PETFRESH provides custom meal plans appropriate for aging and sick companion animals, and is meeting the demand for healthy pet diets, which has grown with the spread of the culture of pet humanization, by producing and distributing wet feed and premium snacks with a focus on whole ingredients. It was founded in July 2023 by CEO Chanmi Oh.
Its representative offerings are the wet feed ‘Deundeunhankki,’ made with five whole ingredients, and premium snacks made with nine whole ingredients. The company has launched unique products such as moist chicken and calcium eel, and received a very favorable response from customers. In August this year, the company launched a ‘post-biotic booster.’ With 1,000 CFUs guaranteed per pouch, it can address tearing, skin, and allergy issues all at once. Furthermore, the company has fully equipped production facilities capable of providing wet feed tailored to each companion animal to address concerns about diet, health, and allergies.
‘Deundeunhankki’ is a retort-sterilized wet feed made with whole ingredients that uses PETFRESH’s blending and flavor preservation technology. Compared to conventional dry feed or refrigerated/frozen cooked (wet) feed, it offers better palatability. It can also be stored at room temperature and eaten immediately without cooking or thawing, so it’s well-suited to modern lifestyles.
It contains no preservatives, additives, or colorings, so you don’t have to worry about tearing or allergies caused by synthetic additives or chemical excipients. It’s also made with 100% whole ingredients, so you can rest assured that your pet is eating a healthy diet. The product has a shelf life of up to two years, so inventory concerns are minimal. It is also sterilized, meeting the requirements for export approval and container shipping, which means overseas expansion will face no issues.
PETFRESH has had its own manufacturing plant since the beginning and provides one-stop management from production to distribution, which is rare for a startup pet food business. The company’s biggest advantage is that it manages the entire process from ingredients to production to ensure a high-quality, safe product.
For sales, CEO Oh initially focused on offline stores. This was based on the idea that in the premium pet food market, building trust in the product through customer experience is the most important factor. The company opened pop-up stores in Hanam, Gyeonggi-do, and Dongjak-gu and Gangnam-gu, Seoul, and met with customers in person. Following product testing, the company began rebranding and expanded into offline stores in October 2024.
PETFRESH pop-up stores were opened in major department stores, including Galleria Department Store, Lotte Department Store, Hyundai Department Store, Times Square (Kyungbang), and NC Department Store. Sales were excellent, and some major products sold out. Currently, the company directly operates shops in Galleria Department Stores CenterCity and Jinju, and the brand’s products are available in Galleria Department Store Gwanggyo, The Hyundai Seoul, and Hyundai Department Store Chungcheong Store.
“There are also pickup stations with PETFRESH products operating at animal hospitals, cafes, and other locations in major areas. For the online market, we offer one-month product subscriptions through our online mall, and our products are also available through Coupang Rocket Delivery, Kurly Early Morning Delivery, and SSG Overnight Delivery.
What made CEO Oh decide to start a new company? CEO Oh said, “Due to COVID-19, working from home became commonplace in March of 2020. I thought this was the time that I could finally adopt a pet. After adopting a border collie mix, my biggest concern was that I wanted to live happily and joyfully with my dog for a ‘long, long time,’ but there were very few pet foods I trusted enough to buy. So I studied food nutrition and tried out some American premium pet food products, and finally decided to create my own healthy pet food. Then, I left my job as an economics journalist and my doctoral studies at Seoul National University School of Law and established PETFRESH. For startup capital, I used the savings I had accumulated over ten years working as a producer and reporter, and supplemented this through various national youth startup support programs.”
PETFRESH secured seed investment in July 2025 from ENSL Partners and the University of Seoul Technology Holdings. After their first meeting, ENSL Partners observed PETFRESH’s growth for a year before deciding to make a seed investment. Considering its rapid sales growth and the establishment of overseas sales channels, PETFRESH plans to seek pre-A or series A investment in the first half of 2026.
“Since just after launch, we have continued meeting with pet owners at our offline shops. Based on these communications about various topics, such as the lack of information about pet food or pet health issues, we found out what the biggest concerns of pet owners are. I’m delighted when I hear that our products have significantly improved various ailments, such as allergies and tearing, or that picky dogs and cats have happily enjoyed our treats. This year, we participated in the SUPERZOO exhibition in Las Vegas, U.S.A., where we introduced our products to foreign buyers. These buyer meetings were a success, and our products were highly evaluated for flavor, shape, and aroma. They led to delivery and production inquiries from the U.S.A., Canada, Europe, and South America. It makes me proud to see that we’re playing a part in transforming Korea from a pet food buyer to a pet food exporter.”
Regarding future plans, CEO Oh said, “We aim to become the No.1 pet food tech company in Korea,” and added, “In the short term, we aim to expand and automate our factories, and improve our R&D capabilities by applying to TIPS.” If exports go according to plan, we hope to establish production facilities in the U.S.A. and make the leap into a full-fledged exporting company.”
Date of Establishment: July 2023
Main Business: Production and sales of pet food and pet health supplements
Performance: Selected for the 2024 K-Unicorn Academy, Chung-Ang University Campus Town tenant company, selected for the Blue Startup Support Program, selected for the Comprehensive IP Creation Package, selected for a product research and development project, selected for the Youth Blue Food Startup Package Support Project, selected for the Agricultural Food Venture Incubation Support Program (Startups), opened a shop in Galleria Department Store, attracted seed investment
reporter jinho lee
jinho2323@hankyung.com
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