Smalls
14 known investors
Smalls produces fresh, gently cooked cat food made to resemble home-prepared meals, differentiating itself from conventional pet food manufacturers by using minimal processing.
Also known as Smalls Cat Food · Smalls for Smalls
Founders & leadership
Investors · 14
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Also in the syndicate · 5
Funding
SEC filings, press & company announcements$19M disclosed across 1 of 2 rounds · 2023
- $19MraisedMar 2023 · 2 sources
Companion Fund (lead), 301 INC, Founder Collective, General Mills' venture capital arm, Left Lane Capital, Ohio State University's endowment fund, Valor Capital
Source ↗
Source: company announcements and press reports — follow each round's link for the claim.
Company profile
researched Aug 2026Smalls is a direct-to-consumer pet food company focused exclusively on cats. It sells fresh, human-grade, high-protein formulas that are gently cooked, chopped, steamed, frozen and shipped rather than extruded at high temperatures, and it positions its recipes as free of fillers, carbohydrate bulking agents, preservatives and artificial ingredients. Product lines described publicly include chicken and beef, freeze-dried chicken, and turkey and duck formulas, delivered in customized kits matched to an individual cat's nutritional requirements.
Customers begin with an online quiz that recommends a plan, then try a sampler backed by a money-back guarantee before subscribing to recurring deliveries. Beyond core meals, the company operates an online shop ("Smalls Mart") carrying cat-directed items such as broth packs, lickable supplements, freeze-dried treats and feeding bowls and slow-feeders, alongside human-directed merchandise including apparel, hats, blankets, totes, stickers and print zines. Customer support is provided by a "Cat Concierge" team reachable by text and email.
The company's thesis is that cats have been underserved relative to dogs by mainstream pet food makers, and that rising cat ownership in the United States creates a growth market for premium, personalized feline nutrition. Following its 2023 raise, Smalls said it intended to move into in-store retail for the first time and broaden its product range.
Founding story
Smalls was founded in 2017 in New York, New York by co-founders Matt Michaelson and Calvin Hughes, described as best friends, with the aim of changing how people feed cats by offering high-protein, human-grade fresh formulas.
Business model
Smalls sells directly to consumers online through a subscription model: a plan-matching quiz leads to a trial sampler and then recurring shipments of fresh cat food, supplemented by one-off purchases of treats, broths, feeding accessories and branded merchandise from its Smalls Mart store.
Recurring revenue from subscription meal plans for cats, plus e-commerce sales of samplers, treats, supplements, feeding gear and branded apparel. Promotional offers include discounted first orders, free shipping and free treats.
Traction
The company states that 88% of customers report health improvements after switching to Smalls. It reported plans to expand personnel by nearly 25% and to enter retail distribution after its March 2023 round, and public funding records indicate $28.0 million raised across two rounds.
Latest developments
In March 2023 Smalls announced $19 million in new funding led by Companion Fund with participation from Left Lane Capital, Valor Capital, 301 INC, Founder Collective and Ohio State University's endowment fund, saying it would pursue its first in-store retail distribution, expand its product offerings and grow headcount by about 25%. Its current storefront lists newer accessory and merchandise lines alongside core fresh food plans.
▸Full profile — market position, technology, go-to-market, geography, history
Market position
A venture-backed entrant in the fresh and frozen pet food segment, positioned against conventional large-scale pet food manufacturers and alongside other fresh pet food startups; investors and press describe it as a DTC fresh cat food brand pursuing growth in a premiumizing pet nutrition market projected to exceed $277 billion in sales by 2023.
Cat-only focus in a market the company argues is dominated by dog-oriented formulations, combined with gentle cooking rather than high-temperature extrusion, human-grade ingredients, ultra-high protein content and no fillers, and personalization of plans to each cat.
Technology
Food production approach based on chopping, steaming, freezing and shipping ingredients to keep processing minimal, paired with an online quiz-driven personalization and subscription management system.
Go-to-market
Primarily direct-to-consumer via its website, using a quiz-based plan builder, a risk-free sampler with a money-back guarantee, promotional discounts and press coverage. After its 2023 funding round the company said it planned its first entry into in-store retail.
Cat owners in the United States seeking fresh, minimally processed, human-grade alternatives to conventional shelf-stable cat food, including owners of picky eaters; the company cites a US base of more than 45.3 million cat parents.
Geography
Headquartered in New York, New York, with direct-to-consumer delivery serving the United States.
History
Launched in 2017 in New York, Smalls built a direct-to-consumer subscription business around fresh, gently cooked cat food and later broadened into treats, broths, supplements and feeding accessories. In March 2023 it announced a $19 million round led by Companion Fund to fund retail expansion, additional products and hiring.
Compiled by commissioned research from 8 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.
Competitors · 5
by search overlap
Companies competing with Smalls for the same Google search keywords, organic and paid, via search-intersection analysis.
Timeline · 1
launches, deals, and filingsSmalls announced a $19 million funding round led by Companion Fund, with participation from Left Lane Capital, Valor Capital, 301 INC (General Mills' venture capital arm), Founder Collective and Ohio State University's endowment fund. Proceeds were earmarked for a first move into in-store retail, expanded product offerings and roughly 25% headcount growth.
$19M source ↗
Dated company events from announcements, filings, and press; legal rows summarize public dockets and regulator releases.
In the news
▸Research sources · 8
primary sources listed
- Smallssmalls.com · web
8 public sources were cited for this profile; the first-party ones are listed here.
Frequently asked questions
- What does Smalls do?
- Smalls is a direct-to-consumer subscription brand selling fresh, gently cooked, human-grade cat food and cat accessories.
- Who founded Smalls?
- Smalls was founded by Matthew Michaelson.
- Who are Smalls's investors?
- Smalls's investors include Companion Fund, Eastward Capital Partners, Evolution VC Partners, Founder Collective, Imaginary Venture Capital, Left Lane Capital, TMV, Touch Capital and 1 more.
- How much funding has Smalls raised?
- Smalls has disclosed $19M raised across 1 of its 2 known rounds.