Drools Turns Unicorn After Nestle Investment

Bengaluru-based pet food food company Drools has officially become a unicorn (a startup valued at $1 billion or more). This happened after Nestle, a famous Swiss company, bought a small part of Drools. With this deal, Drools becomes the fourth Indian startup in 2025 to reach unicorn status, after Netradyne, Porter and JSW One Platforms.

Nestle’s Role in the Deal

Nestle’s confirmed the investment but said Drools will still make its own decisions and stay independent. Nestle did not share how much money was involved in the deal. The main goal is to support Drools financially while keeping its original team and strategy.

Fourth Unicorn of 2025

Drools is now the fourth company in India to become a unicorn this year. The first was deeptech startup Netradyne in January, followed by Juspay in April and logistics firm Porter in May.

India’s Pet Care Market is Growing Fast

India’s pet care industry is growing quickly. More people, especially young ones in cities, are keeping pets and spending money on their food, grooming and health. This trend is rising due to higher incomes, smaller families and more people seeing pets as part of the family.

The industry is growing at more than 20% each year and is expected to be worth over $1.15 billion by 2026.

About Drools and Its Journey

Drools started in 2010 and is now one of the biggest Indian pet food brands. It got support from a company called L Catterton, which is connected to luxury group LVMH. In 2023, Drools received $60 million to improve its production and distribution.

Drools competes with large international companies like Mars PetCare and Indian brands like Heads Up for Tails.

Why Nestle’s Investment Matters?

Nestle is known worldwide for its pet food brand Purina, but it has not had a big role in India’s pet market until now. By investing in Drools, Nestle can enter the Indian market without changing how it runs its global operations.

This deal also gives Drools a chance to learn from Nestle’s experience and global business methods.

More Companies are Joining the Pet Care Race

Nestle is not the only company interested in India’s growing pet care sector. Godrej Consumer Products has also started working in this field. Experts say that what used to be a small and niche market is now becoming a popular and mainstream business area.