FitBark wags its way into nationwide retailer
May 29, 2015 | Bobby Burch
Animal tech company FitBark is now selling its dog activity-tracking device in Target stores nationwide.
FitBark Marketing Director Sara Rossi
The deal will place its product in front of millions of consumers each year at Target’s nearly 1,800 U.S. locations. FitBark’s animal tracking device will be featured among Target’s new “Connected-Life” section, which features other Internet-enabled products such as wireless thermostat Nest and Belkin’s wireless light switch.
“It’s been super exciting,” FitBark CEO Davide Rossi said. “We’re transitioning from early-adopters to become more mainstream. … This really allows us to reach a larger number of folks and potential buyers and to ship way more products.”
FitBark, which relocated to Kansas City after being a part of the Sprint Mobile Health Accelerator’s inaugural class, also sells its tracker in Best Buy stores in Canada. Rossi now is a member of the Pipeline Entrepreneurial Fellowship program.
FitBark allows pet owners to attach its device to a dog’s collar to begin tracking its activity, monitor its movement, set health goals and take action on any health issues. The data is transmitted to a user’s app, which provides a dashboard of the dog’s activity and performance.
Reaching potentially millions of consumers through the Target deal, however, comes with new challenges, Rossi said. In addition to fulfilling online orders, FitBark now must meet in-store demand.
“This comes with new responsibilities,” he said. “You not only have the folks that have been cheering us along on Kickstarter as we develop the product, but now we have folks buying this as a gift. … It comes with more responsibilities to support our customers.”
To meet consumer demand, Rossi said Fitbark now is hiring for three positions, which can be viewed here. He added that Kansas City has been helpful and supportive of its mission to revolutionize animal health.
“We’re really happy with the decision to move the company here,” Rossi said. “The folks, institutions and associations in Kansas City have just been phenomenal. We’ve been very blessed.”
Featured Business
2015 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
AudreySpirit fashions clothing to help chronically ill child patients feel like themselves again
AudreySpirit is designed to bring dignity to chronically sick children, said Donna Yadrich, detailing a specially created clothing line that doesn’t sacrifice practicality. “When my daughter Audrey was in the [Intensive Care Unit] the last time, I was looking at her arms and she just had so many wires and everything coming out of her…
KCultivator Q&A: Chad Feather ventured to China and back, stayed for KC kindness, community
Editor’s note: KCultivators is a lighthearted profile series to highlight people who are meaningfully enriching Kansas City’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. The KCultivator Series is sponsored by Plexpod, a progressive coworking platform offering next generation workspace for entrepreneurs, startups, and growth-stage companies of all sizes. Age doesn’t define entrepreneurial talent and Chad Feather is proof, he said…
UMKC Enactus team kicks open front door to Kansas City innovation scene with final four win
As the number of teams left standing in the Enactus U.S. nationals started to dwindle, members of the competitive entrepreneurial development program’s team at the University of Missouri-Kansas City rode a pulsating wave of excitement and emotion, recalled Ali Brandolino. “I started crying,” added Brandolino, UMKC Enactus vice president of operations. “It was the most…
ngGirls set to debut its one-day programming workshop for girls, women in Kansas City
Developing a “stress-free,” immersive learning environment is key to paving the way for female tech talent in Kansas City, said Alisa Duncan. “There are a lot of studies about how women learn better when they’re with other women and that kind of support system, so that’s what we’re trying to provide,” said Duncan, program director…