The Apex of Paws: Drools’ Leap to Unicorn Status (May 2025)
The air in the Bengaluru boardroom was thick with anticipation. It was a crisp May morning in 2025, and outside, the Indian pet care market was booming—a landscape the company, Drools, had spent over a decade shaping. The team, led by a calm but visibly energized Founder, Fahim Sultan, and the dynamic CEO, Dr. Shashank Sinha, was not here for another market update. They were here for the final signature on a deal that would catapult their humble domestic success into a global financial landmark.
Chapter 1: The Pre-Flight Checklist (The $600M Valuation)
Drools’ journey from a division of the IB Group to an independent entity was the perfect Scaleup Story. It wasn’t about a sudden viral product; it was about unwavering execution, vertical integration, and a deep, scientific understanding of pet nutrition. By 2024, they were already a formidable force.
The previous year’s Series B round of $60 million from L Catterton—the private equity arm with a luxury goods lineage—had been the formal “pre-flight” check. It had validated their operational model: six fully-owned manufacturing units, a colossal 1.6 million square feet of warehousing, and an incredibly lean supply chain. This investment had been strategically deployed to expand manufacturing capacity and turbocharge their omnichannel distribution, reaching over 40,000 retail outlets while simultaneously dominating the Amazon pet food category with their diverse portfolio (Pure Pet, Meat Up, Canine Creek).
The growth metrics were undeniable: revenue had seen a stunning 50% jump in FY24. But the scaleup wasn’t just domestic. Drools was already a leading exporter, shipping its science-backed nutrition to 22 countries across the Middle East, Africa, and Asia-Pacific. The goal was 50 countries by 2025. This global ambition, coupled with India’s exploding pet-parent culture (driven by Gen Z and millennials who treat pets as family), made Drools a high-potential asset.
Chapter 2: The Strategic Pivot (The Unicorn Catalyst)
The traditional path to unicorn status in the D2C world often involves a massive, dilutive Series C funding round. Drools chose the path of strategic validation.
The catalyst for the $1 billion valuation was the quiet, calculated entry of a global behemoth: Nestlé S.A. The Swiss consumer goods giant, whose global pet-care division, Purina, was a major revenue pillar, sought a strategic foothold in India’s hyper-growth market without the risk of a full-scale operational acquisition.
In late May 2025, the news broke: Nestlé had acquired a minority stake in Drools. This was a masterclass in scaleup strategy.
- Financial Validation: The size of the investment, though undisclosed, was enough to push Drools’ post-money valuation to $1 billion. It officially cemented the company’s status as India’s fourth unicorn of 2025 and, critically, the country’s first pet food unicorn 🦄.
- Operational Autonomy: The key to the deal was the assurance that Drools would remain strategically and operationally independent. Nestlé’s investment was explicitly “financial.” This preserved Drools’ agility, local market insight, and founder-led DNA—the very attributes that had fueled its blistering growth.
- Global Signalling: Nestlé’s backing acted as a massive stamp of approval on Drools’ product quality and market potential. It signaled to the world that an Indian domestic pet food player was now operating on an international quality and scale benchmark, immediately easing their planned export expansion.
Chapter 3: The Impact and The Future (A New Apex)
The immediate impact was electric. The unicorn status was a victory for the entire domestic pet care ecosystem. But for Drools, it was a platform, not a finish line.
The new capital influx wasn’t for mere survival; it was for doubling down on innovation and technology. The scaleup plan for the rest of 2025 was clear:
- Science-Backed Specialization: Leverage the Nestlé association to potentially gain insights into global best practices from Purina, accelerating R&D in functional nutrition, age-specific diets, and specialized therapeutic lines. The new generation of pet parents demanded transparency and science—Drools was poised to deliver hyper-personalized nutrition solutions through their D2C channels.
- Tech-Enabled Supply Chain: Further automate their manufacturing and 1.6 million sq. ft. warehousing network. Integrating AI/ML for demand forecasting—especially as they entered more complex global markets—became paramount to maintaining their razor-sharp efficiency and cost advantage.
- Global Penetration: Use the validation to aggressively pursue the target of 50 export countries. The focus shifted to formalizing partnerships in lucrative markets like South Korea and Europe, moving beyond the current 22-country footprint.
The final meeting adjourned not with loud cheers, but with a quiet, confident resolve. Drools hadn’t just reached a number; they had executed a strategic masterpiece. They had turned a commodity business into a high-growth, technology-enabled consumer brand, validated by the world’s best. The story of Drools becoming a unicorn in 2025 was the definitive tale of how a local champion, focused on product, process, and partnership, scaled its way to the top of the global pet food chain.
The Apex of Paws had been reached, and the world was now ready to pay attention to India’s home-grown pet care revolution.
Disclaimer: We do not claim ownership of any data, images, or thoughts shared on this article. Content is based on publicly referenceable data and provided for informational purposes only and the. Any views expressed belong to their respective owners. We strive for accuracy but disclaim liability for reliance on the content
