18. Scratch
In 2017, Asher Freilich set out to streamline how doctors issue prescriptions by creating InstantScripts, allowing people to order medical scripts and attend doctor consultations online.
Revenue: $8.04m
Growth: 65%
Founders: Mike Halligan, 34; Doug Spiegelhauer, 40
Head Office: Collingwood, Victoria
Employees: 9
Industry: Consumer goods
Website: https://www.scratchpetfood.com.au/
Year Founded: 2018
How it started
Doug Spiegelhauer was disillusioned after working with giants of the pet food industry, and Mike Halligan wanted to better the world after working in fashion.
When Halligan’s two cocker spaniels became chronically ill, he was shocked to discover the lack of transparency around their food.
Hating that Australians were getting charged big money for average products, they set out to build Scratch, an ethical dog food business offering healthier foods with less environmental impact, delivered straight to pet owners.
Growth
It’s not easy as a newcomer in a market served by Mars and Nestle, so Scratch started building out a niche: serving owners of chronically itchy French bulldogs.
Word first spread via social media, and Scratch now boasts of feeding over 25,000 dogs and is well on the way to 50,000.
That’s come with strong increases in revenue, with an average of 126% growth year-on-year over the past three years.
Where to next?
The duo are set to launch new food categories, and say the plan is to continue to get out and spend more time meeting dogs at their events.
They have no exit plans for the next decade besides growing the business and evaluating offers if or when they arrive.
