Skip to main content

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

Petnet and its Smart Feeder are clearly popular with pet owners and investors alike

Petnet SmartFeeder with the Masons family
One of the best ways to our wallets? Through our pets, apparently. Capitalizing upon our collective adoration of our four-legged friends is Petnet, a company that first came to fame with its automated pet feeder. First introduced at the 2015 International CES,
Recommended Videos
the Smart Feeder is a $149 investment that ought to free you from your pet parent duties — at least when it comes to providing food. The feeder doesn’t just randomly dispense kibble at set intervals — rather, its “smart” system allows for customized portions based on your pet’s breed, age, weight, and activity level, ensuring you keep Fluffy or Fido healthy.

Now, Petnet has raised $10 million in a Series A funding round led by Petco, which the company says will help expand its Smart Feeder capabilities. “Petnet was born out of love for our pets and the passion to improve their lives,” said Carlos Herrera, CEO and co-founder of Petnet. “We are pleased to partner with Petco to leverage its know-how and existing infrastructure to reach more pet owners across the U.S. These new funds will enable us to further develop our personalized pet feeding service to keep pets everywhere happy and healthy.”

Pets and their associated costs are booming in the U.S., but apparently, so too are pets’ weights. In fact, research conducted by the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention estimates that some 52.7 percent of dogs and 57.9 percent of cats in the U.S. are a bit tubbier than they should be, which can lead to health issues later in their lives. But Petnet seeks to address this problem by way of data, giving owners actionable feedback on how often and how much to feed your pet.

An associated Petnet app lets pet parents keep tabs on how your pet is doing, adjust the feeding schedule, and allocate appropriate portions for each meal. And of course, even if you’re traveling, you can use the app (and the Smart Feeder) to properly care for your furry friend, as the food dispenser holds around two weeks’ worth of food.

Lulu Chang
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Fascinated by the effects of technology on human interaction, Lulu believes that if her parents can use your new app…
Early Black Friday fitness deals: Fitness trackers, exercise equipment up to 51% off
A woman works out in her home on the NordicTrack AirGlide elliptical.

Update 11/6/24: Though this is our first iteration of such a list for the 2024 Black Friday season, we're already quite happy with it. Apple showed up with an affordable Apple Watch (which has fitness tracking that, though on the simpler side, we actually like better than some of its more complex siblings) and the Peloton Guide is $100 off. Plus, we were able to find smart tracking in stationary scale format for just $23, an entry-level price anybody can afford. This is a great start and we're excited to see what is to come...

Despite lingering stereotypes, the tech space and fitness space are quite closely related. And so, for this Black Friday season, we know you may be interested in some great fitness gear. Luckily, while Black Friday officially starts on November 29, you can go ahead and get started on your fitness resolutions way early with early Black Friday deals. That means that if the early Black Friday headphones deal you picked up happens to be a good pair of running headphones, now is a fantastic time to pick up an exercise bike or treadmill. Alternatively, now is also a great time to pick up an excellent fitness tracker with early Black Friday smartwatch deals. No matter what your goals, however, the following deals are ripe and ready now, not in a few weeks, so there is no reason to delay your plans.
Renpho Smart Scale — $23 $29 21% off

Read more
Early Black Friday e-bike deals: 75% off folding, fat-tire, more
Two people putting on helmets getting ready to ride Lectric XP 3.0 folding e-bikes.

Update 11/07/24: You don't have to wait for Black Friday if you want to score a discount on an e-bike because we've already found some amazing early Black Friday e-bike deals. There's a chance that these prices go even lower during the shopping event, but we won't blame you if you're already tempted by these attractive offers.

More people are finding out that e-bikes for commuting is a transit cheat code, as their electric motors give the punch that you need to move faster and conquer uphill roads easier -- which is why we think there's going to be high demand for these personal transportation devices on Black Friday. Lucky for you, there's no need to wait until the shopping event officially starts on November 29 to buy one with huge savings because we've found these fantastic early Black Friday e-bike deals.

Read more
BLUETTI’s latest Elite 200 V2 portable power station gets a discount for launch
BLUETTI Elite 200 V2 portable power station deal -- hero

Typically, when a new launch happens you don't see a significant discount for a while, and for good reason. But perhaps because it's so close to Black Friday and the holiday discounts, BLUETTI just dropped a new release and an incredible deal. The brand-spanking-new Elite 200 V2 is $900 off the regular price. That means you can take home the Elite 200 V2, a 2073.6-watt-hour portable power station, for $1,099, instead of $1,999. That discount is good until December 3rd, so don't wait around if you need one. With another storm brewing off the coast of Florida, now's a good time to get a backup power solution if you don't already have one.

 
Save $900 on Bluetti's latest Elite 200 V2 portable power station

Read more