STRAYZ

STRAYZ is the first social pet food brand with a big mission to improve the lives of all 680M street cats & dogs worldwide. By selling premium organic pet food as well as fair fashion for animal lovers the female founded start-up from Berlin collects donations for international animal welfare organizations using the buy one give one model.

The social business was founded in November 2020 by former colleagues Madeline Metzsch, Saskia te Kaat and Stefanie Zillessen. The passionate team raised more than 750k donations within the first 2 years. In addition to the social cause STRAYZ wants to disrupt the pet food industry. The founders believe that most pet food is more like junk food & not suitable for pets.

STRAYZ is focusing on an omnichannel sales strategy in order to raise the maximum amount of donations. While building a D2C love brand with a strong community STRAYZ is also selling their pet food via retail in +2.400 POS.

There is a lot of pet food on the market that is not suitable for cats and dogs, because it contains sugar, grains and almost no meat at all.

The ingredients of our premium organic cat food as well as dog food are locally sourced. Our pet food is manufactured in Germany and free from sugar, grains, gluten, binders as well as attractants or other junk.

Every product is donating one meal to a stray animal in need. With our colorful fair fashion items like socks or bags we collect donations for medical treatments. Our sweatshirts and hoodies even finance castrations in order to help holistically.

Madeline Metzsch (Brand & Communications), Saskia te Kaat (Sales & Finance) & Stefanie Zillessen (Operations) met 2016 via working at the Berlin based start-up Freche Freunde offering organic snacks for kids made of fruit and veggies. When Saskia & Stefi started at Freche Freunde in 2014 the start-up had 5 employees. When Madeline left the company in December 2020, encouraged by the founders of Freche Freunde to start STRAYZ, the start-up had 90 employees and is now one of the leading brands for toddler snacks & baby food in Germany.

Madeline Metzsch - M.A. Communications Management

- 9+ yr of experience in PR, brand & communications

- developed communications strategies for 10 FMCG brands

- aka. crazy cat lady

Saskia te Kaat - state-approved bank clerk

- 11+ yr of experience in finance & sales

- established sales organization for Oatly DACH

- aka. crazy dog lady

Stefanie Zillessen - M.A. Int. Cultural & Business Studies

- 10+ yr of experience in marketing, product & organizational development

- built & managed 6 brands with over 200 products