Learn how AlphaPet Ventures GmbH is transforming the pet food industry through digitalization and brand strategy 

Headquartered in Munich, Germany, AlphaPet Ventures GmbH (AlphaPet) is the progressive premium pet food brand platform revolutionizing the industry through digitalization, innovative technology and forward-thinking brand strategy. The company emerged from a joint venture between two existing digital retailers, Pets Premium, which was founded by Marco Hierling in 2011, and ePetWorld, which was founded by Stefan Pfannmöller in 2012. Born from a love of pets and passion for technology, AlphaPet’s journey has been one defined by hard work, organic growth and structured M&A. Since its founding, the company has successfully acquired and developed a vast multitude of exclusive pet food brands, triumphant in its mission to bring healthy pet food to the mainstream market by pioneering the ultimate brand platform.  

Today, with its hunger for innovation and further development, AlphaPet has no intention of slowing down, remaining fervent in its pledge to improve the lives of pets and owners alike by providing premium pet food and treats that are easily accessible to all. Over the past four years, the company has acquired a new brand every year, with many more in its sights. With the company’s 15th anniversary on the horizon, Marco Hierling continues to lead the business as Chief Executive Officer. Food Chain sat down with Marco to learn more about AlphaPet’s unique business model and what it takes to develop a portfolio of premium brands and transform them into European market leaders in premium pet food.  

“AlphaPet was founded in 2011 when I established Pets Premium, which acts as half of AlphaPet,” Marco begins, recounting the company’s history. “The other part of the business is ePetWorld, which was founded in 2012. In 2016, we merged the two companies and AlphaPet came to life. We started out as an e-commerce platform in Germany selling the most relevant and premium dog and cat food bands. Our pitch to customers was that we offer a curated assortment and, no matter what they buy, they’ve made a good choice for their pet. Over time, we’ve evolved our business model from e-commerce to own branded retail due to the white spaces and emerging trends in the markets. Wildes Land was one of the first brands we developed on our own, in 2015, and it was a huge success. From this success we generated more and more customers for our brands and gained notoriety; after a year, the first retailers approached us. Because of that, we changed our strategy again from pure e-commerce to multichannel including B2B and D2C.  

“Soon after, we completed our first acquisition of a market-leading premium dog food brand in Germany – Wolfsblut – and this really accelerated our journey towards full own-brand sales,” Marco continues. “Our strategy behind this was to build a tech-driven platform to help grow and develop brands. Wolfsblut was heavily B2B focused, and widely distributed, but didn’t have a great digital presence, so we established a new online shop using our digital knowledge and experience in D2C sales. We really digitalized the brand and made it accessible and interesting for a younger customer base. Today, we have a tech-driven e-commerce multi-channel, multi-brand platform where we grow our existing brands and acquire new premium brands to bring them to the next digital level.”  

Commitment to quality 

Adaptability and a customer-centric approach are two factors that make AlphaPet’s model truly special. By utilizing cutting-edge technology and data-driven analytics, the company is constantly examining market trends to fully understand the needs of its customers, allowing it to strategically alter its model where necessary to continue to provide the very best products and services. 

“When I founded Pets Premium, customers had begun shifting from offline to online, but also from economy to premium pet food. It’s all driven by human behavior; people are eating healthier, they want more convenience, and they want the same for their pets,” Marco explains. “It’s not always convenient to go to a pet store, grab a 12-kilogram bag of dry food, throw it in the car, drive home, and carry it three floors up. Convenience is buying your favorite and healthy premium brand online, having it delivered to your door and sign up for subscription so that you do not even need to think about when the food is running out of stock. That’s the main idea behind this digitalization: to provide our end customers with high-quality products for an affordable price and with maximum convenience. Our vision for AlphaPet is to put healthy pet food into the mainstream so that it’s available and accessible for most people. It comes down to technology and execution, and you need a passion for it. More and more people prefer to buy online and, if they love a certain product, they’ll most likely buy directly from the brand.”  

This dynamic approach has given AlphaPet the competitive edge in the healthy pet food market and has helped it to stay ahead of the curve within the ever-changing industry. One thing remains consistent, however, and that’s the passion and integrity of the company to provide the highest quality product to pets across Europe.  

“If you look at our value chain, we source all relevant raw materials on our own. We look for high quality ingredients and work with the best producers and suppliers in Europe,” Marco says. “Our success is built on strong, long-lasting relationships with partners who share our commitment to excellence. We collaborate with some of the best and most reliable suppliers in Europe, including key partners like Bosch Pet Food in Germany and C&D Foods in the UK. These trusted collaborations are fundamental to ensuring the consistent quality and innovation our customers expect. We’ve individually developed the unique recipes for our brands, together with our end customers. We’re very close to our customers; we know what they want, and we tailor the recipes to meet their needs.”  

When it comes to scoping new brands for acquisition, AlphaPet exclusively chooses businesses that operate in line with this commitment to quality. Its first acquisition in the UK, the premium brand Arden Grange in 2022, and the most recent acquisition of JR Pet Products (JR) back in January 2025 are perfect examples of this. Arden Grange is a market leading brand, primarily known for its dry dog food and high-quality nutrition without compromise. The JR business, which is based in Wales, offers a range of all-natural super premium dog treats. Made using high-quality cuts of the finest meats – from beef, chicken and pork to more exotic options like ostrich and camel – JR’s advocacy for delicious, healthy pet treats enhances AlphaPet’s portfolio and reinforces its overall ethos.  

“Arden Grange is a market leading UK brand for dry dog food and JR is a market leader in the UK treats segment, so they fit into our portfolio very well,” Marco notes. “Both brands have a great team sharing the AlphaPet vision and values. The strong JR founders stay on board, and we think that, together with AlphaPet, we can develop the brand even further. Over the next few years, we hope to double the size of the brand and develop it to the next level across the UK and international markets.”  

Armed with a strong business strategy and clear vision, AlphaPet is well-equipped for the future. Its ambition will drive the company to further success, which will be evident through additional growth and, of course, the continuing clamor of waggy tails. Concluding our conversation, Marco reveals AlphaPet’s plans: “We’d like to make further acquisitions that align with our strategy to keep delivering high quality pet foods to our D2C customers and B2B partners. We’re looking to continue to grow organically; two-to-three times market growth is our benchmark, and we’ve achieved this in the past. The goal of AlphaPet is to be the leading digital brand platform for Europe, across all relevant countries, brands and market segments. Other big markets like France, Italy, Benelux, and the Nordics offer lots of room for growth and some great companies and brands that we’d love to add to our portfolio. There’s a lot going on in the pet market right now; I would say that the market is fragmented enough with enough opportunities for us to execute this strategy going forward.”   

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