Austrian pet tech startup HelloBello secures €4M to accelerate its growth in Germany and Switzerland

On Thursday, Wien, Austria-based HelloBello, a pet tech company that offers freshly cooked, individually tailored meals, announced that it has secured €4M in a Series A funding round.

The investors include well-known entrepreneurs such as Michael Hurnaus (founder of Tractive), Johann Hansmann, and Hans Peter Haselsteiner.

Additionally, the Austrian startup is now supported by the AWS startup fund and a Swiss family office. The company will use the funds to expand into Switzerland and further develop its product range.

Since its inception, the company has managed to grow strongly in Austria and Germany.

HelloBello: Premium dog food supplier

HelloBello provides dog owners with a new way to feed their pets. Instead of standard dry or wet food, they offer freshly cooked, balanced meals designed by veterinarians to meet dogs’ nutritional needs.

Using local ingredients, the Austrian company prepares meals without artificial additives, sugar, or genetic engineering.

Their online food advisor helps determine each dog’s specific dietary needs based on breed, weight, activity level, and special requirements.

This ensures that each dog gets exactly the food it needs, delivered through a convenient subscription service.

To date, the company has cooked and delivered nearly two million meals to customers.

Veterinarian Eva Schmal-Filius was involved in the development of the recipes right from the start and is convinced.

Filius says, “Fresh food can make a significant difference to a dog’s health compared to conventional dry or wet food. The individual ration calculation and the high-quality ingredients promote optimum nutrition in every phase of life.”

According to the company, it focuses on quality and being open about its ingredients.

HelloBello gets its meat from local farms in Bavaria and Upper Austria, which reduces travel distance and supports the humane treatment of animals. They also source their vegetables from local suppliers.

The investor

The aws Gründungsfonds is an Austrian venture capital fund with around €70M in total assets. It supports startups from their initial growth phase through Series A and B financing until exit. The fund acts as a long-term partner, providing hands-on assistance to founding teams.

Since 2013, aws Gründungsfonds, in collaboration with national and international co-investors, has invested over €500M in more than 45 companies, achieving many successful exits.

Markus Jandrinitsch, Managing Director of the AWS Gründungsfonds, states, “We were not only impressed by HelloBello’s strong financial metrics, but also by the high quality and sustainability standards that the founding team upholds in their products. With its range of fresh-frozen food, HelloBello has established a promising position in the rapidly growing PetTech sector. We look forward to continuing this journey together with our co-investors.”