Vegan Dog Food Brand Wins Dragons’ Den Backing

Vegan dog food brand Omni appeared on BBC’s Dragons’ Den last night (February 6), securing a £75k investment.

After impressing the panel with their pitch, founders Dr Guy Sandelowsky and Shiv Sivakumar took a joint investment from their “dream” Dragons – Steven Bartlett and Deborah Meaden – in exchange for a 2.5 percent equity stake in the company.

Bartlett is a popular investor in the Den due to his marketing expertise, while Meaden – who is plant-based – has a particular interest in sustainable and animal-free brands. Meaden described Omni as one of the “most successful businesses to come into the Den”. Bartlett was full of praise for the entrepreneurs themselves, saying: “I have to try and invest in this business. I have to.”

Both Dr Sandelowsky and Sivakumar have described themselves as Dragons’ Den “superfans” who were “thrilled” to be on the show. “As entrepreneurs, Dr Guy and I have watched almost every episode of Dragons’ Den,” Sivakumar said in a statement. “It was exciting and incredibly surreal to suddenly find ourselves face-to-face with the five Dragons in their studio, sharing the story behind our pet care brand as well as the steps we’re taking to revolutionise the industry.”

The rise of Omni

A dog next to some vegan dog food from Omni in front of a pale blue background — Omni Omni specializes in nutritious and sustainable vegan dog food

Established in 2020, Omni specializes in animal-free food and supplements for companion dogs.

Dr Sandelowsky and Sivakumar were inspired to start Omni after recognizing the significant health and environmental impacts of many conventional dog foods.

“Skin complaints, gut issues and obesity are soaring in our pets, and they are suffering as a result,” said Dr Sandelowsky. “Despite how widespread the issues are, there are few comprehensive feed and supplements solutions out there to help. Many are bland in flavour and heavily reliant on CO2 polluting ingredients. Omni is changing this with its complete collection of solutions centred around future proofing pet health – without ever compromising on flavour, or the joy of eating.”

Omni products are made from novel proteins derived from yeasts, algae and pulses. According to Omni, their ingredients tend not to trigger allergies or sensitivities.

A large body of research has indicated that plant-based diets – built on well-formulated food – can be both safe and beneficial for dogs. A major 2022 study found that plant-based dogs had fewer health issues than dogs fed traditional meat diets. Last year, the British Veterinary Association ended its longstanding opposition to vegan diets for dogs.