Fi

Last week, we teamed up with Cool Down Running, Cleo&Hooman, and Woof Wellness for NYC's 'Wag N Run' along the West Side Highway. Hundreds of dog lovers joined us for an evening of running, adoptable dogs, and so much more!

Episode 348 of The VentureFizz Podcast, sponsored by Silicon Valley Bank, features Jonathan B., Founder & CEO of Fi: https://lnkd.in/eeE_AXwQ It’s crazy to think that The VentureFizz Podcast has been around since 2018 and I believe that I’ve only had one repeat guest and that founder was talking about a new company. Thus, this is the first time I am doing a follow up episode and Jonathan was my guest for Episode 110 back in 2019. I ran into Jonathan at the Lerer Hippeau summer party in NYC and as we were chatting about his business, it seemed very obvious that we needed to do a new interview. What’s cool about this episode is the format, as it is different from most of my interviews. Since we already discussed his background story in the original episode, we were able to go deeper into Fi’s business and what has happened over the past 5 years. If you are not familiar with Fi, they are the creators of the Fi Smart Dog Collar which not only has real-time location tracking, but the device also includes activity, sleep, and behavior monitoring. In this episode of our podcast, we cover: * A brief overview of Jonathan’s background story and what was the inspiration behind Fi. * The latest about the Series 3 product line, plus a demo and all the cool features. * The importance of sleep tracking for your dog and how the movement to health tracking is a key piece of Fi’s strategy. * Lessons learned from retail and why a straight direct-to-consumer model is the right fit for them at this point in time. * Building out a company’s leadership team and Board of Directors. * What the fundraising process has looked like through Fi’s journey. * Creating a category and why more competition in the industry would be a good thing. * And so much more. More about our sponsor: As a longtime champion of the local startup ecosystem, Silicon Valley Bank supports innovative companies with the solutions and financing they need through every stage of growth. With more than 1,500 bankers and relationship advisors, and $42B in loans as of Q2 2024 – SVB delivers the right people, service and resources to support your entire financial journey. Learn more at SVB.com.  Thank you to the SVB team for sponsoring The VentureFizz Podcast: Christopher Morrison, Alicia Fuller, Nicole Hawkey, Ben Maitland-Lewis, Hani Azzam, Hannah Heyliger, Lisa Puleo, & Mark Gallagher, Nancy Langenstein #startups #pettech #entrepreneurship #podcast

Introducing this week’s Fi Dog of the Week, @Chance_The_Mini_Golden! Chance is a 6.5 year old Golden Retriever rescued from Tijuana. He has unwavering energy that fills every room with joy and sunshine. From endless rounds of fetch to hikes and road trips with his family, Chance is always on the move. His understanding and attentive nature make every moment special, whether it’s simply lounging at home or exploring new terrains. With his Fi collar on, Chance’s family can comfortably keep up with his adventures, ensuring he’s safe and sound while he pursues his favorite activities.

Introducing Fi Employee Spotlights! The Pack at Fi is made up of incredible talent- get to know our team a little better starting with our very first Fi employee - Shiann Shin Yamin! Want to join the pack? Check out our available roles here: https://jobs.lever.co/fi

Welcome Gwyn!

Introducing this week’s Fi Dog of the Week, @ThatStaffy.Lilo! Lilo is a 4 year old American Staffordshire terrier mix who was rescued in Florida. She makes every day brighter with her energy, whether it's greeting visitors with her favorite toy or soaking up the sun to receive the best back scratches. She's often found snuggled up, cuddling her cherished lamb chop toy or cozying up to her family. Lilo's love for life make her presence a gift to all who meet her.

We're excited to introduce our groundbreaking new feature, Search Party. Use Search Party to instantly call for backup next time your dog goes missing. We hope you never need it, but it's good to have in your back pocket, especially during fireworks season...

Spoke with a company that created their own lane during my panel earlier this week – smart dog collars AKA the apple watch for dog collars (with GPS, health tracking, and more) For Fi to market themselves though is difficult given they’re a new category. So they partnered with Strava – the leading digital community for active people (more than 120 million athletes) This brings them in front of an audience that has already been proven to care about health tracking – and out of 120 million athletes…they’ll target pet owners too. So if you’re a brand with new products or starting in a new category all together – partner with brands (big or small) to get yourself in front of the right audience without spending too much money diving into other marketing channels.

We're excited to introduce our groundbreaking new feature, Search Party. Use Search Party to instantly call for backup next time your dog goes missing. We hope you never need it, but it's good to have in your back pocket, especially during fireworks season...

Introducing this week’s Fi Dogs of the Week, @FloridaCorgis. Meet Luna and Lily, two Pembroke Welsh corgi sisters. Luna, the bold older sister, is driven by her love for playtime, fetch, and exploring. Her younger sibling Lily happily tags along for all adventures. Although they were born in Montana, these sisters have traveled all across the United States, before settling back East. No matter where their adventures take them, their favorite activities always revolve around quality time with their mom, whether it’s an epic road trip or a relaxing beach day. To keep a close eye on these girls, their mom turned to Fi. Not only does it provide her peace of mind through its GPS tracking, but it also offers insights into the girls activity levels, sleep patterns, and stress indicators — ensuring Luna and Lily are living their absolute best lives.