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Companion Fund (Digitalis Ventures) logo

Companion Fund (Digitalis Ventures)

USGBDEFRAUCNHealthtechConsumerBio/PharmaAI/MLFintechMarketplacesDeep Tech

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Investment thesis

Through the Companion Funds — a $100m first fund (2018) and a $300m second fund (2023), both backed solely by Mars Petcare — Digitalis Ventures invests in companies leveraging breakthrough science, technology, and design to improve animal health. The fund backs founders across stages, from early seed rounds to growth-stage Series B–D, in veterinary diagnostics, veterinary medicine, information technologies, online platforms, pet nutrition, and therapeutics. Companion Fund II broadens the aperture to write $10m–$30m cheques and support portfolio companies through multiple rounds of financing. The fund's partnership with Mars Petcare — the world's largest employer of veterinarians, with 2,500+ clinics and labs across 130+ countries — gives portfolio companies privileged access to operational expertise, distribution networks, and scientific resources. Investments are focused primarily on the United States and Europe, with the fund also running the Leap Venture Studio accelerator in partnership with Michelson Found Animals and R/GA Ventures for the earliest-stage founders.

Notable quotes

The first fund was $100m, and this one being $300m really opens up the aperture for us to enter companies at growth stage and support the companies we're already in through their growth stages.

Ben Jacobs · Global Corporate Venturing interview · 2023-10-25

Animal health and pet care is a relatively non-cyclical industry. You don't typically see major drops in spend for core essentials like pet food or pet healthcare relative to other consumer categories.

Ben Jacobs · Global Corporate Venturing interview · 2023-10-25

With our second Companion Fund, we are eager to support the next wave of great ideas for advancing animal health at scale. Our partnership with Mars makes these advances possible.

Geoffrey W. Smith · Mars press release — Companion Fund II launch · 2023-10-03

Recent investments

CompanyRoundSizeDate
NapoSeries B$15m2025-02-27
Native PetSeries A2023-08-10
VediSeed2023-02-24
ScratchpaySeries C$17m2022-09-20
MoeGoSeries A2022-10-06
PawpSeed2021-01-01
SmallsSeries B$19m2021-03-01
PetMedixSeed2019-01-01
ScoutBioSeed2021-01-01
MollyboxSeries A$13m2019-01-01

Frequent co-investors

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