Dr. Guy Sandelowsky and Shiv Sivakumar, co-founders of pet health brand Omni Pet, have turned a sceptical Dragons' Den appearance into a thriving business. After being called 'delusional' by Touker Suleyman in February 2025, the duo secured backing from Deborah Meaden and Steven Bartlett, and have since achieved an annualised revenue of £13,000,000 and a total investment of £11,000,000.
Rapid growth and customer base expansion
Since their television debut, Omni Pet has added over 100,000 new customers, closing 2025 with £8.4 million in sales. The company now serves more than 300,000 customers, helping tens of thousands of dogs with nutrition and health issues. Shiv Sivakumar, a former investment banker, expressed gratitude for the platform: 'As a consumer brand, we know the power of a programme like Dragon's Den, and it really helped bring our mission to millions of people across the country.'
Overcoming scepticism from Dragons
During the show, Peter Jones questioned the business valuation, while Touker Suleyman labelled their expectations 'delusional'. Shiv acknowledged the feedback: 'Peter Jones and Touker Suleyman questioned our approach, which reflects a more traditional way of looking at businesses. That's completely valid – valuations are subjective, and we respected that feedback.' He added that being called 'delusional' is normal when challenging the status quo: 'Human nature is to follow what's already working, so if you challenge the status quo, people naturally question it.'
Validating the vision with results
Dr. Guy Sandelowsky, an experienced veterinarian, described the success as 'extremely validating'. He noted: 'We've grown from around a £1 million annual run rate to approximately £13 million annualised revenue in just over a year, entirely through direct-to-consumer sales and Amazon. We're not even on supermarket shelves yet.' The company has attracted investment from firms including IW Capital and Redrice Ventures, with the £11,000,000 injection set to fuel further growth.
Addressing pet health concerns
Omni Pet creates products targeting obesity, allergies, and digestive problems in dogs. According to UK Pet Food, over 50% of dogs and 43% of cats are overweight, a rising trend the company aims to combat with calorie-controlled, protein-rich products backed by clinical research. The brand also has support from sustainable champions like Chris Packham and Deborah Meaden.
Shiv concluded: 'Pet nutrition has largely been controlled by legacy companies for decades. We wanted to challenge that by doing something genuinely different, and people are switching to Omni because they're seeing the benefits. If people want to keep calling us delusional, that's fine. We'll just keep doing what we're doing.'
