{"data":{"type":"company_profile","id":21937,"entity_id":"wefunder:company:21937","attributes":{"canonical_url":"https://wefunder.com/ketonatural","generated_at":"2026-06-23T06:04:24Z","updated_at":"2026-06-23T05:01:16Z","entity_ids":{"company":"wefunder:company:21937","slug":"wefunder:company_slug:ketonatural"},"profile_visibility":{"owner_published":true,"public_search_results":true,"site_search_listed":true,"privacy_mode":"promote","invite_only":false},"provenance":{"source":"wefunder_public_company_profile","as_of":"2026-06-23T06:04:24Z","claims":{"total_amount_raised":{"source":"FrontCompanySummary#amount_raised","last_verified_at":"2026-06-23T05:01:16Z","as_of":"2026-06-23T06:04:24Z","confidence":"high"},"total_investors":{"source":"FrontCompanySummary#number_of_investors","last_verified_at":"2026-06-23T05:01:16Z","as_of":"2026-06-23T06:04:24Z","confidence":"high"},"active_raise_states":{"source":"Fundraise.visible(nil, nil)","last_verified_at":"2025-03-04T21:51:42Z","as_of":"2026-06-23T06:04:24Z","confidence":"high"},"latest_fundraise_state":{"source":"Fundraise.visible(nil, nil).order(funding_started_at)","last_verified_at":"2025-03-04T21:51:42Z","as_of":"2026-06-23T06:04:24Z","confidence":"medium"}}},"company":{"id":21937,"entity_id":"wefunder:company:21937","slug":"ketonatural","name":"KetoNatural Pet Foods","tagline":"Tearing down the house of carbs that is the modern pet food industry","elevator_pitch":"Ketona is a revolutionary dry dog food with 75% less carbohydrate than other leading \"grain-free\" brands. It is a truly first-of-its-kind product, with 5% of the carbohydrate content typical of an expensive raw diet but with the cost and convenience of kibble. After a successful Kickstarter campaign, we've begun selling Ketona through our website and are producing the first batches of our salmon recipe while ramping up our efforts to educate pet owners on the dangers of carbohydrate consumption.","location":"Salt Lake City, UT","website":"https://www.ketonaturalpetfoods.com","total_amount_raised":72381,"total_investors":131,"is_funded":true,"is_active":true,"related_urls":["https://wefunder.com/ketonatural","https://www.ketonaturalpetfoods.com"]},"media":{"share_image_url":"https://uploads.wefunder.com/uploads/company/header_media_photo/21937/xxl_cropped_Screen_Shot_2018-07-11_at_3.52.34_PM.jpg","logo_url":"https://uploads.wefunder.com/uploads/company/logo/21937/large_cropped_Screen_Shot_2017-07-05_at_9.04.51_AM-2_copy.png","header_media_url":"https://uploads.wefunder.com/uploads/company/header_media_photo/21937/standard_cropped_Screen_Shot_2018-07-11_at_3.52.34_PM.jpg","cover_photo_url":"https://uploads.wefunder.com/uploads/company/header_media_photo/21937/standard_cropped_Screen_Shot_2018-07-11_at_3.52.34_PM.jpg"},"links":{"company_url":"https://www.ketonaturalpetfoods.com","twitter_url":"http://twitter.com/ketonatural","facebook_url":"https://www.facebook.com/ketonaturalpetfoods/"},"highlights":[],"quick_facts":[{"index":1,"claim_id":"claim-fact-1","value":"Raised $127,500 in equity investment prior to proof of concept."},{"index":2,"claim_id":"claim-fact-2","value":"Granted\u0026nbsp;regulatory approval for two dry dog food formulations with less than 5% carbohydrate."},{"index":3,"claim_id":"claim-fact-3","value":"Completed 2nd most successful pet food Kickstarter campaign in history\u0026nbsp;for our \"minimum viable product,\" with more than $11,000 in funding raised from 100 new customers."},{"index":4,"claim_id":"claim-fact-4","value":"Founded by Daniel Schulof, the Dr. Atkins of the pet world and author of the only book ever devoted to the scientific benefits of a low-carb diet for pets."},{"index":5,"claim_id":"claim-fact-5","value":"The founding team grew our sister company (Varsity Pets) to more than $1M in revenue and more than 20,000 paying customers without any third-party investment."},{"index":6,"claim_id":"claim-fact-6","value":"In the two months since our \"soft launch\" -- operating with a limited budget,\u0026nbsp;essentially no paid marketing, and selling only our minimum viable product --\u0026nbsp; our total revenues already exceed $15,000 and monthly subscriptions already exceed $1"}],"team":[{"id":219949,"entity_id":"wefunder:company_role:219949","user_entity_id":"wefunder:user:96804","role":"founder","name":"Daniel Schulof","title":"Co-founder and CEO","bio":"I wrote the book on pet food. Literally. Prior to that, I built a highly-automated e-commerce pet business to $1M+ in passive income, without investors, employees, or an office. I'm also a lawyer.","avatar_url":"https://uploads.wefunder.com/uploads/company_role/custom_photo/219949/square_cropped_Daniel_and_Kody_2.jpg?1518451415","profile_url":"https://wefunder.com/danielschulof","related_urls":["https://wefunder.com/danielschulof"]},{"id":232036,"entity_id":"wefunder:company_role:232036","user_entity_id":"wefunder:user:146556","role":"founder","name":"Nathan Mostow","title":"COO","bio":"Former financial consultant, senior financial advisor at Merrill Lynch.","avatar_url":"http://uploads.wefunder.com/uploads/user/avatar/146556/large_cropped_Professional_Photo.jpg?1520027047","profile_url":"https://wefunder.com/nathanmostow","related_urls":["https://wefunder.com/nathanmostow"]},{"id":232037,"entity_id":"wefunder:company_role:232037","user_entity_id":"wefunder:user:146921","role":"founder","name":"Michael DAmico","title":"CFO","bio":"CFA with an MS in Finance and almost 10 years professional experience.","avatar_url":"http://uploads.wefunder.com/uploads/user/avatar/146921/large_cropped_Profile_Pic.jpg?1520026994","profile_url":"https://wefunder.com/michaeldamico","related_urls":["https://wefunder.com/michaeldamico"]}],"featured_investors":[],"investor_memos":[],"tab_counts":{"posts":8,"ask_questions":23,"featured_investors":0,"faq_entries":5},"active_fundraises":[{"id":15605,"entity_id":"wefunder:fundraise:15605","state":"successful","offering_type":"4(a)(6)","funding_type":"note","structure":"safe","security_type":"equity","currency":"USD","testing_the_waters":false,"min_purchase":100,"max_purchase":9,"funding_target":107000.0,"minimum_target":"50000.0","maximum_target":"107000.0","funding_started_at":"2018-03-02T22:50:26Z","funding_closed_at":"2018-09-03T04:01:29Z","auto_close_at":"2018-09-01T03:59:59Z"}],"latest_fundraise":{"id":15605,"entity_id":"wefunder:fundraise:15605","state":"successful","offering_type":"4(a)(6)","structure":"safe","testing_the_waters":false,"can_invest_now":false,"funding_started_at":"2018-03-02T22:50:26Z","funding_closed_at":"2018-09-03T04:01:29Z","terms":{"eb":null,"nb":"$6M","txt":"valuation cap"}},"recent_posts":[{"id":92664,"entity_id":"wefunder:feed_item:92664","type":"FeedItem::Update","visibility":"public","title":"Only Four Days Left!","preview":"Hi everyone --I'm just writing to remind you that our WeFunder campaign will finally draw to a close THIS FRIDAY. That means you've only got FOUR DAYS LEFT\u0026nbsp;to invest! No more procrastinating -- now's the time!Thanks so much for all your support. I hope we can make you all proud (and rich!).Daniel","published_at":"2018-08-28T14:50:50Z","author_name":"Daniel Schulof","url":"/feed/92664","canonical_url":"https://wefunder.com/feed/92664"},{"id":92714,"entity_id":"wefunder:feed_item:92714","type":"FeedItem::Update","visibility":"public","title":"Time Is Running Out to Invest in KetoNatural Pet Foods!","preview":"July was another fantastic month for KetoNatural!It was our biggest month ever -- we sold more than $30,000 worth of Ketona directly to our online customers. Our growth rate continued to accelerate too -- we grew faster last month than ever before in the history of our company. In just a few months we've gone from \"square one\" to more than $1,000 in DTC sales every single day. We're far ahead of our original sales\u0026nbsp;projections.We also produced several thousand pounds of Ketona Salmon Reci...","published_at":"2018-08-09T13:39:54Z","author_name":"Daniel Schulof","url":"/feed/92714","canonical_url":"https://wefunder.com/feed/92714"},{"id":92124,"entity_id":"wefunder:feed_item:92124","type":"FeedItem::Update","visibility":"public","title":"We Made It!","preview":"I hope you're all having a wonderful weekend.\u0026nbsp;I'm just writing to let you know that we have officially achieved our fundraising goal of $50,000!For the 96\u0026nbsp;of you who have already invested, thank you so much for your support. I hope we can make you proud with our efforts.For those of you who haven't yet invested, right now your value for money is better than ever and we'd love to welcome you aboard our industry-changing bus. I hope you'll consider climbing on.We expect that the campa...","published_at":"2018-07-08T13:07:06Z","author_name":"Daniel Schulof","url":"/feed/92124","canonical_url":"https://wefunder.com/feed/92124"},{"id":92116,"entity_id":"wefunder:feed_item:92116","type":"FeedItem::Update","visibility":"public","title":"July Update: Continued Growth, New Partners, SuperZoo Pet Expo, and More","preview":"Hi everyone --Just a very quick update to let you all know what's been transpiring in KetoNatural world over the last month.First of all, an updated on\u0026nbsp;our WeFunder campaign. The campaign is now within $1k of reaching our fundraising goal. So if you like what you read below, please consider making a small investment (or increasing your existing investment a bit). We're so, so close now. Just think, you could be the one that gets us over the goal line!Second, a brief sales update. In shor...","published_at":"2018-07-06T15:54:07Z","author_name":"Daniel Schulof","url":"/feed/92116","canonical_url":"https://wefunder.com/feed/92116"},{"id":91931,"entity_id":"wefunder:feed_item:91931","type":"FeedItem::Update","visibility":"public","title":"Another Sales Update: All Graphs Go Up and to the Right!","preview":"Hi again everyone --So we've got one more month to go in our campaign and we are about 90% of the way to our fundraising target. We're getting so close! If you've been watching the campaign and waiting for the right time to take the plunge, may I humbly suggest that NOW'S\u0026nbsp;THE TIME. We're right on the doorstep of something very special and all it will take now is a few thousand bucks to get us where we need to go.So how are we doing, business-wise? Well. Very well.May 2018 was our best mo...","published_at":"2018-06-05T15:11:43Z","author_name":"Daniel Schulof","url":"/feed/91931","canonical_url":"https://wefunder.com/feed/91931"},{"id":91702,"entity_id":"wefunder:feed_item:91702","type":"FeedItem::Update","visibility":"public","title":"KetoNatural in SELF Magazine","preview":"I thought y'all might like to know that yesterday we got a little mention in a SELF magazine\u0026nbsp;article about ketogenic diets. Go us!","published_at":"2018-04-17T16:08:11Z","author_name":"Daniel Schulof","url":"/feed/91702","canonical_url":"https://wefunder.com/feed/91702"},{"id":91688,"entity_id":"wefunder:feed_item:91688","type":"FeedItem::Update","visibility":"public","title":"What do real customers think of Ketona?","preview":"With more than $27,000 through the door, our WeFunder\u0026nbsp;campaign has officially passed\u0026nbsp;the halfway point! Thanks so much for all your support -- I\u0026nbsp;hope we can make you all proud (and wealthy)!In case some of you STILL aren't convinced that Ketona is a truly revolutionary product that's destined to change the pet food industry forever, I thought I'd try to give you a sense of what real pet owners are saying about us. At the moment, Ketona Chicken Recipe For Adult Dogs is one of ve...","published_at":"2018-04-16T16:18:39Z","author_name":"Daniel Schulof","url":"/feed/91688","canonical_url":"https://wefunder.com/feed/91688"},{"id":91615,"entity_id":"wefunder:feed_item:91615","type":"FeedItem::Update","visibility":"public","title":"Sales/Subscriptions Update","preview":"Hi everyone --I hope you're all doing well. I'm writing to update you on two topics:(1) Sales performance since our campaign began.(2) Investor activities (inside and outside of WeFunder)\u0026nbsp;since our campaign began.I'll jump right in.Sales and SubscriptionsThe early indications of\u0026nbsp;demand for Ketona have been excellent.\u0026nbsp;We've sold approximately $7,000 worth of product since this campaign began a little less than one month ago. And, since commencing sales operations in December 201...","published_at":"2018-04-04T15:31:19Z","author_name":"Daniel Schulof","url":"/feed/91615","canonical_url":"https://wefunder.com/feed/91615"}],"q_and_a":[{"id":19778,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:19778","question":"I applaud anyone who wants to make healthier products for my dogs. My biggest concern for you guys is distribution. The shelves are filled, premium shelf placement is already bought or allotted to brands that generate high velocity turns, and the space is already hyper-competitive...what's your strategy for obtaining sustainable, premium distribution and shelf space?","author_name":"Bernie Freeman","votes":1,"created_at":"2018-04-12T18:08:02Z","canonical_url":"https://wefunder.com/ketonatural#question-19778","answers":[{"id":19839,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:19839","answer":"Hi Bernie. Thanks for your question and for your interest in KNPF. One comment that's relevant to your question (although it's not exactly an answer) is that DTC distribution is a very significant part of our strategy, particularly in the short run. The reasons for this are myriad -- (1) the industry is trending strongly in that direction already (I understand that Amazon's DTC pet food sales increased by more than 70% last year); (2) Internet-based marketing through advertising platforms such as Facebook Ads, Google AdWords, Twitter Ads, and others is one of our founding team's true core competencies; (3) our margins are significantly better on our DTC sales (and they'll get even better as our fulfillment network grows in size); and (4) we offer auto-ship subscription programs for our DTC customers, which improve brand loyalty and the expected lifetime value of each customer. We believe that we could be a $50M business without doing any traditional brick-and-mortar distribution whatsoever. That said, unlike other recent pet food startups (such as Ollie and The Farmer's Dog), we are not planning to exclude traditional distribution from our plans. (In fact, we've already been approached by approximately a dozen different pet specialty retailers, just through word-of-mouth.) Conceptually-speaking, the pillars of our strategy for making headway in this regard are (1) a wholesale sales pitch focused on the high price point and truly unique nature of our product (in terms of substantive nutritional content, there's simply nothing else remotely like it on shelves today); (2) the robust network of retailer contacts that we've collected through relationships with our various strategic advisors; and (3) an aggressive, guerrilla-style marketing program that will emerge primarily after seed-stage and Series A-stage fundraising rounds are complete, aimed at mimicking the advertising reach of leading brands, but on a much smaller budget (involving tactics such as clinical studies, veterinarian influence/education campaigns, viral video production, and a few other things that we probably ought not talk about here). Essentially, the model for our brick-and-mortar ambitions is Red Bull -- a brand that penetrated deeply into brick-and-mortar retail by using guerrilla marketing strategies to sell a more expensive and substantively new/different soda product. I hope that gives you a little bit of a sense of how we plan to make traditional wholesale distribution work for KNPF. Thanks again for your question.","author_name":"Daniel Schulof","votes":2,"created_at":"2018-04-13T13:55:26Z"}]},{"id":18594,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:18594","question":"A couple questions: How do you justify such a high valuation cap for such a new and unproven company? Looks like you only have about 50k worth of total assets and you are looking to take out a number of large loans on took of what looks like 20k in existing loans. What rate do you have on the loans and what rates can you expect on the new loans you are applying for? How do your profit margins (looks like 40-55% when selling retail) compare to the sellers of cheap carb-filled products? Are the founders eating a ketogenic diet (defined here as \u0026lt;5% caloric intake from carbs and a moderate intake of protein)? There is even more research saying it's good for people. What was the valuation of the previous funds raised with SAFE ($97,500 9/2017) and the common stock sold ($30,000 7/2017)? Why is this a separate company than Varsity Pets? Seems like it creates an unneeded possibility of a conflict of interest and pushes off the risk to strangers. Thanks in advance for your answers. Edit: fixed a typo, less than was mistyped as greater than","author_name":"Andrew Bushnell","votes":1,"created_at":"2018-03-03T01:55:50Z","canonical_url":"https://wefunder.com/ketonatural#question-18594","answers":[{"id":18607,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:18607","answer":"1) \"How do you justify such a high valuation cap for such a new and unproven company?\" Given that our sales track record is so limited (even though our research/development and regulatory accomplishments are already quite significant), we think a valuation methodology grounded in overall market size is a fairer reflection of the risks and benefits of this investment opportunity than a methodology based on historical sales data. Pet food is a $28B/year industry in the U.S. If we can capture just 0.1% of that market (one out of every one thousand pet-owners) by the time the company is mature, then the company's value will likely exceed $120M (given the annual revenue multipliers used in other recent pet food exits). That alone would represent AT LEAST a 20x increase on the valuation used in connection with this round of investment. And we think that's a sufficiently attractive incentive to counterbalance the significant risks inherent in investing in such a new venture. (Or, to approach it another way, we estimate that there are already AT LEAST one million dog-owners in the U.S. who believe strongly in the healthfulness of low-carbohydrate diets. If we can make loyal customers out of just 10% of that universe by the time the company is mature, then its overall value will likely exceed $300M.) But, more importantly, remember that it is entirely possible (indeed, it seems that you believe it is likely) that investors in this round will get their equity at a valuation well BELOW the cap. For instance, our efforts to raise funding from institutional investors in the coming year may only yield offers at, say, a $3M valuation. In that case, investors in this round will get their equity at a much lower price than the $6M valuation cap. So if you truly believe that savvy institutional investors won't agree with the valuation rationale set forth above (but you like our underlying business), it seems that's actually something of an argument in favor of investing in this round. Frankly, we think the more pertinent valuation-related issue is whether the discount rate on offer is a fair reflection of the risk that investors in this round are assuming but which our next round of investors will be avoiding. And, in that regard, we think a 20% discount is fair and reasonable -- we will be actively seeking investment from institutional partners in the very near future (so the company likely won't have much time to change between this round and the next one) and, in our experience, 20% discounts are common at this stage in a company's lifecycle. 2) \"Looks like you only have about 50k worth of total assets and you are looking to take out a number of large loans on took of what looks like 20k in existing loans. What rate do you have on the loans and what rates can you expect on the new loans you are applying for?\" We have no existing loans -- the $20k liability on our balance sheet is an inventory account payable that will be paid off in the next 1-2 weeks. We expect that the $80k in term loans that we have applied for will carry annual interest rates of about 8.5% and 60-month repayment terms. 3) \"How do your profit margins (looks like 40-55% when selling retail) compare to the sellers of cheap carb-filled products?\" We can't speak to this with great specificity but based on feedback from advisors with extensive experience in the pet food industry, we do know that 50% gross margins are at least reasonably common in the dry pet food market. As you can imagine, margins vary widely across the industry. 4) \"Are the founders eating a ketogenic diet (defined here as \u0026gt;5% caloric intake from carbs and a moderate intake of protein)?\" Yes, all of our founders believe that ketogenic diets are healthful for human beings too and we all try to eat that way at home. 5) \"What was the valuation of the previous funds raised with SAFE ($97,500 9/2017) and the common stock sold ($30,000 7/2017)?\" The complete terms that were offered to these \"proof of concept\" round investors are disclosed in our Form C. The SAFEs all used a $4M valuation cap and a 30% discount rate. The common stock was a flat $2M valuation (because that investor was unfamiliar with SAFEs). 6) \"Why is this a separate company than Varsity Pets?\" A number of reasons: (1) the equity breakdown of Varsity Pets is not a fair reflection of the contributions of the various founders to KetoNatural; (2) the core business of Varsity Pets doesn't scale nearly as effectively as the core business of KetoNatural and we don't want to have to choose between (a) having to spend money scaling something that doesn't work in that way or (b) having a rinky-dink pet toy company dangling off of a pet food brand that aspires for international prominence; (3) we believe we'd lose more than we'd gain by asking prospective investors to analyze the risks and benefits of investing in Varsity Pets in addition to those associated with KetoNatural; and (4) for a host of specific reasons, we strongly believe that the Varsity Pets brand is the wrong fit for this pet food venture -- we'd prefer not to explicitly associate the jokey/playful/plucky-upstart tone of VP with the very serious field of evidence-based pet nutrition. Thanks for your questions.","author_name":"Daniel Schulof","votes":0,"created_at":"2018-03-03T16:36:43Z"}]},{"id":64853,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:64853","question":"Hi! I have moved since I invested. Could you update my physical address on file, if you have any? Thanks!","author_name":"Hong Xu","votes":0,"created_at":"2019-10-01T03:46:58Z","canonical_url":"https://wefunder.com/ketonatural#question-64853","answers":[]},{"id":53561,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:53561","question":"Hello, I invested $250 to get the perk. I have not received any of the dog food. Do you know when the investors can expect to receive it? Thanks.","author_name":"Eric Scott Williams","votes":0,"created_at":"2019-05-22T19:05:22Z","canonical_url":"https://wefunder.com/ketonatural#question-53561","answers":[{"id":53597,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:53597","answer":"Hi Eric. We actually sent all the perks out quite a while ago. I'm not sure what happened to yours but I'll be happy to just re-send it. Looks like we owe you two of our 4.2-pound bags. Please e-mail me at daniel AT ketonaturalpetfoods DOT com and let me know your address and whether you prefer chicken or salmon recipe. Cheers, Dan​","author_name":"Daniel Schulof","votes":1,"created_at":"2019-05-23T13:57:57Z"}]},{"id":33174,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:33174","question":"Yes, Daniel, to my recollection our discussion is thus far accurate. I'm merely missing the documentation on things. Can you help me recover that which is missing, please? my email has not changed, yet my physical address has. Thank you for reaching out so quickly.","author_name":"Aaron Bryant Cecil","votes":0,"created_at":"2019-01-11T16:56:35Z","canonical_url":"https://wefunder.com/ketonatural#question-33174","answers":[{"id":33355,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:33355","answer":"Hi Aaron. I actually don't think you're missing anything. The investment vehicle through which you invested in KetoNatural is a SAFE, so the precise number of shares you are going to receive won't be defined until the next investment round (when a firm valuation is assigned to the company for purposes of that investment). At that time, all WeFunder investors will receive their equity in documentary form. Does that make sense?","author_name":"Daniel Schulof","votes":0,"created_at":"2019-01-15T00:01:50Z"}]},{"id":33115,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:33115","question":"To Whom It Would Concern: For some reason I have yet to receive information to confirm the investment made in ketonaturals. Please reach out to me at the nearest convenience. thank you kindly. AC","author_name":"Aaron Bryant Cecil","votes":0,"created_at":"2019-01-10T17:52:10Z","canonical_url":"https://wefunder.com/ketonatural#question-33115","answers":[{"id":33170,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:33170","answer":"Hi Aaron. According to our records, we have you down for having invested $100 in early May\u0026nbsp;at the primary SAFE terms offered in connection with the WeFunder campaign. Is that consistent with your records? Cheers,\u0026nbsp;Daniel","author_name":"Daniel Schulof","votes":1,"created_at":"2019-01-11T13:23:57Z"}]},{"id":27004,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:27004","question":"What percentage of the protein in your product is animal-derived and what percentage is derived from plants? Do you have any plans to change the recipe in light of the FDA report that legumes (such as peas) are suspected to interfere with assimilation of taurine, leading to heart disease in the pets fed them?","author_name":"Susan Sherwin","votes":0,"created_at":"2018-09-03T20:27:44Z","canonical_url":"https://wefunder.com/ketonatural#question-27004","answers":[{"id":27093,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:27093","answer":"Hi Susan. The short answers: (1) the ratio of animal protein to plant protein in Ketona is at least 7:1 and likely higher (chicken makes up about 70% of our formula and pea protein only makes up only about 8%); (2) no, we have no plans to change the formulation in light of the FDA's new investigation because we don't believe the investigation in any way suggests that our formulation is problematic. The long answer: Please see my lengthy, in-depth blog post about this topic (link: http://www.theoptimaldog.com/2018/08/14/the-facts-about-grain-free-diets-and-canine-dilated-cardiomyopathy-part-one-the-evidence-and-how-it-has-been-misinterpreted-by-leading-veterinarians/). A note: As you'll see from my blog post, I take significant issue with how news of the FDA's investigation has been framed by the media and by members of the veterinary community. One of the many things I have a problem with is the fact that the issue is being framed as one of inclusion (i.e., does a formula contain \"too many\" legumes or not) as opposed to one of exclusion (i.e., does a formula contain sufficient amounts of animal protein or not). There is zero evidence to suggest that legumes in any way \"interfere with\" the absorption or utilization of taurine. There is, however, evidence that relying on legume-based protein sources INSTEAD OF animal-based protein sources might be causing an uptick in DCM cases (because animal-based protein sources include certain DCM-related amino acids that plant-based proteins do not include). But the issue isn't whether a product contains legumes or not, it's whether the product contains animal protein or not. This is a subtle difference with very significant consequences -- particularly for a product like Ketona, which uses peas as our primary binder but also uses more animal protein than about any kibble on the market today. You can reach me directly at daniel@ketonaturalpetfoods.com if you have any further questions about this subject. Cheers, Daniel","author_name":"Daniel Schulof","votes":0,"created_at":"2018-09-06T14:27:55Z"}]},{"id":26750,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:26750","question":"1. Could you provide an update on total revenues and monthly subscriptions? 2. Are you raising funds outside of WeFunder to support the business? 3. From my perspective, this seems like a clean investment story in a sector with a lot of growth. I'm surprised that the raise hasn't gone better. What do you think investors are missing?","author_name":"Howard M Hadley","votes":0,"created_at":"2018-08-29T13:11:02Z","canonical_url":"https://wefunder.com/ketonatural#question-26750","answers":[{"id":26757,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:26757","answer":"Hi Howard -- Thanks for your questions. A few responses: 1) Last month's DTC revenues were just a little over $30,000. And I estimate that we currently have 140-160 auto-ship subscribers. (I can't tell you precisely because Amazon doesn't report these numbers to us, so I have to make some inferences based on our Amazon sales performance trends.) We'll grow again this month, likely ending up around $35,000. I estimate our 12-month DTC revenue run rate to be about $750,000, assuming that we don't make significant changes to our marketing budget. Any expansion into wholesale distribution would only add to that. 2) We've raised a total of just about $400k for the business so far. This has come from debt financing (~$70k), WeFunder (~$60k), and high-net-worth angels/friends (~$300k). And as soon as we close the WeFunder campaign, I'll begin work on our next financing round -- to be led by a CPG-focused, early-stage VC firm and targeting $1-2M. If/when we secure that next round of financing, we intend to increase our marketing spend by 500% -- so it will likely have a very significant impact on our revenues and growth. 3) We were only targeting a total of $50-107k, so we've met our goal and we're squarely within the zone that we were hoping for. We're a very early stage company (having only been selling product for about half of a year) and I think that scares some folks off. Plus the SAFE concept is not always something that prospective investors are familiar with. But that's all speculation. Bottom line is our financing strategy is going perfectly according to plan at this point -- we've done everything we've aimed to do and we've got the money we need to do the things we want to do going forward. Best regards, Daniel","author_name":"Daniel Schulof","votes":0,"created_at":"2018-08-29T16:40:22Z"}]},{"id":26513,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:26513","question":"I see you guys are gaining traction quickly as monthly revenues continue to surge. How fast can product be made to support the demand? Can your manufacturing partner ramp up to sales in the millions easily?","author_name":"Roger Kinney II","votes":0,"created_at":"2018-08-24T17:46:41Z","canonical_url":"https://wefunder.com/ketonatural#question-26513","answers":[{"id":26575,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:26575","answer":"Oh yes. Our manufacturer produces more than $400M worth of food every year. They make product for some of the biggest names in the industry and can easily handle our production needs for the foreseeable future. Cheers, Dan","author_name":"Daniel Schulof","votes":0,"created_at":"2018-08-25T15:10:12Z"}]},{"id":23756,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:23756","question":"Perhaps you could offer KetoNatural on long distance pet airways flights? https://wefunder.com/pet.airways","author_name":"K M","votes":0,"created_at":"2018-07-07T05:12:31Z","canonical_url":"https://wefunder.com/ketonatural#question-23756","answers":[]},{"id":23224,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:23224","question":"I have another product recommendation for you...A special High Fat \u0026amp; other Nutrient Mix product for Pregnant Dog`s as there Nutritional Needs change when a Dog is Pregnant \u0026amp; Nursing...You might consider a Cat formula product for general meals \u0026amp; when Pregnant also...You can confirm this with a vet of your choice.","author_name":"William Alkins","votes":0,"created_at":"2018-06-28T07:13:58Z","canonical_url":"https://wefunder.com/ketonatural#question-23224","answers":[]},{"id":22256,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:22256","question":"Hello Daniel, Based on your linked-in profile it looks like you are running two businesses this one and Varsity pets. It is hard running one business let alone two. How can investors be sure your focus is 100% on this business? Also Nathan Mostow dosen't have this business listed on his linked in. It dosen't seem like he is very involved?","author_name":"K M","votes":0,"created_at":"2018-06-04T05:07:22Z","canonical_url":"https://wefunder.com/ketonatural#question-22256","answers":[{"id":22262,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:22262","answer":"Hi Konstantin. For the past six or seven years, Varsity Pets has been a source of passive income that essentially runs itself. It requires very little day-to-day management (it was created in the tradition of Tim Ferris's \"Four Hour Workweek\"), just a little oversight to make sure the \"autopilot\" doesn't go off course. Consider that I spent four years researching and writing a very rigorous book while also \"managing\" VP. Trust me, it's just not a time suck in any meaningful way. As for Nathan, he's part of the founding team but he is not a paid employee of KetoNatural. That's why he doesn't have the company listed on his LinkedIn profile. He does contribute significantly to KN (his responsibilities include strategy-level decision-making, digital marketing, sales) but he's not a full-time employee. Thanks for your questions and for your interest in our company. Daniel","author_name":"Daniel Schulof","votes":0,"created_at":"2018-06-04T14:47:35Z"}]},{"id":22208,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:22208","question":"As a scientist myself, I appreciate your evidence-based approach to designing your product. Have you happened to have read the book “Gulp” by Mary Roach? Having recently read this book, I couldn’t help but think back to a chapter that discusses pet food while reading about your company. (Here’s a link to an excerpt: https://www.popsci.com/science/article/2013-03/chemistry-kibble). This brings me to my question: do you happen to know anything about the degree to which your product is palatable to dogs? Have you tested this and if so, can you comment on the degree to which dogs like the taste of your product?","author_name":"Dan Wolf","votes":0,"created_at":"2018-06-01T04:30:54Z","canonical_url":"https://wefunder.com/ketonatural#question-22208","answers":[{"id":22220,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:22220","answer":"Hi Dan. Thanks for your comments and questions. I haven't read the Mary Roach book, but I can certainly comment on the palatability of our product. In short, it's hugely palatable to dogs. We tested it with palatability panels last summer and had great results. And we've been selling it to consumers since December 2017 and have received almost exclusively positive feedback on palatability. For instance, all 21 of the Amazon reviews for Ketona are 5/5 stars. Dogs love the stuff. Thanks again! Daniel","author_name":"Daniel Schulof","votes":2,"created_at":"2018-06-01T14:52:28Z"}]},{"id":22123,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:22123","question":"I have something i want to share with you that i think might be of benefit but i would like to do so in private, so do you have a contact email ?","author_name":"William Alkins","votes":0,"created_at":"2018-05-30T03:13:59Z","canonical_url":"https://wefunder.com/ketonatural#question-22123","answers":[{"id":22131,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:22131","answer":"Sure. You can send me an e-mail directly at daniel [at] ketonaturalpetfoods [dot] com. Cheers, Daniel","author_name":"Daniel Schulof","votes":0,"created_at":"2018-05-30T13:15:16Z"}]},{"id":22093,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:22093","question":"I heard that short hair dogs \u0026amp; pit bull`s matablism goes way up in cold weather, think of Winter \u0026amp; the fat contant of there food need`s to go up allot higher for these breed`s \u0026amp; with pit`s it needs to go way up. I thought this might be a idea for a seperate winter -or- cold climate formula for these type of Dog`s ? Just trying to help.","author_name":"William Alkins","votes":0,"created_at":"2018-05-29T01:12:37Z","canonical_url":"https://wefunder.com/ketonatural#question-22093","answers":[{"id":22101,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:22101","answer":"Thanks for the idea! Good thought!","author_name":"Daniel Schulof","votes":0,"created_at":"2018-05-29T13:02:44Z"}]},{"id":21934,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:21934","question":"Peas are the number 2 ingredient which has been known to cause infertility in dogs. This makes it a big problem with breeders. I was interested until reading that. The protein content is also extremely high and the dogs I raise should only have about 26% protein. How do expect to convince people who do their research to buy your food? Also the cost of your food is not affordable compared to brands like Acana and Fromm.","author_name":"Jeanne Snell","votes":0,"created_at":"2018-05-24T03:31:50Z","canonical_url":"https://wefunder.com/ketonatural#question-21934","answers":[{"id":21943,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:21943","answer":"Hi Jeanne -- Thanks for your questions and for your interest in KetoNatural. I'm going to respond to your questions in two parts. First, I'll attempt to deal with your substantive concerns over peas and protein content. And then I'll give you some higher-level, more conceptual reactions to your concerns over how we intend to reach consumers \"who do their research.\" Before I do that, let me apologize in advance if these responses come off as spiky or standoffish. My personal, heart-felt goal is to make KNPF the most evidence-based pet food company in the world. One of our core missions is to improve the scientific literacy of the pet-owning public. Moreover, I spent four years researching and writing a book about the science of pet food. It's ~400 pages long and has some 500+ academic/interview citations. It's been called \"the most rigorous and probing canine nutrition book ever written\" and, at the risk of tooting my own horn, that is honestly how I perceive it. I mention all of this to give you a sense of why I feel defensive when someone suggests that our products are not designed to appeal to consumers who \"do their research.\" NO ONE (veterinarian or otherwise) has done more than I have to understand the evidentiary links between pet food ingredients/nutrients and poor health outcomes. And, as a company, NO ONE is doing more than KNPF to improve the scientific literacy of our customers. Our whole business model is premised on the idea that once consumers do their research, they'll conclude that Ketona (or a product like it) is the only viable choice for their dogs. Now, on to your questions. (1) On peas and protein -- I contend that the evidentiary case supporting your assertions on both of these issues is very weak, at best. I am not aware of a single published study suggesting that peas contribute to infertility in dogs. Moreover, neither the AAFCO nor the National Academy of Science's National Research Council (both of whom review the published evidentiary record and make formal recommendations concerning the nutrient requirements of dogs and cats) have identified any such evidence. It may be the case that some folks believe this to be true, but to the best of my knowledge it isn't a belief based on a reasonable interpretation of any kind of valid evidence. If you're aware of evidence that I am unfamiliar with, I welcome the opportunity to see it and I promise you that I'll take it under consideration. Moreover, while it is true that we do use peas in our recipe, we don't use very much at all. In fact, I would argue that we use as little as possible. (It was our goal to use as little starch as possible in our recipe but we found that a minimal amount was necessary in order to bind the dough together during baking, so we couldn't get around using at least SOME veggies). In total, peas make up about 6-7% of the formula (by weight). In comparison, chicken meat makes up more than 70% of the formula. Similarly, to my knowledge there is no evidence suggesting that any type of dog \"should only have\" 26% protein. Again, I welcome the opportunity for you to tell me more about the basis for your beliefs. But, to my knowledge, the empirical evidence, the recommendations of the AAFCO and the NRC, the evolutionary history of dogs, the documented food-choice preferences of dogs across all breeds, and the underlying nutritional pathophysiology by which of nutrition impacts health don't suggest anything remotely like this. To the contrary, and without going into great detail, the evidence with which I'm familiar all suggests that dogs ought to consume essentially as much protein as possible. You can read a great deal more about this issue in chapters two and seven of my book. And it's also covered in detail in the one-page evidence review summaries available for free download through the KetoNatural Academy section of our website. Which, in a way, brings me to... (2) How do we intend to communicate the benefits of our products to skeptical consumers? At KNPF, our beliefs on the healthfulness of carbohydrates, the healthfulness of fats and proteins, the dangers of obesity, and other nutritional issues are sometimes at odds with veterinary nutritional dogma, mainstream health and wellness advice, and the beliefs of many \"internet experts.\" But it's not at odds with the scientific evidence. And, from our perspective, that's the only barometer of truth that we care about. This means that a fundamental challenge for our business will be convincing consumers that we are right and our critics are wrong about certain nutritional issues. To my eyes, the best way to accomplish this is to provide abundant free resources to consumers -- my book, the studies, videos, and evidence reviews available through our KetoNatural Academy, a concerted PR/social media effort, efforts to win the hearts and minds of young veterinarians and other influencers, engaging in public debate, challenging purveyors of mainstream wisdom, publishing our own studies, etc. As our sales record shows, there are a great many consumers who already believe what we believe about nutrition. But our ability to show that our logic is more sound than the logic used by our detractors will ultimately decide whether we succeed or not. It's really that simple. Last point: we're a completely different product from Acana and Fromm because our carbohydrate content is some 80-90% lower than those products. Consumers who don't think carbs are all that bad for dogs will never choose us over those \"middle-market\" kibbles. We're primarily aiming to convert consumers who either feed a commercial raw diet right now (since we provide about the same nutritional content as a raw diet for a small fraction of the price) or a product like Orijen or the Honest Kitchen right now (since we provide far fewer carbs and an overall better nutritional profile at about the same price). I know that's probably more than you wanted to read, so thanks for your patience. I look forward to any further discussion you'd like to have about these issues. Regards, Daniel","author_name":"Daniel Schulof","votes":0,"created_at":"2018-05-24T15:49:04Z"}]},{"id":21612,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:21612","question":"Can you please give the list of all contents and what is it made up of present in the food? Same to what u see back of every other brand?","author_name":"Aayush Gupta","votes":0,"created_at":"2018-05-16T05:41:34Z","canonical_url":"https://wefunder.com/ketonatural#question-21612","answers":[{"id":21639,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:21639","answer":"Thanks for your interest in KetoNatural. All the ingredients and other information concerning formulation are available here: https://ketonaturalpetfoods.com/products/keto-natural","author_name":"Daniel Schulof","votes":0,"created_at":"2018-05-16T18:12:13Z"}]},{"id":21126,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:21126","question":"what is your pricing model? will you have online distribution/channels?","author_name":"Jarvis Miu","votes":0,"created_at":"2018-05-03T19:59:40Z","canonical_url":"https://wefunder.com/ketonatural#question-21126","answers":[{"id":21154,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:21154","answer":"Hi Jarvis -- We are priced to compete with existing ultra-premium dry pet foods, such as Orijen by Champion Pet Foods. ($25-35 for 4-pound bags and $100-120 for large bags, depending on protein source). At those prices, a serving of Ketona costs some 80% less than a serving of most any commercial raw pet food product. As for Internet-based sales, we intend to focus significantly on online DTC distribution, particularly over the year ahead. Our team has significant expertise in digital marketing and our online sales already exceed $11,000/month. After five months of operations, our online sales have grown at an average of 75% month-over-month. Thanks for your questions! Daniel","author_name":"Daniel Schulof","votes":0,"created_at":"2018-05-04T14:07:02Z"}]},{"id":20007,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:20007","question":"What prevents the big companies in this space form copying you if this product takes off? I'm all for the idea, but it doesn't seem like there is a big moat for the business. How would you deal with a major company coming out with a competing LCHF (Low-Carb-High-Fat) product?","author_name":"Andrew Bushnell","votes":0,"created_at":"2018-04-17T20:22:23Z","canonical_url":"https://wefunder.com/ketonatural#question-20007","answers":[{"id":20044,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:20044","answer":"Hi again Andrew. We're betting that the industry will respond to Ketona in the same way that other carb-dependent industries have responded to new low-carb products aiming to serve believers in the efficacy of ketogenic diets -- i.e., they'll try to ignore our scary market innovation until it's clear through our sales track record that they absolutely can no longer afford to. Two good recent examples are Epic Bar (meat-based, low-carbohydrate snack bars that disrupted the market for starchy/sugary energy bars) and Halo Top Ice Cream (uniquely low-carbohydrate ice cream products). Both of these products were given a lot of room to grow because, conceptually, the way to sell low-carb products is to highlight the dangers of carbs. And that's something that any business built around carbohydrates is going to have a very strong incentive NOT to do. It's just not a good business decision to risk a golden goose (in the case of pet food, \u0026gt;90% of the $28B US market is built around starch-stuffed products) for the sake of some marginal gains. At the very least, a more logical strategy is to fight threatening marketing innovations until they reach a certain critical mass where they can no longer be ignored and the risk of demonizing the cornerstone of an existing industry begins to justify its potential reward. (Other industries have taken an even more conservative approach to innovations that call into the question the health/safety of their flagship products -- to my knowledge, big tobacco companies have never embraced nicotine-replacement products.) In the case of Epic Bar, they got acquired by General Mills only after doing more than $20M in annual revenue. In the case of Halo Top, they've been allowed to reach $100M in annual sales and we're only now seeing companies like Ben and Jerry's beginning to introduce their own competing low-carb products. For major established brands with a strong vested interest in upholding the reputation of the dietary carbohydrate, you need a lot of evidence before it's worth your time to embrace such a risky and potentially damaging innovation. From an investment perspective, if we can make a big enough splash where the major pet food brands think it's worth the risk to consider making their own copycat products, then we'll already be successful by just about any metric. (If we are doing $20M in annual sales then our value as a going concern will surely be at least $100M.) In other words, there's nothing legally prohibiting major producers from developing their own low-carb products. But there's a very real and very powerful disincentive for them not to do so. We think they won't try it until we're already very far along -- at which point they might very well just aim to acquire us rather than copy us. That's the moat. From our perspective, copycat startups are a more tangible risk in the short-run. And our primary strategy for minimizing that risk is to leverage our first-mover status by penetrating the market as quickly as possible (read: by raising as much money as we can as quickly as we can).","author_name":"Daniel Schulof","votes":0,"created_at":"2018-04-18T13:40:44Z"}]},{"id":19841,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:19841","question":"Thanks for the response Dan. A rising tide lifts all boats. Also check out Tim Ferris and Joe Rogan podcasts if you aren't familiar with them. I think these are the right kind of people to market your product to. They both have massive audiences and hug influence and are a proponent of Keto so I'd imagine they would be for their dogs too!","author_name":"Bryan McDaniel","votes":0,"created_at":"2018-04-13T14:16:47Z","canonical_url":"https://wefunder.com/ketonatural#question-19841","answers":[{"id":19888,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:19888","answer":"Thanks Brian. We will certainly be making an effort to develop a relationship with Rogan when the time is right -- I have confidence, for a number of reasons, that he'd be very interested in what we're doing. In fact, we're already laying the groundwork for an approach! Cheers, Dan","author_name":"Daniel Schulof","votes":0,"created_at":"2018-04-14T15:59:12Z"}]},{"id":19784,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:19784","question":"Love the idea. Can you comment on how you differ from Dr. Harvey's Keto brand or ketogenicpetfoods.com, which already sells on Amazon?","author_name":"Bryan McDaniel","votes":0,"created_at":"2018-04-12T19:03:13Z","canonical_url":"https://wefunder.com/ketonatural#question-19784","answers":[{"id":19840,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:19840","answer":"Hi Bryan. Thanks for your question. As for Dr. Harvey's, my understanding is they don't sell kibble products, only \"pre-mixes,\" freeze-dried raw products, and other foods that require preparation and careful handling. Ketona offers customers the same (or better) substantive nutritional content of these products, but with the convenience of a kibble. As for ketogenicpetfoods.com, to the best of my knowledge they sprung up right around the same time we did but we are already penetrating the market much more quickly than they are. (As you've noted, they're selling on Amazon too, but we have more than 10x as many reviews as they do already.) Some of the ways that we intend to distinguish ourselves from them are (1) our branding (their rinky-dink, science-y visuals are simply not professional quality; I challenge you to compare our website to theirs -- I think you'll agree that there's no comparison); (2) aggressive fundraising aimed at winning the market penetration race; (3) our unique institutional expertise in Internet-based marketing (likely the primary reason we've been able to penetrate the market more quickly than they have in these early days); and (4) taking an active leadership role in aiming to move the veterinary nutritional community away from carbohdyrate-stuffed food products (my book, my industry connections, my substantive knowledge of the relevant experimental evidence, and other elements of my personal platform give me the unique ability to be the \"face\" of the low-carb pet food movement in a way that they'll never be). It's also important to note that we're betting there will ultimately be room for more than one brand in this space. Pet food is a $28B market in the United States alone. As an increasingly large portion of that market comes to believe that carbohydrates are horrible for their animals, we just need to be the sector leader, not the only firm in the sector. Honestly, our primary concern is with growing the sector itself, not keeping others out of it. Cheers, Dan","author_name":"Daniel Schulof","votes":1,"created_at":"2018-04-13T14:12:20Z"}]},{"id":18956,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:18956","question":"Do you plan to pay a dividend? Do you have an exit strategy (IPO, be acquired, etc) or do you intend to continue to operate as a company with no exit?","author_name":"Craig J. Vom Lehn","votes":0,"created_at":"2018-03-17T20:59:10Z","canonical_url":"https://wefunder.com/ketonatural#question-18956","answers":[{"id":19032,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:19032","answer":"Thanks for your questions and your interest in KetoNatural! We don't have any plans to pay dividends in the short run. (As explained below, it is conceivable that we could begin paying dividends at some point in the future.) As for your question about exit strategy, I should begin by outlining at a conceptual level the possible ways that the KetoNatual story could end, for investor purposes: 1) Merger with or acquisition by a larger consumer products company, a larger pet food company, or some other business (like a private equity group). In that case, assuming our board approved the acquisition, you'd basically be forced to sell your shares. The price you'd get would likely (but not necessarily) be at least ten times what you're paying in this round, just due to economies of scale. Obviously it could also be a good deal higher than that too. It would likely take the form of cash but it's theoretically possible that it could be shares of the acquiring company instead. 2) Share buy-out by an institutional investor prior to acquisition. Often when VC firms take a larger interest in a start-up they look to buy-out all the earliest investors and \"clean up the company's capitalization table.\" If this happened it would likely be in the relatively near future (maybe within two years or so). But in that case the price probably wouldn't be as high as in the typical acquisition scenario, as the new investors would still be looking to turn a profit when they eventually exit via acquisition or IPO. 3) The company goes bankrupt. In this case your shares would very probably (but not necessarily -- we could potentially reorganize it after bankruptcy) become worthless. But you wouldn't be personally exposed to any of the company's liabilities. Your maximum exposure is the price you pay to acquire your shares. Given the company is still at such an early stage, despite my subjective confidence in what we are doing, this has to be considered the most likely outcome. 4) IPO. That's basically the same as (1) for investor purposes. 5) The company could (theoretically at least), continue to operate but never get acquired or IPO. In that case we'd eventually start paying annual dividends to shareholders. You'd keep your shares for as long as you like and you'd collect dividend checks every year. As it currently stands, management's first preference for an exit is to IPO and our second preference is to be acquired by another firm with a similar commitment to our core values. We'd consider both of those outcomes to be very positive. Thanks again for your questions. Daniel Schulof KetoNatural","author_name":"Daniel Schulof","votes":1,"created_at":"2018-03-20T14:55:37Z"}]},{"id":18633,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:18633","question":"It looked like the cost for a large bag of dog food (33 lbs) was $150. Is that correct? We buy grain-free natural dog food now and for ~$50 for an equivalent volume. How do you expect customers to pay this much of a premium for this product? Thank you,","author_name":"Craig J. Vom Lehn","votes":0,"created_at":"2018-03-05T16:50:38Z","canonical_url":"https://wefunder.com/ketonatural#question-18633","answers":[{"id":18655,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:18655","answer":"What you see on our website right now is actually a bit misleading. The only products we are selling at the moment are 4.2-pound bags of our chicken recipe. We offer them to customers through our online store, both individually and in multiples of two (8.4 pounds), four (16.8 pounds), and eight (33.6 pounds). These are just temporary options; once we have our larger 24.2-pound bags in stock (certainly within two weeks) we will drop these options and just offer the 4.2-pound bag and a 24.2-pound bag. The 4.2-pound bag of our chicken recipe will retail for $24.99 and the 24.2-pound bag of our chicken recipe will retail for $89.99. That makes the pricing directly competitive with leading \"ultra premium\" grain-free kibbles, such as Orijen, Wellness CORE, and Nutro. At present, these are the lowest-carbohydrate major (i.e., \u0026gt; $100 million in annual sales) dry dog food brands in the market. But Ketona features 50-70% less carbohydrate than all of them, so we think it represents an attractive value proposition to consumers who currently choose one of those products for its low carbohydrate content. The price range you've cited above is typically composed of significantly less \"premium\" (read: higher-carbohydrate) products (Taste of the Wild, Blue Buffalo, etc.). Ketona features some 80-90% less carbohydrate than those formulas, so it's something of an apples to oranges comparison. In the 12-18 months ahead, we intend to focus primarily on consumers who prioritize total carbohydrate content when shopping for pet food, currently feeding either an ultra-premium kibble or a raw-ingredient diet (which are often priced 6-10x higher than Ketona). Thanks for your question.","author_name":"Daniel Schulof","votes":0,"created_at":"2018-03-06T14:45:07Z"}]}],"faq":[{"question":"A couple questions: How do you justify such a high valuation cap for such a new and unproven company? Looks like you only have about 50k worth of total assets and you are looking to take out a number of large loans on took of what looks like 20k in existing loans. What rate do...","answer":"1) \"How do you justify such a high valuation cap for such a new and unproven company?\" Given that our sales track record is so limited (even though our research/development and regulatory accomplishments are already quite significant), we think a valuation methodology grounded in overall market size is a fairer reflection of the risks and benefits of this investment opportunity than a methodology based on historical sales data. Pet food is a $28B/year industry in the U.S. If we can capture ju..."},{"question":"It looked like the cost for a large bag of dog food (33 lbs) was $150. Is that correct? We buy grain-free natural dog food now and for ~$50 for an equivalent volume. How do you expect customers to pay this much of a premium for this product? Thank you,","answer":"What you see on our website right now is actually a bit misleading. The only products we are selling at the moment are 4.2-pound bags of our chicken recipe. We offer them to customers through our online store, both individually and in multiples of two (8.4 pounds), four (16.8 pounds), and eight (33.6 pounds). These are just temporary options; once we have our larger 24.2-pound bags in stock (certainly within two weeks) we will drop these options and just offer the 4.2-pound bag and a 24.2-pou..."},{"question":"Do you plan to pay a dividend? Do you have an exit strategy (IPO, be acquired, etc) or do you intend to continue to operate as a company with no exit?","answer":"Thanks for your questions and your interest in KetoNatural! We don't have any plans to pay dividends in the short run. (As explained below, it is conceivable that we could begin paying dividends at some point in the future.) As for your question about exit strategy, I should begin by outlining at a conceptual level the possible ways that the KetoNatual story could end, for investor purposes: 1) Merger with or acquisition by a larger consumer products company, a larger pet food company, or som..."},{"question":"I applaud anyone who wants to make healthier products for my dogs. My biggest concern for you guys is distribution. The shelves are filled, premium shelf placement is already bought or allotted to brands that generate high velocity turns, and the space is already hyper-competi...","answer":"Hi Bernie. Thanks for your question and for your interest in KNPF. One comment that's relevant to your question (although it's not exactly an answer) is that DTC distribution is a very significant part of our strategy, particularly in the short run. The reasons for this are myriad -- (1) the industry is trending strongly in that direction already (I understand that Amazon's DTC pet food sales increased by more than 70% last year); (2) Internet-based marketing through advertising platforms suc..."},{"question":"Love the idea. Can you comment on how you differ from Dr. Harvey's Keto brand or ketogenicpetfoods.com, which already sells on Amazon?","answer":"Hi Bryan. Thanks for your question. As for Dr. Harvey's, my understanding is they don't sell kibble products, only \"pre-mixes,\" freeze-dried raw products, and other foods that require preparation and careful handling. Ketona offers customers the same (or better) substantive nutritional content of these products, but with the convenience of a kibble. As for ketogenicpetfoods.com, to the best of my knowledge they sprung up right around the same time we did but we are already penetrating the mar..."}]}}}