MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA — Lyka Pet Food, an Australian producer of fresh dog food, has announced a flagship manufacturing facility and distribution center in Dandenong South, Victoria. The young pet food company has invested $16 million in the operation, which will create more than 100 jobs in the area, according to the Victoria State Government’s Department of Jobs, Skills, Industry and Regions.
The new facility will house new production lines with automated equipment, as well as a distribution center to increase Lyka’s distribution capacity fourfold. These operational improvements are expected to drive efficiency and support the company’s goal of providing diets that retain key nutrients through processing.
Many of the ingredients used in Lyka’s fresh dog foods will be sourced in or near Victoria, and the company will use regional supply chain partners, logistics providers and agricultural suppliers wherever possible.
Lyka distributes its fresh dog foods directly to consumers through its e-commerce platform. According to its website, the company has delivered more than 30 million meals to Aussie dogs, to date.
Matthew Muir, Ph.D., integrative veterinarian and co-founder of Lyka with Anna Podolsky, develops the company’s diets with support from a team of veterinary nutritionists. Lyka uses individual factors such as weight, breed, lifestyle and activity level to create customized, portion-controlled fresh diets for its four-legged customers.
According to Animal Medicines Australia, almost 70% of all Australian households own at least one pet. With this level of pet ownership, Lyka’s new facility aims to meet the growing demand for highly nutritious, sustainable dog foods and treats made with local ingredients. The facility will also build on Victoria’s successful food and beverage manufacturing sector, which employs more than 77,000 people and is worth around $40 billion.
Lyka has received several investments since it was founded in 2018. In 2019 and 2020, the company secured over $1.57 million in seed funding, followed by another $6.5 million AUD (approximately $4.81 million USD at the time that) in July 2021 from Shearwater Capital, Wattle Hill Capital, Afterwork Ventures, and two strategic angel investors. In 2023, the company announced a total series B funding of $55 million.
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