BarkBox

BarkBox is a monthly subscription service providing dog products, services, and experiences. BARK serves over 2 million dogs monthly through BarkBox and Super Chewer subscriptions and retail distribution.[2][3][4][5][6][7]

BarkBox, Inc.
Type of businessE-commerce, subscription service
Traded asPublic
HeadquartersNew York, New York, United States
Area servedUS and Canada
Founder(s)
  • Carly Strife
  • Matt Meeker
  • Henrik Werdelin
CEOMatt Meeker
RevenueIncrease$365 million(2020)[1]
Employees450
URLwww.barkbox.com
LaunchedDecember 2011 (2011-12)

On December 17, 2020, Barkbox, Inc. and Northern Star Acquisition Corp. (NYSE: STIC.U), a publicly traded special purpose acquisition company, announced that they had entered into a definitive merger agreement. As a result of the transaction, which values the Company at an enterprise value of approximately $1.6 billion, BARK will become a publicly listed company on the New York Stock Exchange under the new ticker symbol, "BARK".[8][9]

History

The company was founded December 2011 by Carly Strife, Matt Meeker, and Henrik Werdelin.[2][6] Prior to co-founding BarkBox, Meeker co-founded the social networking site Meetup.com.[2][7][10] Meeker currently serves as CEO.[11]

In April 2013, the company raised $6.7 million in a venture funding.[6][10][12] The company surpassed the $25 million revenue run rate the same year.[12] BARK received an additional $15 Million in Series B funding led by Resolute.vc, along with RRE, BoxGroup, Lerer Ventures, Bertelsmann Digital Media Investments, Slow Ventures, Daher Capital, CAA, Vast Ventures, and City National Bank in 2014.[3][4]

BARK launched BarkCam in early 2014, a photo sharing app which operates as an "Instagram for dogs" and their owners.[13]

BarkBox allows owners to personalize their dog's monthly subscription boxes based on their dog's needs. Each dog is unique and requires different toy options to match their style of play.[14]

Products and services
  • BarkBox, a monthly subscription service for dogs.[10] Each BarkBox has at least 2 toys, 2 treats, and a chew each month, all based on a monthly theme.[15]
  • BARK Bright, a dog wellness product line. The company launched the first Bright product in October 2019 with Bright Dental[16][17][18][19][20] — an enzymatic gel toothpaste and dental chew. Bright Dental received an honorable mention in Fast Company's World Changing Ideas 2020 and a mention in Time's Best Inventions 2019.[21][22]
  • BARK Essentials, every day items for dogs such as a memory foam dog bed with bed sheets and poop bags.[23][24]
  • BARK Eats, a dog-food delivery service launched in March 2020.[25][26]
  • BarkPost, a dog-themed content site.[7][27]
  • BarkBuddy is similar to a "Tinder for dogs", as users can swipe left or right depending on their level of interest in the dog.[28][29] The free app, available for iPhone and Android,[30] is designed to match humans with dogs up for adoption at nearby shelters, and users can filter choices by gender, location, activity level, age, and size.[30] The app is connected to rescue centers and shelters across the United States and Canada, and there are approximately 300,000 dogs in the database.[28][29][30] The app sources many of its adoptable dogs from the pet adoption website Petfinder and from BARK's personal network of shelters and rescue organizations.[29]

References
  1. "BarkBox: Acquisition by Northern Star, $1.6B IPO". 17 December 2020.
  2. Sarah E. Needleman (22 March 2013). "Are You Ready to Go From Founder to Top Dog". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 28 July 2014.
  3. Sarah Perez (11 July 2014). "Doggie-Focused Bark & Co (BarkBox) Raises $15 Million Series B". TechCrunch. Retrieved 28 July 2014.
  4. Dan Primack (14 July 2014). "Deals of the day: Mylan finds its tax inversion partner". Fortune. Retrieved 28 July 2014.
  5. Sheila Marikar (11 July 2014). "Turning 'Likes' Into a Career". The New York Times. Retrieved 28 July 2014.
  6. "BarkBox Founder Matt Meeker is Building A Community for Man's Best Friend". The Huffington Post. 28 July 2014. Retrieved 28 July 2014.
  7. Alyson Shontell (10 July 2013). "BarkBox Generates $1 Million Per Month, Wants To Become A $5 Billion Company in 5 Years". Business Insider. Retrieved 28 July 2014.
  8. Scott, Charity L. (17 December 2020). "WSJ News Exclusive | BarkBox to Go Public in $1.6 Billion Deal". Wall Street Journal.
  9. "Barkbox to go public through merger with SPAC Northern Star Acquisition, as ticker changes to 'BARK'".
  10. Lauren Drell (20 August 2013). "Top Dog: BarkBox's Mission to Reinvent the Pet Industry". Mashable. Retrieved 28 July 2014.
  11. "Co Founder and Executive Chairman Matt Meeker to Become CEO".
  12. Erin Griffith (Oct 25, 2013). "Mock all you want: Barbox is laughing all the way to the bank". PandoDaily. Retrieved Jul 28, 2014.
  13. Karissa Bell (Jul 16, 2014). "BarkCam Helps the Pet-Obsessed Take Better Dog Portraits". Mashable. Retrieved 28 July 2014.
  14. "Super Chewer Versus Customizing Your BarkBox". BARK. Retrieved 2019-03-06.
  15. "Is BarkBox Worth It? Coupons included". Dog Endorsed. 2018-12-20. Retrieved 2019-06-04.
  16. King, Rachel. "Exclusive: The Makers of BarkBox Are Moving Into an Often Overlooked Space in Pet Wellness". Fortune.
  17. Alcantra, Ann-Marie. "Bark Expands Into Health With a Dog Dental Care Solution". Adweek.
  18. Bender, Kelli. "Brushing Your Dog's Teeth Just Got Easier Thanks to This Tooth Brush That's Also a Treat". People.
  19. Gerard, Emily. "Hate brushing your dog's teeth? This dental kit will make it a breeze". Today.
  20. Steele, Lauren (29 April 2020). "Spending more time with your dog? These 12 ingenious toys and accessories will make both your lives happier". Fast Company.
  21. Clendaniel, Morgan (28 April 2020). "World Changing Ideas Awards 2020: Consumer Products Finalists and Honorable Mentions". Fast Company.
  22. "BARK Bright Dental: Special Mention on The 100 Best Inventions of 2019". Time.
  23. Crump, Tiana. "A Memory Foam Dog Bed With 10,000+ Raves & 4 More Pup-Approved Picks On Amazon". Bustle.
  24. Rose, Megan (29 December 2019). "Your Dog Has Been Dreaming of These Beds ..." Best Products.
  25. "Bark starts dog-food delivery service".
  26. "Calming Donut Dog Bed".
  27. Jillian D'Onfro (Oct 2013). "BarkBox Adds Media-Maven and 'Dog Parent' Cathie Black TO Its Board". Business Insider. Retrieved Jul 28, 2014.
  28. Laura Stampler (20 May 2014). "Sick of the People on Dating Apps? Now There's a Tinder for Dogs". Time. Retrieved 29 July 2014.
  29. Kelly Faircloth (May 27, 2014). "There's Finally a Tinder for Adoptable Dogs". Jezebel. Retrieved Aug 6, 2014.
  30. Amy Eley (May 29, 2014). "Tinder for dogs? BarkBuddy app matches pet lovers with local rescues". Today. Retrieved Aug 6, 2014.
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