Zig Zag

What Zig Zag does

Zigzag (legal entity Petcare Services Ltd.) is a London-headquartered, privately held consumer mobile-app company founded in 2021 that delivers a science-backed puppy training programme to individual puppy owners. The Zigzag Puppy Training App is distributed globally via the Apple App Store and Google Play under a freemium model, with a free tier of limited content and a paid subscription tier delivering extended content and features; billing runs through in-app purchases on the app stores. The product combines breed- and age-personalised training plans, bitesize lessons, an expert support line available seven days a week, and topical coverage of body language, adolescence, separation, biting, and barking. The app is complemented by a web-based Learning Library and a Research Hub featuring peer-reviewed papers and white papers on puppy behaviour and training outcomes, which together signal a science-led content moat.

Underlying technology centres on a cross-platform mobile application (iOS and Android), a personalized curriculum engine driven by breed and age inputs, an AI chatbot for user support (with content generated by a third-party service provider), and a content/research web stack hosted via Kinsta. The go-to-market is product-led growth: free download, in-app upsell, plus a multi-channel acquisition mix spanning organic social (Facebook, X, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok), email newsletter, blog/content marketing, app-store optimization, and PR/earned media in major UK outlets. Distribution is anchored by a commercial affiliate relationship with Nestl\u00e9 Enterprises S.A. \u2013 Division Nestl\u00e9 Purina Petcare Europe, which provides curated product recommendations and exclusive member offers within the app, alongside shared data controllership for UK activities.

Operationally, Zigzag operates in the United Kingdom, the United States, and France (each with localized web/app experiences), is endorsed by APDT, CAPBT, Pet Professional Guild, Animal Behaviour Australia, ISCP, and Coape-UK, and is a supporting member of the UK Dog Behaviour and Training Charter. The company sits at the intersection of consumer pet-tech and applied animal-behaviour science, with monetization split across subscription revenue (app-store billing) and affiliate/partner revenue (Purina recommendations).

Name

Zig Zag

Legal name

Petcare Services Ltd.

Website

https://zigzag.dog

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Zigzag (Petcare Services Ltd.) is a London-based consumer mobile-app company that delivers a freemium, science-backed puppy training programme with breed- and age-personalised plans, expert support, and a paid subscription, distributed globally via app stores in the UK, US, and France.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pet Training Software

NAICS

Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services (81291)

SIC

Services-Computer Programming Services (7371)

akta.pro primary industry

Interactive Learning Games & Gamified Courseware (EDAGALAL)

Keywords

• Puppy training app
• Dog behavior training
• Mobile pet care
• Breed-specific training
• Pet wellness subscription

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Freemium App Model: The company offers a free version with limited content and features, and a paid version that provides access to extended content and product features. Paid content is delivered through in-app purchases via Apple App Store and Google Play.
2. In-App Purchases: Paid content is charged via app stores (Apple App Store, Google Play) through in-app purchases. Prices are valid for the subscription period and may change for renewal periods with prior notification.
3. Affiliate/Partner Recommendations: In partnership with Nestlé Purina, the company recommends products alongside other partner offers within the app, generating affiliate revenue.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Zigzag offers a science-based puppy training mobile application (iOS and Android) providing personalized, breed- and age-tailored training plans delivered through bite-sized lessons. The app includes a 7-day expert support line and covers key life-skill topics such as body language, adolescence, separation, biting, and barking, distributed via a freemium model with paid subscription upgrades.

Product overview

Zigzag offers a puppy training mobile application as its core product, available in both free and paid subscription versions. The app provides bite-sized, personalized training lessons tailored to each puppy's breed and age. Key product features include personalized training plans, expert support available 7 days a week, and training topics covering body language, adolescence, separation anxiety, biting, and barking. The product portfolio also includes a supplementary Learning Library with blog-based educational content covering puppy behavior, health, and training topics, as well as a Research Hub featuring science-backed research papers and white papers on puppy behavior outcomes. The company operates as an affiliate of Nestlé Enterprises S.A. (Nestlé Purina Petcare Europe) and is endorsed by leading dog training and behaviourist organizations including APDT, CAPBT, Coape-UK, Pet Professional Guild, Animal Behaviour Australia, and The ISCP.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Zigzag Puppy Training App A mobile application for individual puppy owners that delivers personalized, breed- and age-tailored training plans in bite-sized lessons, supported by an expert support line and life-skills training modules covering body language, adolescence, being alone, biting, and barking.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Nestlé Purina Petcare EuropecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerZigzag is an affiliate of Nestlé Enterprises S.A. – Division Nestlé Purina Petcare Europe ('Purina'). In partnership with Purina, they recommend products alongside other partner offers within the app. Product recommendations are based on pet profiles, commercial partnerships, and exclusive member offers negotiated for Zigzag users.
• Academic Researchers in Canine BehaviourcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounder Lorna Winter and expert trainers collaborate with academic researchers in canine behaviour, helping ensure methods evolve at the forefront of dog behaviour science.
• APDT, CAPBT, Pet Professional Guild, Animal Behaviour Australia, ISCP, Coape-UKcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEndorsed by leading training and behaviourist organisations including APDT, CAPBT, Coape-UK, Pet Professional Guild, Animal Behaviour Australia, and ISCP.
• Meta PlatformsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFacebook/Meta is used as a marketing partner for advertising, with data sharing for ad measurement and targeting purposes.
• Google IrelandminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGoogle is used as a marketing partner for advertising and analytics, with data sharing for ad measurement and targeting purposes.
• theTradeDeskminorGTM or Marketing PartnerData sharing partner for advertising targeting and measurement purposes.
• Wamiz (EU Representative)minorOthersEU representative for data protection compliance in the European Union.
• CMAP (Centre de Médiation et d'Arbitrage de Paris)minorOthersMediation service for dispute resolution for French consumers.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Dogo: Dogo is a mobile dog training app offering personalised training programs, video lessons, and a built-in clicker. It competes directly with Zigzag for the same puppy/dog-owner customer base on iOS and Android, with a freemium subscription model.
• Puppr: Puppr is a dog training app featuring step-by-step lessons with a video-based curriculum and 1:1 access to professional trainers. It directly competes with Zigzag in the on-demand, mobile-first dog training category with a similar freemium/pricing structure.
• GoodPup: GoodPup delivers live, 1:1 dog training via video chat with certified trainers, complemented by an app-based curriculum. It targets the same first-time dog/puppy owner segment as Zigzag and overlaps heavily on personalisation and on-demand expert support.

Broad incumbents

• BarkBox: BarkBox is a subscription-based pet product and content platform with broad reach across dog owners. While not a training app, it competes for share-of-wallet and engagement among puppy owners and represents a broader incumbent in digital pet services that Zigzag could be compared against for partnership or exit dynamics.
• Whistle (Tractive / PetSafe): Whistle (part of PetSafe) is a connected pet wearables and health-tracking platform with a large installed base of dog owners. It competes for the same puppy-owner attention budget and represents an established incumbent in the connected pet category that Zigzag could partner with or be acquired by.
• Rover: Rover is a leading pet-care marketplace for dog walking, boarding, sitting, and (in some markets) training. It overlaps with Zigzag on the puppy-owner customer journey and represents a larger incumbent in the broader dog services category.
• PetCoach (Petco): PetCoach, operated by Petco, provides on-demand access to veterinarians and trainers via chat and is bundled with a major omnichannel pet retailer. It overlaps with Zigzag on the expert-on-demand component (e.g., Zigzag's 7-day expert support line) and benefits from Petco's massive retail distribution.

Regional players

• Bark: Bark is a US-focused dog walking and pet care services marketplace. While it doesn't offer app-based training like Zigzag, it serves the same puppy-owner segment in North America and is a relevant comparitor for category and customer-acquisition benchmarks.

Emerging players

• Dogly: Dogly is an emerging digital dog training platform offering video-based lessons and live trainer access. It is comparable to Zigzag as a newer entrant in mobile dog training, with partial overlap on customer base and content-led approach.

Others

• Zuke's / Purina (Nestlé) partner ecosystem: Nestlé Purina (Zigzag's strategic affiliate parent) and its broader digital and content ecosystem serve as both a distribution partner and a relevant adjacent comparator. They shape the competitive and commercial landscape Zigzag operates in, even though they are not direct training-app competitors.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/zigzag_puppy
• Facebookfacebook.com/zigzag.dogs
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/zigzag-dog
• Instagraminstagram.com/zigzag.dog
• TikToktiktok.com/@zigzag.puppy.app

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Zig Zag