TrustedHousesitters, a UK-based tech startup and the world’s largest pet-sitting network, lands $10M to expand into the US market

With all the difficulties and challenges of the covid-19, the pandemic has one silver lining–it has brought us closer to our pets. Over the past 18 months, there has been soaring pet ownership which increases demand for pet-care solutions globally.

The pandemic saw a huge increase in global demand for pets, with 3.2 million UK homes acquiring a pet over lockdown, according to the Pet Food Manufacturers’ Association annual pet population report, bringing the total number of UK pets to 34 million. In the US this has translated to a historic high of $8bn spent on pet services including animal sitting.

The demand for pet-care solutions also fueled the growth of TrustedHousesitters, a UK-based pet-sitting network that helps home and pet owners find an ideal sitter to care for their home and pets free of charge in exchange for a place to stay.

Today, TrustedHousesitters announced it has raised $10 million in Series A funding to continue expanding into the US market and, despite travel restrictions over the last 18 months, is already seeing revenue at twice pre-pandemic levels.

Founded in 2010 by Andy Peck and Rachel Martin, TrustedHousesitters has now facilitated more than four million nights of pet sitting across 130 countries. The $10m from Rockpool Investments is the company’s first round of investment and will support the company to grow its membership base, with a particular focus on California.

“We are excited to grow our membership base in the United States and across the world and assure new and existing pet owners that they can travel without worry by knowing a verified sitter is caring for their animals as if they were their own,” explained Mathew Prior, CEO of TrustedHousesitters. “Our sitters provide genuine one-to-one love and care in the comfort of the pets’ home, so owners don’t have to worry about making their beloved pets feel anxious about being separated from their own familiar and safe environment.”

“There is no better time than now to invest in a business with such huge growth potential as TrustedHousesitters,” said Guy Ellis, Investment Director at Rockpool. “To see a British company taking the initiative, allowing pet owners to travel with confidence as the world opens up once more, is just the sort of good-news story that everyone needs at the moment.”

In 2020, TrustedHousesitters was selected to participate in the Upscale program run by Tech Nation1. This year, as well as securing a $10m investment, TrustedHousesitters is also proud to announce the appointment of Brock Weatherup to its executive board. As CEO of Metamorphosis Partners and PetCo’s former Executive Vice President, Weatherup has been a driving force in the US pet care industry and brings with him his expertise in this growth market and is also an investor in this Series A round.