Beyond the Bark: Innovating for a Sustainable Future How entrepreneurship, AI, and sustainability are converging to shape the next wave of growth in the pet care industry.

With 2025 on the horizon, the pet care industry is at the crossroads of innovation and sustainability. One company is leading the charge, blending cutting-edge technology with environmental responsibility to create a future that's both profitable and purposeful.

Entrepreneur UK talks to Shiv Sivakumar, co-founder at Omni a UK-based pet care company to find out more.

What trends do you expect to drive UK entrepreneurship in 2025?
The start-up landscape has faced challenges recently, with venture capital (VC) funding becoming more scarce following the rise in interest rates. However, this shift also creates a unique opportunity for new brands to emerge and thrive. The pet market, as we're seeing at Omni holds immense potential for growth, driven by a fast growing pet population and people choosing to have more pets over children. From a business fundamental side, I expect to see greater attention being placed to delivering on the unit economics of a business early on to ensure that profitability is within sight. Naturally, there will be many start-ups getting funded in the artificial intelligence (AI) space, but with lots of attention being placed on that sector, market opportunities in other areas could be overlooked and start-ups may need to work harder to be noticed.

How are you preparing for economic changes in the new year?
We continue to operate in an environment that is quite challenging for consumer products. However the requirements for business success doesn't change. Our strategy has always been to listen to our customers and deliver products that serve their needs and we continue to expand our product lines in the new year to service these opportunities. We're lucky to be operating in the fast growing and resilient pet industry where there are lots of opportunities for growth. Spending on pets is outpacing spend on kids which bodes well for our sector and this is a long term trend that we don't see changing. As the pet population grows so does the need for a truly hypoallergenic solution which is where Omni is well placed to service this growing need with our range of vet-founded, allergen-free products including food, treats and targeted nutraceuticals.

What sustainability initiatives will you focus on in 2025?
By the nature of being a hypoallergenic business we have had to critically evaluate the ingredients that go into pets diet. While most hypoallergenic solutions tend to be quite bland, many are also formulated using animal ingredients which is completely counterintuitive considering animal ingredients are the major culprit when it comes to allergy cases in pets. When we looked further we also learned at the use of animal ingredients in pet products has a massive environmental impact with 30% of all meat production going into pet products. We're delighted that as our hypoallergic range of solutions continues to scale we stand to not only create a major health impact but also an environmental impact.

What challenges do you foresee with talent management in 2025?
As a fully remote business we see the numerous benefitsremote working brings, such as increased flexibility, reduced commuting time, and access to a wider talent pool. However, it also introduces challenges in maintaining employee productivity and engagement. Without the structure of a physical office, some employees may struggle with time management, staying focused, or creating clear boundaries between work and personal life. Additionally, the lack of in-person interactions can sometimes lead to communication gaps, reduced collaboration, and a sense of isolation.

How will AI and automation impact your business strategy next year?
We're already leveraging AI across many facets of our business, with notable success in content creation. Platforms like Midjourney have revolutionized how we approach this process, enabling us to experiment with and test a wide variety of content quickly and efficiently. This has significantly informed our future content strategies by allowing us to identify what resonates with our audience in real-time. Traditionally, this would have required a time-intensive and costly approach, involving organizing specific photoshoots, coordinating teams, and managing logistical complexities. With AI, we've streamlined this workflow while retaining high-quality, engaging results.

However, we are mindful that not every area of the business benefits from automation or AI-driven solutions. Some elements, particularly those that rely on building trust and forming meaningful connections with our customers, still require a human touch. For instance, our customers consistently praise the high level of personalized care they receive through our customer service team and our complimentary veterinary consultations. These interactions foster trust and loyalty, addressing not just transactional needs but also emotional reassurance, which AI currently struggles to replicate authentically.

What's your approach to securing funding as we enter 2025?
We're excited to continue scaling the business as we experience record month-on-month growth, a testament to the strength of our offerings and the need for vet formulated, hypoallergenic solutions that work. We're fortunate to have a loyal customer base that has been instrumental in driving our success. However, we recognize the importance of never taking that loyalty for granted. Our focus remains on delivering exceptional products and experiences that not only meet but exceed customer expectations, showing them how deeply they are valued.

Financially, we are in an excellent position. With strong capitalization, we don't foresee the need to secure funding imminently. Moreover, thanks to our highly retentive customer base and robust gross margins across our product range, we're on a clear path to profitability while sustaining our rapid growth. If we do choose to raise additional funding in the future, it would be strategically focused on accelerating our growth even further and exploring opportunities to expand into new markets, ensuring we continue to build a business with long-term resilience and impact.