León Quesney, Nicolás Calvo and Cristián Peirano are three friends who love dogs and nature. This has been a source of inspiration to develop a venture that seeks to take charge of the uncomfortable side of caring for our pets: the sustainability of the entire chain associated with this dedication.

"It was a pandemic undertaking," says Nicolás Calvo. Initially they focused on food packaging, but soon realized that the big carbon footprint was in the food itself. "Some 70% of the carbon footprint of dog food comes from the meat it is produced from," says Calvo.

From there began a two-year journey to develop dog food based on insect proteins. In alliance with the Universidad de Chile and with the support of Corfo, they developed and tested their product, which was formally launched on the market in November 2022. They allied with F4F, a company that produces insect protein from black soldier fly larvae.

Calvo highlights the advantages of this type of feed. "In addition to sustainability, we have found them to be hypoallergenic and with a high level of digestibility." They compete in the premium food market through their e-commerce channel, in which they offer a subscription system. They are also present in some stores, and in pet-friendly restaurants and cafés. pet-friendly.

But Circular Pet is not just dog food. "We are a company of sustainable products and services for pets,"says Calvo. Under that vision, Circular Pet has already launched a line of pet accessories, COD.33, made from recycled fire hoses; and has other sustainable products under study, such as food and supplements with ingredients like regenerative algae and fruit and vegetable waste.The company is also studying other sustainable products, such as food and supplements with ingredients such as regenerative algae and fruit and vegetable waste. They also seek to invite other projects with the same purpose: to create a community of sustainable pioneers, such as the manufacture of compostable bags for feces or distribution systems with electric vehicles.

With their first products on the market, they now face the financial challenge of scale. The project was initially financed with contributions from the partners and their families, in addition to an angel investor and funding from Corfo programs. They are now looking for new angel investors and do not rule out an A round of financing next year.

The market is large and growing. In Chile alone, it is estimated that there are more than two pets per family, on average. And it is the same in other Latin American countries, which is the market the partners are targeting.

But the important thing is that Circular Pet's vision goes beyond business. "Pets can help us illuminate what the path to sustainability is," Calvo concludes.