Waggel
Waggel is a UK digital pet insurer selling lifetime dog and cat policies with up to £15,000 annual cover, underwritten by Red Sands. Members receive free vet video calls, assigned vet-nurse "Customer Champions," and an optional AI triage add-on via partner Joii Pet Care.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Waggel does
Waggel is a UK-based, direct-to-consumer pet insurance company that underwrites and administers lifetime pet insurance policies for dogs and cats. Founded in 2017 and headquartered in London (registered office at 1st Floor, 5 St Helen's Place, EC3A 6AB), the company operates as a managing general agent, with Red Sands Insurance Company (Europe) Limited providing the underlying insurance capacity. Waggel sells exclusively lifetime policies with annual limits up to £15,000, inclusive of dental coverage up to £1,000, complementary and behavioural treatments up to £1,000, and third-party liability cover up to £2 million for dogs. Pricing is personalized based on pet breed, age, location, and chosen annual limit and excess, with monthly billing as the standard cadence.
The product stack layers value-added services on top of the core insurance policy. Every member is assigned a UK-based veterinary nurse as a "Customer Champion" who supports claims, and gains access to unlimited 24/7 free video vet consultations through partner Joii Pet Care, plus free behaviour and nutrition consultations through Companion Animal Wellness. An optional AI-powered triage add-on — clinically trained on over 430,000 consultations, 4 million Symptom Checker responses, and 100,000+ labelled images and videos — guides pet owners to one of four outcomes (emergency vet, routine appointment, online vet consultation, or at-home management). A £50 triage penalty applies for non-emergency vet visits without prior triage use, aligning claims behaviour with the AI feature. Over 75% of new policies sold since January 2025 include this add-on, and the company reports 67,000+ customers with triage access as of early 2026.
The business model is recurring subscription premium revenue distributed through a self-serve website (waggel.co.uk), supplemented by a Trustpilot-validated consumer brand (4.5 stars across 13,881 reviews) and a curated reward ecosystem (Butternut Box, Biscuit Pet Care, Trusted Housesitters, Protect My Pet, Pet Database, and a cross-promotional arrangement with Sundays Bicycle Insurance). The company underwent a leadership transition in March 2025, with founder Andrew Leal stepping down as CEO and Henri Dowling taking over, alongside Hannah Simpson as Chief Product Officer and Ross Fretten as co-founder and Chief Experience Officer. No institutional funding rounds or external investors are disclosed in the available data.
Waggel firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Waggel
- Legal name
- Waggel Limited
- Website
- https://waggel.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Waggel is a UK digital pet insurer selling lifetime dog and cat policies with up to £15,000 annual cover, underwritten by Red Sands. Members receive free vet video calls, assigned vet-nurse "Customer Champions," and an optional AI triage add-on via partner Joii Pet Care.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Waggel industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Pet Insurance
- NAICS
- Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services (81291), Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services (812910)
- SIC
- Fire, Marine & Casualty Insurance (6331), Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Pet Insurance (FSAJAKAG)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Property Insurance (Homeowners, Renters & Commercial Property) (FSAJAKAH)
Keywords
Where Waggel is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Waggel business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Lifetime Pet Insurance Premiums: Subscription-based lifetime pet insurance policies offering up to £15,000 annual cover. Revenue generated through monthly or annual premium payments. Pricing is personalized based on pet characteristics, chosen annual limits and excess. The company also offers an optional triage add-on service that may provide lower premiums for policyholders who opt-in.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Lifetime pet insurance with flexible limits up to £15,000 annual cover |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
Waggel product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Waggel sells lifetime pet insurance policies for UK dogs and cats, offering up to £15,000 in flexible annual cover that includes dental, complementary and behavioural treatments, and third-party liability for dogs. Policies are sold directly online with monthly subscription premiums and are supplemented by included member benefits such as a personally assigned UK-based veterinary nurse Customer Champion, unlimited 24/7 vet video calls via Joii Pet Care, and free behaviour and nutrition consultations. An optional AI-supported triage add-on powered by Joii Pet Care is also available to policyholders.
Product overview
Waggel is a UK-based pet insurance company offering a single unified product: lifetime pet insurance with flexible annual limits up to £15,000. The core insurance product is supplemented by several included member benefits — free 24/7 vet video calls via Joii Pet Care, free behaviour and nutrition consultations via Companion Animal Wellness, and a personally assigned UK-based vet nurse (Customer Champion). An optional AI-powered vet triage add-on via Joii provides an intelligent Symptom Checker, live chat, and video consultations to help owners determine whether an in-person vet visit is necessary, potentially reducing premiums. The company does not offer tiered product plans; all members access the same lifetime insurance structure with customisable limits and excess, differentiating on add-on features.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Waggel Lifetime Pet Insurance
Quantifiable outcome
- 80% of customers who use triage don't make a claim within 30 days, suggesting concerns can be resolved without vet visits
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Waggel
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Waggel technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
AI capability5 records
Feature3 records
Waggel partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Joii Pet CarecoreAI-supported triage service partnership providing 24/7 intelligent Symptom Checker, live chat, and real-time video consultations with qualified UK vets. Joii's platform is clinically trained on over 430,000 consultations and 4 million Symptom Checker responses. The service helps pet owners determine if vet visits are necessary, potentially saving over 22,000 unnecessary vet visits annually.
- Companion Animal WellnesscoreProvides Waggel members with free consultations with behaviour and nutrition practitioners. Part of the membership platform offering free online behaviour and nutrition video consultations.
- Butternut BoxminorFresh, home-cooked dog food, perfectly portioned and delivered to door. Part of Waggel's rewards program for members.
- Biscuit Pet CareminorFree-to-use pet rewards app that treats customers for walking and taking care of their dog. Part of Waggel's rewards program.
- Trusted HousesittersminorFree and unique home stays around the world in exchange for caring for adorable pets. Part of Waggel's rewards program.
- Protect My PetminorTailored flea, tick and worm protection delivered monthly to door. All sizes and breeds covered. Part of Waggel's rewards program.
- Pet DatabaseminorThe only free database containing details of microchipped pets with a UK-wide lost pet service. Part of Waggel's rewards program.
- Sundays Bicycle InsuranceminorPartnership offering Waggel customers 10% off bicycle insurance policies. Cross-promotion between pet insurance and bicycle insurance brands with aligned values around protecting valued possessions.
- Red Sands Insurance Company (Europe) LimitedcoreThe insurer providing the underlying insurance coverage for Waggel's pet insurance policies. Waggel acts as the managing general agent distributing and administering the policies while Red Sands provides the insurance capacity.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Waggel competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- ManyPets: UK digital-first lifetime pet insurance provider (formerly Bought By Many) targeting similar pet owner segments with a subscription-style product, fast digital claims, and a value-added wellness ecosystem — directly comparable to Waggel on geography, product structure, and go-to-market.
- Agria Pet Insurance: Specialist UK pet insurer focused on lifetime dog and cat cover; partnered with the UK Kennel Club. Highly comparable on product focus (lifetime policies), UK geographic scope, and direct-to-consumer distribution.
- The Insurance Emporium: UK pet insurance specialist offering lifetime and accident-only policies to UK pet owners through direct online channels. Comparable in product portfolio and customer target (UK pet owners seeking digital-first insurance).
- Animal Friends Insurance: Established UK pet insurance specialist offering lifetime and other policy types, working through direct and affiliate channels. Comparable in core product line, UK-only focus, and emphasis on pet-specific expertise versus generalist insurers.
Broad incumbents
- LV= Pet Insurance: UK general insurer offering pet insurance alongside home, motor, and life products. Comparable as a UK pet insurance competitor but competing primarily through cross-sell rather than a dedicated pet-only proposition.
- Petplan: UK market-leading pet insurance brand (owned by Allianz), offering lifetime and other policies across dogs, cats, and exotic pets with strong veterinary partnerships. Comparable as the dominant UK competitor setting customer expectations on coverage, but operates at materially larger scale and broader portfolio.
Regional players
- Trupanion: North American pet medical insurance provider with a subscription model and direct-to-vet payment capability — highly comparable on product philosophy (vet-direct payments, lifetime-style cover) but operating in a different geography (US/Canada).
Others
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Waggel social profiles
Digital presenceWaggel financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Waggel leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Waggel funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Waggel M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Waggel
What does Waggel do?
Waggel sells lifetime pet insurance policies for UK dogs and cats, offering up to £15,000 in flexible annual cover that includes dental, complementary and behavioural treatments, and third-party liability for dogs. Policies are sold directly online with monthly subscription premiums and are supplemented by included member benefits such as a personally assigned UK-based veterinary nurse Customer Champion, unlimited 24/7 vet video calls via Joii Pet Care, and free behaviour and nutrition consultations. An optional AI-supported triage add-on powered by Joii Pet Care is also available to policyholders.
Is Waggel a public or private company?
Waggel is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Waggel founded?
Waggel was founded in 2017. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Waggel based?
Waggel is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Waggel make money?
One revenue line is on record: lifetime Pet Insurance Premiums.
Who are Waggel's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are ManyPets, Agria Pet Insurance, The Insurance Emporium and Animal Friends Insurance. Broad incumbents are LV= Pet Insurance and Petplan. Trupanion is listed as a regional player. Direct Line Group (Pet Insurance) is listed as an others.
Does Waggel have an API?
No public API is recorded for Waggel.
What industry is Waggel in?
Waggel's product category is Pet Insurance. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAJAKAG, Pet Insurance, with a secondary code of FSAJAKAH, Property Insurance (Homeowners, Renters & Commercial Property). Its NAICS code is 81291 and its SIC code is 6331.