SALT LAKE CITY — KetoNatural Pet Foods, a pet food startup founded by companion animal nutrition author and activist Daniel Schulof, has closed on $2 million in seed financing.
The transaction was led by Chicago-based fund Corazon Capital.
“We founded KetoNatural because we believe that pet owners were being underserved in the modern pet food market,” said Schulof. “Prior to Ketona, if you wanted to feed your dog a truly low-carbohydrate, high-protein diet, your only options were expensive, inconvenient raw products. Ketona changed all that. It has the kind of nutritional content previously only found in raw diets, but with the price and convenience of a kibble.”
In his 2016 book, Dogs, Dog Food, and Dogma Schulof argued that carbs are the root cause of many of the common health problems experienced by dogs and cats in America. “The relevant scientific evidence is under-publicized but crystal clear,” he said. “The epidemics of obesity, diabetes, and other chronic diseases ravaging America’s pet populations can all be traced to a single source — the excessive consumption of dietary carbohydrates.”
Schulof said KetoNatural’s recipes are less than 5 percent carbohydrate. “Our products are truly revolutionary.
Schulof said that much of the $2 million investment will be spent “on marketing designed to engage pet owners in vital discussions about the health and well-being of their pets.” The company also intends to expand its product line, grow its team and invest in new scientific work that Schulof expects “will demonstrate the efficacy of low-carbohydrate diets as treatments for a host of common canine ailments,” according to a press release from the company.