PALO ALTO, Calif. — A Bay Area startup has made waves in the pet tech world with the launch of its AI-powered wet cat food dispenser. Sphinx, the company behind the innovation, raised over $400,000 within 24 hours on Kickstarter, reaching 6,000% of its initial goal and ranking in the top 0.1% of all Kickstarter campaigns by first-day funding.
The overwhelming response has led to major partnerships with premium pet food brands Rayne Nutrition and Savage Cat Food. These companies will now offer their products—veterinary-prescribed meals and raw, whole-prey diets—through Sphinx’s automated feeding platform.
Sphinx’s CEO and co-founder, Grant Barnekow, said the success shows a clear demand for smarter pet care. “The speed at which we’ve been embraced by both consumers and industry leaders validates what we’ve known all along – there’s a massive gap in the market for technology-driven pet health solutions,” he said.
Rayne Nutrition is known for science-backed, vet-formulated diets, while Savage Cat Food specializes in high-quality raw feeding. The partnerships reflect a growing recognition that feeding technology is a key part of the future of pet wellness.
“These partnerships aren’t just about food,” said Sphinx co-founder Ben Dake, MD. “They show that big companies see the same opportunity we do: using technology to make feeding cats healthier and easier.”
Through the Sphinx device, users will soon be able to serve Rayne’s prescription diets or Savage’s raw meals with precision. The feeder uses AI to monitor food portions and freshness, helping pet owners follow vet guidelines more closely at home.
“By partnering with Sphinx, we can ensure our prescription diets are portioned accurately and served fresh—exactly how veterinarians intend,” said Ian Moffat, President of Rayne Nutrition.
The rapid rise of Sphinx points to a shift in who today’s cat owners are. Barnekow says their customers are often millennials and Gen Z professionals—tech-savvy pet parents who treat their cats like family. “They want data, convenience, and results—just like in every other part of their lives,” he said.
This shift is fueling fast growth in the premium pet care space. Products that combine health benefits with convenience are in high demand, and traditional brands are turning to startups like Sphinx for tech-driven solutions.
“Sphinx is revolutionizing how we feed cats: personalized, precise, and rooted in science,” said Audrey Brady, co-owner of Savage Cat Food. “We’re proud to support a system that delivers fresh, properly portioned meals based on every cat’s unique needs.”
With more pet owners seeking smarter care, Sphinx’s fast success may be just the beginning of a broader transformation in the pet food industry.
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