BarkBox is a monthly subscription service providing dog products, services, and experiences. BARK serves over 2 million dogs monthly through BarkBox and Super Chewer subscriptions and retail distribution.[2][3][4][5][6][7]
On December 17, 2020, Barkbox, Inc. and Northern Star Acquisition Corp. (NYSE: STIC.U), a publicly traded special purpose acquisition company, announced that they had entered into a definitive merger agreement. As a result of the transaction, which values the Company at an enterprise value of approximately $1.6 billion, BARK will become a publicly listed company on the New York Stock Exchange under the new ticker symbol, "BARK".[8][9]
History
The company was founded December 2011 by Carly Strife, Matt Meeker, and Henrik Werdelin.[2][6] Prior to co-founding BarkBox, Meeker co-founded the social networking site Meetup.com.[2][7][10] Meeker currently serves as CEO.[11] Werdelin had founded Prehype.
In April 2013, the company raised $6.7 million in a venture funding.[6][10][12] The company surpassed the $25 million revenue run rate the same year.[12] BARK received an additional $15 Million in Series B funding led by Resolute.vc, along with RRE, BoxGroup, Lerer Ventures, Bertelsmann Digital Media Investments, Slow Ventures, Daher Capital, CAA, Vast Ventures, and City National Bank in 2014.[3][4]
BARK launched BarkCam in early 2014, a photo sharing app which operates as an "Instagram for dogs" and their owners.[13]
BarkBox allows owners to personalize their dog's monthly subscription boxes based on their dog's needs. Each dog is unique and requires different toy options to match their style of play.[14]
Products and services
BarkBox, a monthly subscription service for dogs.[10] Each BarkBox has at least 2 toys, 2 treats, and a chew each month, all based on a monthly theme.[15]
BARK Bright, a dog wellness product line. The company launched the first Bright product in October 2019 with Bright Dental[16][17][18][19][20] — an enzymatic gel toothpaste and dental chew. Bright Dental received an honorable mention in Fast Company's World Changing Ideas 2020 and a mention in Time's Best Inventions 2019.[21][22]
BARK Essentials, every day items for dogs such as a memory foam dog bed with bed sheets and poop bags.[23][24]
BARK Eats, a dog-food delivery service launched in March 2020.[25][26]
BarkBuddy is similar to a "Tinder for dogs", as users can swipe left or right depending on their level of interest in the dog.[28][29] The free app, available for iPhone and Android,[30] is designed to match humans with dogs up for adoption at nearby shelters, and users can filter choices by gender, location, activity level, age, and size.[30] The app is connected to rescue centers and shelters across the United States and Canada, and there are approximately 300,000 dogs in the database.[28][29][30] The app sources many of its adoptable dogs from the pet adoption website Petfinder and from BARK's personal network of shelters and rescue organizations.[29]
BARK Air, a private jet service for dogs and their owners.[31]
