BarkBox
BarkBox is a monthly subscription service providing dog products, services, and experiences. BARK serves over 1 million dogs monthly through BarkBox and Super Chewer subscriptions and retail distribution.[2][3][4][5][6][7]
Type of business | E-commerce, subscription service |
---|---|
Traded as | Private |
Headquarters | New York, New York, United States |
Area served | US and Canada |
Founder(s) |
|
CEO | Manish Joneja |
Revenue | $365 Million(2020)[1] |
Employees | 450 |
URL | www |
Launched | December 2011 |
On December 17, 2020, Barkbox, Inc. and Northern Star Acquisition Corp. (NYSE: STIC.U), a publicly traded special purpose acquisition company, announced that they had entered into a definitive merger agreement. As a result of the transaction, which values the Company at an enterprise value of approximately $1.6 billion, BARK will become a publicly listed company on the New York Stock Exchange under the new ticker symbol, "BARK".[8][9]
History
The company was founded December 2011 by Carly Strife, Matt Meeker, and Henrik Werdelin.[2][6] Prior to co-founding BarkBox, Meeker co-founded the social networking site Meetup.com.[2][7][10]As of September 17, 2020 Manish Joneja is the CEO at BARK, succeeding co-founder Matt Meeker.[11]
In April 2013, the company raised $6.7 million in a venture funding.[6][10][12] The company surpassed the $25 million revenue run rate the same year.[12] BARK received an additional $15 Million in Series B funding led by Resolute.vc, along with RRE, BoxGroup, Lerer Ventures, Bertelsmann Digital Media Investments, Slow Ventures, Daher Capital, CAA, Vast Ventures, and City National Bank in 2014.[3][4]
BARK launched BarkCam in early 2014, a photo sharing app which operates as an "Instagram for dogs" and their owners.[13]
BarkBox allows owners to personalize their dog's monthly subscription boxes based on their dog's needs. Each dog is unique and requires different toy options to match their style of play.[14]
Products and services
- BarkBox, a monthly subscription service for dogs.[10] Each BarkBox has at least 2 toys, 2 treats, and a chew each month, all based on a monthly theme.[15]
- BARK Bright, a dog wellness product line. The company launched the first Bright product in October 2019 with Bright Dental[16][17][18][19][20] — an enzymatic gel toothpaste and dental chew. Bright Dental received an honorable mention in Fast Company’s World Changing Ideas 2020 and a mention in TIME's Best Inventions 2019.[21][22]
- BARK Essentials, every day items for dogs such as a memory foam dog bed with bed sheets and poop bags.[23][24]
- BARK Eats, a dog-food delivery service launched in March 2020.[25]
- BarkPost, a dog-themed content site.[7][26]
- BarkBuddy is similar to a "Tinder for dogs," as users can swipe left or right depending on their level of interest in the dog.[27][28] The free app, available for iPhone and Android,[29] is designed to match humans with dogs up for adoption at nearby shelters, and users can filter choices by gender, location, activity level, age, and size.[29] The app is connected to rescue centers and shelters across the United States and Canada, and there are approximately 300,000 dogs in the database.[27][28][29] The app sources many of its adoptable dogs from the pet adoption website Petfinder and from BARK's personal network of shelters and rescue organizations.[28]
References
- https://www.pymnts.com/news/ipo/2020/barkbox-files-1-6-billion-ipo-following-acquisition-by-northern-star/#:~:text=BarkBox%20sells%20monthly%20subscription%20boxes,fiscal%20year%20ending%20March%2031.
- Sarah E. Needleman (22 March 2013). "Are You Ready to Go From Founder to Top Dog". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 28 July 2014.
- Sarah Perez (11 July 2014). "Doggie-Focused Bark & Co (BarkBox) Raises $15 Million Series B". TechCrunch. Retrieved 28 July 2014.
- Dan Primack (14 July 2014). "Deals of the day: Mylan finds its tax inversion partner". Fortune. Retrieved 28 July 2014.
- Sheila Marikar (11 July 2014). "Turning 'Likes' Into a Career". The New York Times. Retrieved 28 July 2014.
- "BarkBox Founder Matt Meeker is Building A Community for Man's Best Friend". The Huffington Post. 28 July 2014. Retrieved 28 July 2014.
- Alyson Shontell (10 July 2013). "BarkBox Generates $1 Million Per Month, Wants To Become A $5 Billion Company in 5 Years". Business Insider. Retrieved 28 July 2014.
- https://www.wsj.com/articles/barkbox-to-be-acquired-in-1-6-billion-deal-11608174012
- https://www.marketwatch.com/story/barkbox-to-go-public-through-merger-with-spac-northern-star-acquisition-as-ticker-changes-to-bark-2020-12-17
- Lauren Drell (20 August 2013). "Top Dog: BarkBox's Mission to Reinvent the Pet Industry". Mashable. Retrieved 28 July 2014.
- https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bark-company-behind-barkbox-announces-ceo-succession-301133150.html
- Erin Griffith (Oct 25, 2013). "Mock all you want: Barbox is laughing all the way to the bank". PandoDaily. Retrieved Jul 28, 2014.
- Karissa Bell (Jul 16, 2014). "BarkCam Helps the Pet-Obsessed Take Better Dog Portraits". Mashable. Retrieved 28 July 2014.
- "Super Chewer Versus Customizing Your BarkBox". BARK. Retrieved 2019-03-06.
- "Is BarkBox Worth It? Coupons included". Dog Endorsed. 2018-12-20. Retrieved 2019-06-04.
- King, Rachel. "Exclusive: The Makers of BarkBox Are Moving Into an Often Overlooked Space in Pet Wellness". Fortune.
- Alcantra, Ann-Marie. "Bark Expands Into Health With a Dog Dental Care Solution". www.adweek.com.
- Bender, Kelli. "Brushing Your Dog's Teeth Just Got Easier Thanks to This Tooth Brush That's Also a Treat". PEOPLE.com.
- Gerard, Emily. "Hate brushing your dog's teeth? This dental kit will make it a breeze". TODAY.com.
- Steele, Lauren (29 April 2020). "Spending more time with your dog? These 12 ingenious toys and accessories will make both your lives happier". Fast Company.
- Clendaniel, Morgan (28 April 2020). "World Changing Ideas Awards 2020: Consumer Products Finalists and Honorable Mentions". Fast Company.
- "BARK Bright Dental: Special Mention on The 100 Best Inventions of 2019". Time.
- Crump, Tiana. "A Memory Foam Dog Bed With 10,000+ Raves & 4 More Pup-Approved Picks On Amazon". Bustle.
- Rose, Megan (29 December 2019). "Your Dog Has Been Dreaming of These Beds ..." Best Products.
- https://www.dispatch.com/business/20200331/bark-starts-dog-food-delivery-service
- Jillian D’Onfro (Oct 2013). "BarkBox Adds Media-Maven and 'Dog Parent' Cathie Black TO Its Board". Business Insider. Retrieved Jul 28, 2014.
- Laura Stampler (20 May 2014). "Sick of the People on Dating Apps? Now There's a Tinder for Dogs". Time. Retrieved 29 July 2014.
- Kelly Faircloth (May 27, 2014). "There's Finally a Tinder for Adoptable Dogs". Jezebel. Retrieved Aug 6, 2014.
- Amy Eley (May 29, 2014). "Tinder for dogs? BarkBuddy app matches pet lovers with local rescues". Today. Retrieved Aug 6, 2014.