D2C petcare brand Wiggles has raised $5.5 million in a pre-series A funding round led by Anthill Ventures. The round also saw participation from Panthera Peak Ventures and several new and existing investors.

Varun Alagh, Founder, Mamaearth, Nikhil Bhandarkar of Ubiquity Capital, Nachikhet Deshpande, COO, L&T Infotech, Abhay Amrite, Partner, IIFL Wealth and former Coca-Cola India Chairman T Krishnakumar are among the clutch of investors that have participated in this round.

Founded in 2018,Wiggles has grown its current portfolio to over 42 SKUs across food, treats, supplements, medicines and also offers a host of petcare services.

The start-up said that the fresh infusion of funds will enable the brand to increase its investment in R&D and help accelerate the launch of new category-creating products.

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Wiggles’ Founder and CEO, Anushka Iyer, said, “With the new infusion of funds, we will continue to invest in research and dial-up our offerings that will further add value to the petcare ecosystem. Our ultimate goal is to ensure that pets live longer and healthier lives.”

A part of the funds will also help the brand deepen its geographical footprint in India with plans to launch its services in at least 2 new markets by FY22, she added.

Kabir Kochhar, Partner, Anthill Ventures said, “Having tracked this space for some time, Wiggles really stood out for us. The founders have built the brand focused on trust, compassion, customer feedback and much needed innovation. We are thrilled to be a part of Wiggles growth journey at an early stage and support them through our Athena Speed Scaling programme.”