4. KatKin

Founders: Brett O’Farrell and Nikki O’Farrell
Year founded: 2019
Website: katkin.com

Since the first Egyptians in 3,100BCE, humans have understood the beauty and magic of cats. But while these ancient civilizations might have shown their love through worship, today’s feline lovers do it slightly differently – by ordering a box of KatKin.

Cat-apulting into fourth place in this year’s Startups 100 from position #76 in 2021, KatKin is a premium subscription service for puss parents who want a convenient and efficient way to look after their kittens.

The O’Farrell siblings founded the business when researching what they were feeding their cats, Molly, Kiki, and Columbus. They were horrified to discover that some products sold by key players in the cat food market contained just 4% meat, with mouser meals consisting of offcuts and sugary, low-quality ‘animal derivatives’.

Deciding that Tiddles deserves better, they set about launching KatKin. The brand’s boxes contain food with 100% fresh, quality meat (with no preservatives or additives) that cats were born to eat and even qualifies as good enough for humans.

Some products sold by key players in the cat food market contain just 4% meat

All KatKin meals are cooked at under 100°C to preserve vital nutrients, then frozen to stay fresh. They’re delivered to cat parents’ doors as a subscription (in a cardboard box your tabby will probably love as much as its tuck).

KatKin has cats looking good. Now, it’s also on a mission to have them ‘feline’ good, with a newly-established product line. This health-monitoring litter, Scoop Health, says it is a first-of-its-kind for the UK market.

The pioneering colour-changing silica crystals react with the pH of the cat’s urine to reveal their urinary health, giving pet owners an early warning sign to contact the vet. On top of this, there’s also Scoop Planet; 100% biodegradable kitty litter that’s made from restaurant industry waste.

KatKin's Scoop Health litter has colour-changing silica crystals that react with the pH of the cat’s urine to reveal their urinary health

After raising a huge €21.6m in Series A funding in 2022, last year the business upscaled and built its own kitchen in Haverhill. By bringing its fulfilment in-house, the brand is now in a stronger position to continuously improve its customer experience – ensuring a better unboxing experience and more delighted KatKin customers.

KatKin says its headcount will double in 2024 as it seeks to become the top healthcare brand for cat parents and build its own United KatKingdom. Whatever comes next, its claws are forever sunk into the Startups 100. Congratulations KatKin!