Soopa Pets To Create 10 New Jobs Following €400k Investment
29th April 2016
HBAN is a joint initiative of Enterprise Ireland and InterTrade Ireland – it is the all-island group responsible for promoting business angel investment. On April 18th, HBAN announced an investment in Soopa Pets, the maker of healthy and nutritious dog treats.
The €400,000 funding was led by business angels from the HBAN Food Syndicate, with support from Enterprise Ireland, and will see the creation of 10 jobs in Soopa Pets. The new roles will be in customer support, sales and marketing, as the company – whose treats are now sold in the UK, Ireland, Spain, Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Singapore – targets further international expansion.
Founded by Barbara Hanly, Soopa Pets manufactures healthy pet treats made from 100% fruit and vegetables. After leaving a career in financial recruitment to start a dog-grooming business, Barbara was shocked to see large numbers of dogs with medical issues such as obesity, diabetes and pancreatitis. She decided to capitalise on the gap in the market for low fat, nutrient-packed treats.
As the company looks to expand, it will benefit from the ‘smart money’ aspect of angel investing. A total of nine investors from the HBAN Food Syndicate were involved in the deal that will provided Soopa Pets with not just essential funding, but ongoing strategic support and advice, too. The investors are retail heavyweights with experience in the areas of production, sales, marketing and distribution. The HBAN Food Syndicate’s combined expertise will help Soopa Pets target a wider market base.
Speaking about the announcement, founder Barbara Hanly said: “I was driven to set up Soopa Pets by a desire to provide something that simply wasn’t available to pet owners –healthy and nutritious pet treats. Soopa Chews are 100% natural and suitable for dogs with health issues such as diabetes or liver disease. The HBAN Food Syndicate has a wealth of knowledge and experience within the food sector and it is great to have them on board as investors, as they really understand what drives success. Their experience and advice will help Soopa Pets expand and bring our delicious, super-nutritious treat to the European market.”
(Pictured L-R: Stephen Twaddell, Chair, HBAN Food Syndicate; Orlagh Nolan, HBAN; Colm Healy, Investor, HBAN Food Syndicate; Pat Rigney, Investor, HBAN Food Syndicate; and Barbara Hanly, Founder, Soopa Pets.)
