could have an alternative option that matches their checkbooks.
Rover.com’s CEO Aaron Easterly said in a statement: “This partnership will help accelerate our growth over time amongst this growing customer segment.”
The startup competes against the likes of DogVacay and offers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week vet consultation through VetLIVE, customer emergency support, photo sharing, and music videos highlighting the pet’s stay thanks to its integration with Animoto.
Photo credit: Bruce Bennett/Getty Images
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