Ilume

What Ilume does

Ilume (legal entity We Are Ilume Pty Ltd, trading as ilume™) is an Australian direct-to-consumer pet health technology company founded in 2020 and headquartered in St Kilda, Melbourne. The company targets dog owners, addressing the canine obesity epidemic and the 50% margin of error in standard feeding recommendations by combining hardware (a smart bowl and a wearable activity tracker) with AI-driven personalised nutrition software. Its core offer is described as the world's first fully integrated pet health technology system for dogs, linking real-time caloric intake and activity data into individualised feeding and behavioural insights.

The technology stack consists of three coupled components: the ilume Smart Bowl (which measures portion weight and validates caloric intake per meal), the ilume Wearable Tracker (one of the smallest on the market, capturing steps, distance, active times, sleep between 8pm-8am, and rest), and the ilume Mobile App, which delivers recommendations, alerts, and health insights. Proprietary machine-learning and AI algorithms build a per-dog profile and continually adapt feeding guidance, including weather-aware adjustments and anomaly detection for separation anxiety, skin infections, joint pain, and other behavioural or health deviations. A gut-health module covering intolerances, allergies, inflammation, immunity, ageing, and microbiome is flagged as "coming soon." Ilume has invested AUD $1 million in canine microbiome and collagen research in partnership with Massey University and the University of Melbourne.

Ilume operates a product-led, direct-to-consumer go-to-market with two pricing tiers: a Starter Kit (smart bowl + tracker) supported by a 30-day risk-free trial, and an ongoing monthly subscription for Refill Kits of personalised, pre-portioned food. Delivery is included for Melbourne metro customers, and the website explicitly restricts service to Australian residents, with international orders not accepted. Marketing relies primarily on owned digital channels (weareilume.com content marketing, email, and shop.weareilume.com e-commerce). The company is privately held, with no external venture or growth funding disclosed in the sources; Craig Silbery (career background in pharmaceuticals) is the founder and CEO, and the firm operates across three related Australian proprietary limited companies (We Are Ilume Pty Ltd, The Ilume Kitchen Pty Ltd, and ilume Group Pty Ltd).

Name

Ilume

Legal name

We Are Ilume Pty Ltd

Website

https://weareilume.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Ilume is an Australian direct-to-consumer pet health technology company that sells an integrated smart bowl, wearable activity tracker, and AI-driven mobile app to dog owners for personalised nutrition, portion control, and behavioural health monitoring.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Smart Pet Technology / Pet Health Technology

NAICS

Dog and Cat Food Manufacturing (311111), Pet and Pet Supplies Retailers (45991)

akta.pro primary industry

Companion Animal Maintenance & Wellness Nutrition (HLAMAHAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Weight Management & Metabolic Health Diets (Obesity, Diabetes) (HLAMAHAK), Pet Health & Wellness Retail (Supplements, OTC, Flea/Tick) (CRALAHAC)

Keywords

• Smart pet technology
• Personalized pet nutrition
• Wearable dog trackers
• Pet health monitoring
• Dog activity tracking

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint Kilda

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Hardware Products: Sale of smart pet technology including the ilume smart bowl and wearable activity tracker as starter kit components.
2. Subscription Service: Ongoing subscription for personalized nutrition plans, refill kits, and continuous health monitoring. Credit card automatically debited on a recurring basis for ongoing orders.
3. Refill Food Kits: Regular delivery of personalized dog food based on calculated caloric needs, adjusted in real time based on activity data.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Ilume manufactures and sells a fully integrated dog health technology system consisting of a smart feeding bowl, a compact wearable activity tracker, and a mobile app powered by AI/ML algorithms. The hardware bundle is sold as a Starter Kit with a 30-day risk-free trial, followed by a recurring subscription for personalized, pre-portioned dog food (Refill Kits) and continuous health monitoring based on real-time activity and behavioral data.

Product overview

Ilume offers the world's first fully integrated pet health technology system for dogs, combining three core hardware and software products: the Smart Bowl (which measures portions and tracks food intake), the Wearable Tracker (which monitors activity, sleep, and behavioral patterns), and the Mobile App (which delivers personalized nutrition guidance and health insights). The system uses machine learning and AI to adapt to each dog's unique profile, calculating individualized caloric needs and adjusting feeding recommendations in real-time based on activity levels and behavioral data. Optional meal delivery is available through the Refill Kit subscription.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ilume Smart Bowl

Quantifiable outcome

• Feeding calculations on the back of packets have on average a 50% margin of error, accounting for gross amounts of overfeeding
• +2 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability6 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Massey UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partnership focused on finding the causes of inflammation in dogs. Combined with University of Melbourne research, ilume has invested $1 million into researching collagen and the canine microbiome.
• University of MelbournecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partnership focused on delving deeper into canine caloric needs. Working in conjunction with Massey University research on inflammation, with $1 million total invested in collagen and microbiome research.

Scale indicators1 record

Direct peers

• The Farmer's Dog: DTC subscription delivering personalized, portion-calculated fresh dog food based on each dog's profile. Directly comparable to Ilume's personalized nutrition and Refill Kit subscription.
• Ollie: Subscription DTC brand offering personalized fresh dog food plans tailored to weight and caloric needs, mirroring Ilume's data-driven feeding and recurring food model.
• Nom Nom: Personalized fresh dog food delivered by subscription with veterinary/nutrition science backing, comparable to Ilume's calorie-personalized food and health focus.
• Fi: Maker of a smart dog collar with activity, sleep and location tracking plus a subscription app. Directly overlaps Ilume's wearable tracker and health-monitoring proposition for dog owners.
• Whistle: Dog health and GPS activity-tracking devices with app-based health insights and alerts. Comparable to Ilume's wearable tracker and behavioral/health-alert monitoring.

Emerging players

• FitBark: Compact canine activity and sleep tracker with a companion app, overlapping Ilume's wearable and behavioral-data monitoring for dogs.
• Sundays for Dogs: DTC personalized dog food subscription emphasizing health and convenience, overlapping Ilume's recurring nutrition delivery model.
• Petnet: Maker of smart automatic feeders that portion meals based on a dog's profile via an app, overlapping Ilume's smart bowl and automated portion-control functionality.

Regional players

• Tractive: Europe-based provider of GPS and activity/health trackers for dogs on a subscription model; similar wearable proposition but centered on other geographies than Ilume's Australia base.
• Butternut Box: UK/Europe DTC subscription for tailored fresh dog food portioned to each dog's needs, comparable to Ilume's personalized food subscription but in a different territory.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Ilume