Stylish furniture for dogs and cats launched in Warwickshire

Stylish furniture for dogs and cats is to be launched in Warwickshire after receiving funding to help with its development.

PetNest®, PetProtector® and PupPillow® have been developed by Mark Nicholls, who is the founder of Pup & Kit®, at the Minerva Mill Innovation Centre in Station Road, Alcester.

During the prototype process, Mark and his wife, Gemma, became the owners of two black and tan dachshunds, Woody and Monty, who have proved to be perfect in testing out the products.

Mark contacted the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership (CWLEP) Growth Hub looking for support to develop the prototype of the new products.

Linda Savitri from the Growth Hub referred him to Coventry University Enterprise’s Proof of Concept Fund, which is match funded at a rate of 40% by the European Regional Development Fund, and arranged a meeting with business delivery manager Ilektra Fronista.

Following the meeting, Ilektra and her team supported Mark with completing the application form and he was successfully awarded a grant of £6,061.16 to add to his £15,000 investment into one of the products, PetNest®.

Mark said he was looking forward to the three products reaching the market – particularly since Woody and Monty’s reaction has been so positive!

He said: “I started working on Pup & Kit in 2022 because I thought there was a gap in the market for high-quality, innovative furniture for dogs and cats.

“PetNest® will be our core product, which is a stylish pet bed for dogs and cats that can be put on top of our bedside stand at night-time – similar to how a bedside crib works for babies. With 55% of pet parents having their pet in their bedroom at night, I felt there was a big gap in the market for a product like PetNest®.

“As our focus is to design stylish and innovative products that blend seamlessly into the home, the materials we use is paramount. PetNest® is made from recycled polyester felt which is thermomoulded into a more rigid material. This makes it durable yet lightweight and portable which means it is ideal for holidays and overnight stays.

“The Proof of Concept funding helped with developing the prototypes for the PetNest® which really gave me confidence having that extra support and took away a financial barrier.”

Despite not having dogs at the time of Pup & Kit’s inception, this didn’t hold Mark back.

He added: “I started Pup & Kit® before we got Woody and Monty, which was a benefit in helping to develop the brand. It gave me a fresh perspective and forced me to thoroughly research the market. Since then, of course, having two loving Dachshund’s has been wonderful and has allowed me to see products from an owner’s perspective.

“I am really grateful to the help and support of the Growth Hub and Coventry University Enterprises, since I’m now in a position to launch the business and I’m really excited about its future.”

Linda Savitri, account manager at CWLEP Growth Hub, said Pup & Kit was a perfect example of the kind of businesses that the Growth Hub is here to support.

“Whether a business is at the prototype stage such as Pup & Kit® or is established, we have the expertise to help business owners access funding which can make a real difference,” she said.

“Mark has completed all the necessary Intellectual Property due diligence and the products developed by Pup & Kit look really smart.”

Ilektra Fronista, business delivery manager at Coventry University Enterprises, said: “With the Proof of Concept grant programme, we aim to support SMEs in Coventry & Warwickshire and Greater Birmingham & Solihull area with their pre-commercialisation projects and early stage development of new technologies and innovative ideas.

“Pup & Kit has come up with the new concept of their PetNest® product and accessing the ‘Proof of Concept’ ERDF grant has enabled them to develop and test their prototypes as well as make sure the necessary compliance required and factory standards are met before production.

“The grant support has allowed them to access the right resources, move forward faster and reduce the financial risk at the early stage of the project which can be very crucial for a small company.”