The startup is carving a niche in the pet food industry by doing good
The global pet food industry has long been dominated by multinational giants like Hill’s and Eukanuba. And for decades, pet owners have been hauling 10-20kg bags of dry kibble from brick-and-mortar stores—lugging them home, dragging them upstairs, and finding space for them in already-cramped kitchens.
It was this exact hassle that sparked an idea for two friends.
Ryan Black, 34, and Chris Lee, 40, were living and working in Hong Kong when they began questioning why buying dog food had to be so cumbersome and whether it could instead be convenient, nutritionally robust, and purpose-driven all at once.
The answer to that became Buddy Bites, a door-to-door philanthropic dog food brand built on a simple promise: for every 2kg of dry kibble sold, 1kg is donated to animal shelters. Since launching in 2020, the company has fulfilled over 150,000 orders and built a growing base of customers—carving out market share from dominant players while feeding shelter dogs one meal at a time.
We spoke with the founders of Buddy Bites to learn more about their business and how they are reshaping the pet food market.
It all started over dinner
Growing up in the United Kingdom—Ryan in Edinburgh and Chris in Cheshire—the two never crossed paths until years later at a football club, when both were living and working in Hong Kong.
At the time, they were firmly planted in corporate careers. Chris was in financial services recruitment, while Ryan was in real estate finance and had just completed his MBA. But even then, the latter had been toying with the idea of launching a direct-to-consumer brand.
Over dinner one evening, in early 2020, Ryan and his girlfriend (now wife) were at Chris’s apartment when they noticed a 15kg bag of dog food sitting in the corner of the kitchen. Ryan casually remarked that buying dog food in such large bags was cumbersome, and it wasn’t always easy to know exactly what went into them.
The comment was offhand, but it stuck with them. What if they could build a subscription-based pet food brand that not only delivered premium nutrition directly to homes, but also did good—supporting dog shelters along the way? The idea carried extra weight: both founders had adopted rescue dogs themselves and knew firsthand the challenges shelters face.
Six months later, after researching potential partners and developing its proprietary kibble, Buddy Bites was born, bootstrapped by Chris and Ryan.
From day one, the founders’ philosophy was clear: simple online ordering, free delivery across Hong Kong, premium nutritious kibble formulated with veterinarians, and a non-negotiable philanthropic cause: for every 2kg of pet food sold, 1kg would be donated to shelters.
The subscription-based business model was also an obvious choice for Buddy Bites. Pet owners no longer had to worry about running out of food—once they subscribed, deliveries arrived regularly, hassle-free, straight to their door.
“We’re sure all pet owners have encountered at least once in their lives—running out of food with no spares ready to go,” said Ryan. “As the world becomes more focused on convenience, there’s no reason this shouldn’t extend to your dog’s food. The subscription element was a no-brainer.”
A formula that resonated
That year, Buddy Bites launched with just two products: a mixed kibble for puppies and a duck-flavoured option for adult dogs.
Given that the founders had no background in pet nutrition, they brought in vets and nutritionists from across Europe to help formulate their recipes.
The business began to gain traction when its first shelter partner, Catherine’s Puppies (which is also where Chris and Ryan adopted their rescue dogs), posted about Buddy Bites’ mission on Facebook—highlighting the pledge to donate pet food to shelters.
Within two weeks, they had 70 orders. “That was a real light bulb moment for us,” Chris said. “People were very keen to support shelters through us. We thought we might be onto something.”
In a market increasingly driven by millennials and Gen Z consumers—demographics known to care more about both nutrition and social impact—Buddy Bites hit on a formula that resonated.
The business also listened closely to customer feedback. As such, requests for fish-based kibble and non-poultry options eventually led to salmon and lamb kibble variants being launched. Today, the business’s range of offerings has expanded to four adult flavours, three lines of treats, and two shelf-stable toppers that do not need refrigeration—with more in the pipeline.
Each of Buddy Bites’ products undergoes extensive contaminant testing—screening for Salmonella, E. coli, and aflatoxins—to build trust in a sector where safety scares can devastate young brands, emphasised Chris.
Trust matters even more because the pet food industry is overwhelmingly dominated by large pet food brand players with many sub-brands under them.
Feeding 10 million meals without sinking the business
Despite early growth, the founders continued working full-time jobs and took no salary from Buddy Bites for about a year. By 2022, both had quit their day jobs to focus on the business full-time as demand grew.
After building a strong business in Hong Kong, Chris and Ryan looked south and established a presence in Singapore in 2022.
Today, Buddy Bites donates around 20,000 kg of food each month across the two markets. Since its launch, the company has donated more than 10 million meals to shelters.
But how does the company manage to donate so much while staying afloat? The answer lies in its business model.
While most pet food brands rely on long distribution chains, Buddy Bites keeps things lean by delivering primarily straight to customers. Beyond a small retail footprint in Hong Kong and stockists such as Little Farms and Singpet in Singapore, the company’s sales remain largely direct.
Fewer middlemen, according to the founders, mean tighter margins, more pricing control, and room to donate. “We think we can bring a better product to market at a reasonable price point and still have the ability to give back in the process,” Chris said.
Although the price of Buddy Bites’ dog food starts at S$29.60 for 2kg of kibble per month on a subscription (one-time purchases cost about 20 % more), which is pricier than offerings from pet food giants, customers are drawn by the transparency of ingredients, the convenience of doorstep delivery, and the chance to support shelters.
Since launching, the company has fulfilled over 150,000 orders. To fund further expansion, Buddy Bites has completed four fundraising rounds, raising around US$2 million to fuel its growth.
Beyond just providing meals
Currently, Buddy Bites works regularly with 15 shelters in Hong Kong and seven in Singapore, such as SOSD Singapore, Mdm Wong’s Shelter and Just4Paws, amongst other ad hoc donations. As of now, SOSD is Buddy Bite’s largest beneficiary, receiving 1,200kg of dog food every month.
If you told us five years ago that we’d be covering almost all the shelters in Singapore and Hong Kong, we’d be absolutely over the moon. The affinity to donation and animal welfare is clearly driving a decent portion of our growth.
Ryan Black, founder of Buddy Bites
For some shelters, the impact is significant and goes beyond feeding mouths.
Many, especially less well-known ones, struggle to keep the lights on. Operating on tight budgets, they are often run by volunteers and are heavily reliant on donations to cover rent, electricity, and mounting veterinary bills that have increased by more than 30% since 2022.
With food being one of shelters’ biggest recurring expenses, reducing that burden allows funds to be redirected toward medical care and rehabilitation.
In that sense, Buddy Bites is not just a donor. In some cases, it becomes part of a shelter’s operating backbone, Chris emphasised.
The relationship between Buddy Bites and animal shelters is mutually rewarding.
In return for food donations, shelters often share Buddy Bites’ mission on social media, helping raise awareness of the brand. At the same time, shelters receive a steady supply of food, allowing dogs to maintain a consistent diet—something crucial to their health and well-being.
The philanthropic loop also doubles as a customer acquisition engine.
To further raise its profile on top of donations, Buddy Bites also regularly hosts pop-ups at events such as Barkfest and Pet Expo in 2025, as well as adoption and fundraising drives for shelters in Singapore and Hong Kong.
Last year, the business also partnered with Far East to launch a semi-permanent mini dog park at One Holland Village in 2025, which will remain open until the end of 2026. Hosting events at the park has helped grow Buddy Bites’ visibility in Singapore, while strengthening the brand’s community presence.
What’s next for Buddy Bites
As it continues to grow, Buddy Bites is now setting its sights on a new market: Taiwan, with plans to expand there this year.
At the same time, the company is preparing to launch cat food, extending its 1kg-for-2kg donation philosophy to cat shelters as well. Many of the shelters they already support house both dogs and cats, and the founders observed that in markets like Hong Kong and Singapore, there are more cats than dogs.
While expanding into feline nutrition introduces new complexities, the founders find it to be crucial as it significantly broadens Buddy Bites’ impact on shelter animals.
For Chris and Ryan, the mission remains consistent: scale the business and grow the giving.
- Learn more about Buddy Bites here.
- Read more articles we’ve written on Singaporean startups here.
Featured Image Credit: Buddy Bites