Backed by Willow Growth, Habitat Ventures, and Off Leash Capital, the brand looks to streamline pet supplements with clinically backed, high-impact formulas

, /PRNewswire/ -- AJ Patel, the founder who helped build Zesty Paws^® into one of the most recognized names in pet wellness, is back with a bold new venture—and a fresh round of funding to power it forward.

Patel, along with co-founder Mike Watts, today announced a $3 million seed round for their new company, Other Half^®, a science-first pet wellness brand built for today's ingredient-savvy, results-driven pet parents. The round was led by Willow Growth, with participation from Habitat Ventures and Off Leash Capital (a division of Chicago Pacific Founders).

"We've been inside this category long enough to understand the real challenges pets and their owners face—and where legacy brands fall short," said AJ Patel, co-founder of Other Half^®. This is a space we helped shape, and we're reentering it with a clear mission: to lead with transparency, simplify wellness routines, and deliver meaningful results—not marketing noise."

The new capital will be used to grow Other Half's^® innovation pipeline, make strategic hires across marketing and product development, and scale the brand's already high-performing direct-to-consumer and Amazon presence with Everyday™ and Doggie Dental™.

Fast Traction in a Crowded Space
Since launching in November 2024 with the flagship products Everyday™ and Doggie Dental™ the brand has seen:

"We back consumer brands that know how to move fast, build trust, and scale efficiently," said Deborah Benton, Managing Partner of Willow Growth. "Consumers today demand science-backed, clean and effective ingredients to drive optimal pet health and longevity. With AJ and Mike, we're backing not just great products, but proven entrepreneurs and operators who've already won in this space—and are about to do it again."

Why Now: A Category Ready for Reinvention
Patel knows the pet wellness space well. As founder of Zesty Paws®, he scaled the brand into a category leader known for its functional formulas and approachable consumer voice. In 2021, Zesty Paws® was acquired by H&H Group in one of the largest strategic transactions in pet supplements to date.

That experience also gave Patel a front-row seat to the downside of rapid growth: a market saturated with copycat products, underdosed formulas, and brands prioritizing marketing over meaningful, simplified outcomes. Pet parents were left confused—and with shelves full of products delivering little real benefit. It revealed a clear gap in the market: rising consumer demand for transparency, simplicity, clean, human-grade ingredients, and science-backed wellness—needs that most brands still fail to meet.

Other Half^® was built to change that. The brand increases the level of active ingredients per serving to deliver multiple benefits in fewer products. Its Everyday™ formula supports digestion, joint health, skin and coat, immunity, and healthy aging—all in one clinically guided blend.

A Familiar Playbook, Sharpened
Now entering a $2B+ category, Other Half^® brings a new level of focus: science-backed formulation, human-grade ingredients, and a commitment to transparency. Its hero products—Everyday™ and Doggie Dental™ tackle some of the most critical yet underserved areas of canine health, including oral care, mobility, and digestion. The brand is also investing in consumer education and storytelling to help pet parents better understand what they're giving their pets—and why it matters.

About Other Half™ 
Launched in 2024, Other Half^® is a premium pet supplement brand built for the no-nonsense pet parent. Founded by AJ Patel and Mike Watts, the company crafts clinically reviewed, powder-based solutions that are clean, effective, and transparent. All products are human-grade, rigorously tested, and designed to deliver real benefits without the fluff.

SOURCE Other Half Pet