It was looking like you were about to make some poor decisions and become a banker?
"Haha, yes", laughs Pernilla Westergren, founder and CEO of Petgood. "I did investment banking in London and also worked for a Nordic private equity company. But I've always been passionate about sustainability issues and how to make an impact."
Petgood makes insect-based dog food. This means that the food has a much lower climate impact than meat-based dog food. That climate impact is greater than you think. Dog and cat food account for 25 percent of global meat consumption.
"Having a dog has as great a climate impact as having a car, if the dog eats meat-based", says Pernilla Westergren.
It was when she got a puppy that she discovered the problems with traditional dog food. She has always loved dogs but has not had time to take care of a puppy. When the corona hit, and with it work from home, she took the chance and got a yellow hunting Labrador, Siri.
"We then began to question what food we actually giving her. She has a very bad stomach, so we contacted several of the dog food companies and got very vague answers. In addition, we then realized how much climate impact the dog food had."
When Pernilla Westergren thought about her own food consumption, she had read about insects, and now thought that it should also work for dog food.
"Not only do insects have a much lower climate impact, it is also a high-quality protein source for dogs. So it was a real win-win."
How did the decision come about to leave investment banking and become a dog food entrepreneur?
"It was not that I was actively looking for business ideas. It was more that I felt that here is an opportunity to make an extremely big difference and that it is something I am really passionate about."
They buy the insects from a Dutch company, Protix. There they are cultivated in an insect farm, live in composts and eat food waste. A dream life, if you are an insect.
In addition to 94 percent lower carbon dioxide emissions, Pernilla Westergren lists a whole range of advantages of insects in dog food compared to meat:
- Lower water consumption.
- Smaller land area is needed.
- The quality of the amino acids is high, which means that the dog can assimilate the protein.
- No antibiotics are used in the manufacture of the food, which is a problem with traditional dog food.
- A new type of protein for the dog, which reduces the risk of allergies.
What can the Warp community do to help you succeed?
"We want to reach out with facts about our product and traditional dog food. Both the health benefits for the dog and the climate benefits for the planet", Pernilla Westergren answers.
Today you can buy Petgood's dog food throughout the EU, and you will soon expand to Australia. The price is comparable with other premium brands. They recently raised SEK 19 million ($1.95 million) in venture capital and are ready to challenge the giants in the industry.
"We want to spearhead a dog food revolution and change the dog food industry. It's so cool that we can have such a big impact on both the climate and the dogs", concludes Pernilla Westergren.
