Tinder co-founder invests in Colombian pet platform, LAIKA

Contxto – I have a feeling that cats and dogs are rejoicing following Tinder co-founder’s undisclosed investment in LAIKA, one of Latin America’s most notable pet platforms. 

“I decided to bet on LAIKA because I saw an excellent team with vision and ability to become a pioneer in the regional pet industry,” said Justin Mateen, co-founder of Tinder. Not long ago, Forbes named him as one of the 30 most influential entrepreneurs under 30 years old. 

“I saw sustained exponential growth that caught my attention, and when I met its founders, I didn’t hesitate to invest.”  

With less than two years of operations, LAIKA has steadily become a regional leader in the electronic pet market. Not long ago, the Colombian startup participated in Y Combinator in Silicon Valley where it first crossed paths with Mateen. 

A handful of successful startups such as Rappi and Airbnb have participated in the renowned accelerator. 

“We feel very proud to be part one of the selected Latin American startups by those who set their eyes on Silicon Valley’s greatest startups,” said LAIKA co-founder Manuela Sánchez in August. “This process and these funds will be essential for business consolidation and expansion of our operations.”

Pet marketplace

Since its 2017 inception, LAIKA has steadily seen over 100,000 downloads for its pet services and products. 

Whether you’re searching for pet food, training, grooming or at-home veterinary services, LAIKA’s omnichannel platform covers all of the bases. With a growing inventory, users can access a medley of retailers and service providers for all of their pets’ needs.

“We seek to offer a complete and specialized portfolio at fair prices,” said Sánchez. “This way, people can spend more time with their pets instead of wasting time in traffic to go buy food and large packages.”

As of today, there are reportedly over 4,000 products available over LAIKA’s app. Some of these include traditional pet food brands to raw goods, dehydrated products, baked snacks, etc. Let’s not forget about medicine and accessories, either. 

With 17 pet-related services, LAIKA’s resources are also wide and varied. These range from bathroom training, adoption, insurance, pet-sitting, dog walking, funeral arrangements, among others.  

At the end of the day, customer satisfaction is one of LAIKA’s main priorities.

“For now, our focus is to provide excellent service and to listen to our clients,” added Sánchez. “If we do this properly, we will continue to grow successfully and expect 20 percent monthly growth in app downloads, doubling the subscription rate.”

Fun fact: Laika was the name of the Soviet space dog that orbited Earth aboard the Sputnik 2 spaceship in 1957.

-JA