Wilder & Harrier will go after the Californian market thanks to a $652,000 investment
Eleven members of Anges Québec support the commercialization of pet treats made with innovative and sustainable proteins, manufactured locally
Montreal, November 14, 2017 – Anges Québec confirms today an investment of $652,000 made to support the operations and growth strategy of WILDER & HARRIER, a Montreal-based company pioneering the manufacturing of pet treats and food made from sustainable proteins with low ecological footprints. The investment will allow the company to go, as soon as 2018, after the large Californian market, a first step in a wide-ranging development strategy targeting the United States and Europe.
WILDER & HARRIER’s mission is to make the pet food industry greener and more responsible, and to make consumers aware of the innovative alternatives that exist in this expanding niche market, targeting in particular millennials, a clientele deeply committed to the environmental cause. The company, incorporated under the name Hexa Foods, blends into its various dog nutrition products healthy, nutritious and eco-friendly proteins such as crickets, supplied by a Canadian farm, or wakame seaweed, harvested in Gaspé.
The vision developed by the WILDER & HARRIER team rests on four pillars that allow it to stand out from the competition: a hyperlocal supply chain and production, the commitment to use in all its products sustainable proteins with low ecological footprints, the repurposing of residue from the food system in order to reduce food waste, and a sustained effort to innovate and improve its practices. As an example, WILDER & HARRIER is currently studying the possibility of incorporating into its upcoming dog food protein from Asian carp, an invading species ever more present in the waters of the St. Lawrence River, which would both help fight the ecological pressure caused by the proliferation of this fish, and create added value for the economy of Québec.
This new investment represents the second financial participation of the members of Anges Québec to the expansion of WILDER & HARRIER, which has about ten employees. In June 2016, several angel investors, members of Anges Québec, had injected into the business a first tranche of $315,000.
“The support of Anges Québec represents for our team a proof of the credibility of our vision and values, as well as a powerful encouragement to pursue our dream: bringing more sustainable practices to our industry and the food industry in general. This investment will allow us to continue increasing our brand awareness in Québec and in the rest of Canada, where our products are already distributed. In addition, this support is the key that will allow us to carry out our expansion into California, a crucial market where the concepts of sustainable development are important values. This market is a very strategic step toward our goal of introducing our products to the entire US market and eventually in Europe », specifies Mr. Philippe Poirier, co-founder and CEO of WILDER & HARRIER.
“We are happy to support, financially and through our guidance, the entrepreneurs of the WILDER & HARRIER team. With its innovating vision, its approach based on sustainable development and solid values, the company is disrupting the traditional tenets of the industry. We feel that WILDER & HARRIER is an investment with an interesting financial return potential, but also one that has a significant impact on the environment and society in general”, points out Mr. Marcel Larochelle, the angel in charge of this round of financing along with Ms. Kathleen Ngassam.
In Québec, the products of WILDER & HARRIER are available in all Mondou specialty stores, among others.
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About WILDER & HARRIER
WILDER & HARRIER aims to provide healthy nourishment for our pets and have a positive impact on our planet’s environment, through the use of innovative proteins - such as crickets and seaweed - that reduce our carbon footprint and offer a beneficial alternative to traditional ingredients used in pet food. The company now has three lines of pet treats distributed in over 400 stores throughout Canada.
Website: https://en.wilderharrier.com
Information and interviews
Mathieu Lavallée
514-947-7628