India’s love for pets has created one of the fastest-growing consumer markets in the country, and startups are rushing to build solutions that cater to modern pet owners. Among them, BhaoBhao, a Mumbai-based homegrown pet care brand, has grabbed the spotlight with its latest funding milestone. The startup raised $200,000 from a group of angel investors, fueling its mission to make professional at-home pet grooming more accessible across Indian cities.
The Birth of BhaoBhao
Founded in 2025 by entrepreneurs Aditi Sanganeria and Anshika Maheshwari, BhaoBhao started with a simple observation: urban pet owners often struggle to balance professional grooming visits with their hectic schedules. Traveling to grooming salons creates stress for pets, mess for owners, and safety concerns in crowded cities.
Aditi and Anshika envisioned a solution where grooming professionals would bring the salon to the doorstep. They built BhaoBhao as a service-first brand, combining hygiene standards, professional expertise, and convenience. The duo handpicked certified groomers, trained them to work with both dogs and cats, and equipped them with sanitised tools designed for in-home use.
“We wanted to take the anxiety out of grooming sessions,” Aditi explained during a recent investor interaction. “At-home grooming ensures pets remain calm in their familiar environment while owners stay assured about safety and cleanliness.”
Services That Stand Out
BhaoBhao carved its niche with dog and cat grooming packages that cover bathing, fur trimming, nail clipping, ear cleaning, and coat styling. Unlike most grooming businesses that focus primarily on dogs, the startup assembled a dedicated cat grooming team, recognizing that cat owners often face a shortage of professional options.
Pricing falls between ₹1,500 and ₹2,000 per session, which positions BhaoBhao as a premium but affordable service for middle- and upper-income households. Transparency around costs and hygiene standards helped the company build trust among urban families who increasingly view pets as family members.
The startup also stresses strict sanitation practices. Each professional sterilises equipment before and after use, wears protective gear, and manages waste disposal responsibly. In-home operations ensure homes stay clean, while pets avoid exposure to external germs.
A Fast Start in Mumbai
In less than a year since launch, BhaoBhao reports over 3,000 clients served in Mumbai, with an impressive 95% repeat customer rate. That figure suggests strong satisfaction levels and validates the need for the service.
Word-of-mouth referrals drove much of the early growth. Pet parents shared positive experiences on local WhatsApp groups, Instagram reels, and community forums. Repeat customers booked monthly sessions, while first-timers often signed up after witnessing friends’ stress-free experiences.
The co-founders credit their grooming staff for this retention success. They designed a rigorous recruitment and training program that emphasizes patience, empathy, and professionalism. Groomers undergo background verification, complete practical training, and follow a structured checklist for every session.
Backing from Angel Investors
The $200,000 seed round came from a group of undisclosed angel investors, including professionals from India’s consumer-tech ecosystem and early supporters of direct-to-consumer brands. The angels cited BhaoBhao’s high repeat rate and untapped market opportunity as their main reasons for backing the venture.
Investors also saw promise in the startup’s scalable model. Since grooming happens at customers’ homes, BhaoBhao avoids the high fixed costs of renting or running physical salons. Each new city expansion requires hiring and training groomers, setting up logistics for equipment, and executing local marketing campaigns—a relatively asset-light approach.
“The numbers BhaoBhao achieved in Mumbai prove demand exists,” one investor shared privately. “With pet ownership booming in cities like Bengaluru, Delhi, and Pune, the brand can scale quickly with disciplined execution.”
Roadmap for Expansion
With its new capital, BhaoBhao plans to expand beyond Mumbai. The founders are already mapping out entry into Delhi NCR, Bengaluru, and Pune, three urban hubs with dense pet populations and high disposable incomes.
The team also prepares for a larger fundraise of $4 million to $5 million by the end of the year, which will finance aggressive growth. The next round will likely involve venture capital firms active in consumer services and pet care ecosystems.
Funds from the upcoming raise will support:
- Geographic expansion into at least six Indian cities.
- Hiring and training of a larger grooming workforce.
- Building a tech platform for seamless bookings, scheduling, and customer support.
- Marketing campaigns targeting pet-owner communities online and offline.
Aditi and Anshika also plan to introduce subscription packages, offering bundled monthly sessions at discounted rates to boost retention further.
A Booming Pet Care Market
BhaoBhao’s timing aligns with the rise of India’s pet care industry. Market research values the sector at $3.5 billion in 2025, with projections of double-digit growth for the next decade. Rising incomes, urban lifestyles, and shifting cultural attitudes toward pets have created massive demand for services like grooming, healthcare, boarding, and specialty food.
Dogs remain the most popular pets, but cat ownership is rising steadily among younger urban residents. At the same time, nuclear families increasingly treat pets as children, spending generously on their wellbeing.
Yet, the market remains fragmented, dominated by small grooming salons and unorganised service providers. That gap gives startups like BhaoBhao a chance to professionalise the space, introduce hygiene standards, and build trusted brands.
Differentiation Through Trust and Convenience
Convenience forms the core of BhaoBhao’s pitch, but the founders emphasize that trust drives repeat bookings. Customers allow strangers into their homes to handle pets, so professional conduct, background checks, and consistent service matter as much as grooming quality.
The startup designed its operations with transparency in mind. Customers can track groomer profiles, verify certifications, and rate services. The team also collects feedback actively, tweaking operations when needed.
Cat owners, often overlooked by the industry, see BhaoBhao as a rare brand that prioritises their pets. Many clients reported difficulty finding salons with trained cat groomers, making BhaoBhao’s cat-focused offering a strong differentiator.
Challenges Ahead
Despite early success, challenges remain. Scaling human-intensive services demands careful quality control, as inconsistent grooming experiences could hurt the brand. Recruiting and training skilled professionals in new cities will require both capital and time.
Competition may also intensify. Traditional salons may launch mobile grooming units, while other startups may try to replicate BhaoBhao’s model. Customer loyalty will depend on consistent execution and ongoing innovation.
Operationally, traffic congestion and long commutes in Indian cities could impact groomers’ efficiency. Optimising routes, setting up city hubs, and using data-driven scheduling will become critical.
Looking Forward
With strong customer traction, angel investor backing, and a clear roadmap, BhaoBhao looks set to expand its pawprint in India’s pet care market. The co-founders want to build not just a grooming service but a trusted lifestyle brand for pet parents, and they see their upcoming Series A raise as a springboard to that vision.
If executed well, BhaoBhao could transform how Indian pet owners care for their furry companions—making grooming stress-free, hygienic, and convenient. For now, every wagging tail and satisfied purr in Mumbai signals the early promise of this ambitious startup.
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