United Dogs and Cats
Online social networking website for pet owners.
| Date | Investors | Amount | Round |
|---|---|---|---|
| investor | €0.0 | round | |
€480k | Series A | ||
| Total Funding | 000k | ||
United Dogs and Cats (UDC) was an Estonian startup that operated a social network for pet owners. Founded in the late 2000s by individuals including Ragnar Sass, the platform was designed as an online community where users could create profiles for their pets, share photos, and interact with other pet owners. The service, which included websites like Kutsu.ee for Estonian dog owners, allowed users to virtually "pat" other pets.
The company was initially seen as a promising Estonian innovation. It secured a total of 650,000 EUR in funding from investors, including ASI and the state-owned Estonian Development Fund. The business model aimed to capitalize on pet owners' willingness to spend money on their animals, with potential revenue streams from targeted product offerings. Despite its initial hype and significant investment, the company failed to execute its business plan successfully. Within a year of its major funding round, United Dogs and Cats laid off all its employees and was officially dissolved in May 2012. The web portal was subsequently taken over by a new entity, United Pets OÜ, which had no apparent connection to the original founders.
Keywords: pet social network, Estonian startup, Ragnar Sass, online pet community, dot-com failure, social media for pets, Kutsu.ee, United Pets OÜ, venture capital failure, pet owner platform, digital pet profiles