Petpair
5 known investors
PetPair is an Austin-based, foster-powered marketplace connecting animal shelters, volunteer fosters and adopters nationwide.
Also known as PetPair · PetPair, Inc.
Investors · 5
Also in the syndicate · 2
Company profile
researched Aug 2026PetPair operates a three-sided online marketplace for dog adoption that links animal welfare organizations (AWOs) and shelters, volunteer foster caregivers, and prospective adopters. The company's stated approach is a "Foster-Centric" operational model — pioneered by Maddie's Fund and American Pets Alive — in which adoptable animals are moved out of shelters into local foster homes as quickly as possible, where the animal is in a calmer environment with more human attention and directed training.
Fosters recruited through partner organizations or directly through the PetPair website create content about the animals in their care — photos, videos, behavioral notes and other data — which is uploaded to the platform and used to match dogs with adopters. Adopters browse available dogs on the site; because the company's stated aim is to correct the mismatch between local shelter supply and national adopter demand, dogs listed by PetPair are available nationwide and are transported to adoptive homes via vetted transportation providers screened by the company. The company has also described plans to use its platform to make product recommendations to pet owners for toys, food and other pet products.
PetPair positions the model as a way for shelters to improve save rates, reduce costs and unlock capacity by tapping a ready-made nationwide foster network, including for animals other rescues have declined to take.
Founding story
Co-founders Daniel Miyares and Aanandh Chandrasekar, described as friends and dog owners, conceived the company after Miyares and his partner tried to adopt a dog in 2020, submitting more than 30 applications and receiving only waiting-list responses from shelters. Miyares has said the founders recognized both a consumer pain point and the wider problem that roughly 1.5 million pets were euthanized or died in shelter care that year because shelters could serve local demand only with local supply.
Business model
PetPair runs a marketplace intermediating between animal welfare organizations, volunteer fosters and adopters, with affiliate partners and stated plans to layer pet product and service recommendations onto its adoption platform.
The company has cited affiliate partnerships and an intent to power recommendations for pet products and services, referencing a $100 billion pet products and services market.
Traction
As of the Forbes profile last updated January 1, 2023, PetPair had partnered with eight shelters covering more than 2,800 animals annually, more than 600 fosters, six affiliate partners and 200 customers. The company states it has helped shelters unlock additional intake capacity by placing dogs that would otherwise remain in shelters.
Latest developments
Following the September 2022 pre-seed announcement, the company said it would use the capital to expand its nationwide foster caregiver network and its platform and shelter partnerships in Texas and nationally.
▸Full profile — market position, technology, go-to-market, geography, history
Market position
An early-stage entrant in pet adoption technology; it was selected for Built In Austin's Future 5 for Q4 2022 and profiled by Forbes in connection with its 30 Under 30 Consumer Technology 2023 list.
The company centers its offering on a nationwide foster network rather than local shelter listings, using foster-generated content and behavioral data as the matching input and arranging vetted long-distance transport so that supply in overcapacity regions can meet adopter demand elsewhere.
Technology
A web platform on which fosters upload photos, videos, behavioral information and other data about animals in their care; that content is used to match dogs with prospective adopters, who can search listings of available dogs.
Go-to-market
PetPair partners directly with shelters and animal welfare organizations — initially in the Southwestern United States, where high animal counts and shelter capacity issues are common — while recruiting fosters through partner organizations, volunteer groups and open sign-up on its website. Adoption demand is served nationally, with cross-country animal transport handled by vetted providers.
Animal shelters and animal welfare organizations facing capacity constraints, volunteer foster caregivers, and consumers seeking to adopt a dog.
Geography
Headquartered in Austin, Texas. Shelter partnerships were concentrated in the Southwestern United States, with foster network growth in Texas and beyond and adoptions fulfilled nationwide.
History
Built In Austin reports the company was founded in 2021, while a Forbes profile states it was founded in January 2022. PetPair announced a $1.1 million pre-seed round on September 30, 2022, bringing total capital raised to $1.2 million across two pre-seed rounds, and was named to Built In Austin's Future 5 list for Q4 2022.
Compiled by commissioned research from 7 cited public sources — announcements, filings, and press listed under research sources below.
Key figures
latest reportedCompany-reported or press-reported figures, each dated to when it was claimed — not independently audited.
Timeline · 3
launches, deals, and filingsCofounders Aanandh Chandrasekar and Daniel Miyares were profiled on Forbes in the Forbes 30 Under 30 - Consumer Technology 2023 list section.
PetPair announced a $1.1 million pre-seed round led by Bling Capital with participation from Expansion Ventures, Divide by Zero, Newlin Ventures, Great Oaks VC, Hornet Ventures and strategic angels, bringing total funding to $1.2 million. Proceeds were earmarked for expanding its nationwide foster caregiver network.
$1.1M source ↗
PetPair was featured as one of five up-and-coming Austin startups in Built In's Future 5 series for Q4 2022.
Dated company events from announcements, filings, and press; legal rows summarize public dockets and regulator releases.
▸Research sources · 7
primary sources listed
- Petpair – Funding, Valuation, Investors, Newsparsers.vc · web
7 public sources were cited for this profile; the first-party ones are listed here.
Frequently asked questions
- What does Petpair do?
- PetPair is an Austin-based, foster-powered marketplace connecting animal shelters, volunteer fosters and adopters nationwide.
- Who are Petpair's investors?
- Petpair's investors include Bling Capital, Expansion Venture Capital, Newlin Ventures.