In the midst of a VC funding freeze, many startups have been seeking financing, but bootstrapping offers a different path. nove8, the creator of a prominent dog training app, Woofz, opted for bootstrapping.
The company scaled its revenue from $5.2 million to $20 million within a year and became profitable without venture capital. With over 21 million downloads, Woofz is the top app in its category. No funding rounds or vanity metrics, just a clear mission, smart strategy, and relentless execution.
CEO Natalia Shahmetova shared insights into their achievement.
Woofz is a dog training app that aids pet owners in improving their dog’s behavior through step-by-step lessons, daily goals, and behavioral insights.
Created with input from certified trainers, the app offers personalized daily lessons, behavior correction tools, and positive reinforcement techniques. It features interactive tools like a clicker, whistle, walk tracker, and progress gallery to ensure consistent, engaging training, making it more accessible for everyday dog owners.
Shahmetova, with 15 years in marketing, recalls, “I started when mobile apps were barely a thing. It feels like a lifetime ago.”
Six years ago at Gismart, a mobile app company, Shahmetova asked, “Why so many apps for humans and not for dogs?” She joined as a product marketing manager and led monetization.
In 2020, the company began developing a dog-focused app. Shahmetova shared: “It resonated deeply. Why so few apps for dog owners?”
Shahmetova, who has always loved dogs, recounted, “I had dogs all my life. I was terrified of dogs as a child, so my parents brought one home. It worked. Since age six, I’ve loved dogs.”
She nearly pursued veterinary school, indicating her devotion to animals.
Shahmetova wondered why dog training hadn’t been digitized properly. YouTube offered long, non-interactive videos and offline books, but no user-friendly app.
The COVID lockdown presented an opportunity. Despite a competitor, the team built its own app. “People needed reasons to go outside, and dog walking was an excuse. We saw a surge in dog ownership then.”
The team didn’t launch Woofz during COVID but recognized the niche’s potential.
By 2024, Shahmetova transitioned from Gismart’s marketing leader to nove8’s CMO and CEO. “We were just 10 people, and few believed in the niche,” she recalls.
Human-focused trends prevailed then: fitness, entertainment, AI tools, and social media.
Shahmetova’s team tested hypotheses, investing in paid marketing on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat. “We wanted to prove dog training with an app was both possible and cost-effective.”
nove8 initially had private equity backing from a bigger company. “But in early 2024, we spun off. Now, we only rely on private equity, and we’ve been profitable since last year. We’re building a real business, not chasing growth for growth’s sake.”
Woofz strengthens the dog-owner bond, simplifies instructions, explains dog psychology, and provides varied command methods for owners to find what works best.
Woofz began with a trainer-input digital library and is evolving into a Duolingo-like experience. During onboarding, users complete a quiz to create a personalized training flow.
Shahmetova explains, “Based on the quiz, we tailor training. If a dog knows basic commands, we skip those. If behavioral issues exist, we start there. We’re testing AI for better user suggestions.”
Now available in 10 languages, Woofz has 70 staff and rapid revenue growth. About 70% of users are in the US, with growing traction in Latin America, the UK, Europe, and China. nove8 is collaborating with US organizations for emotional support animal certifications.
Today, two or three major competitors, along with many small ones, exist. “Initially, almost no one else was doing this,” Shahmetova says. “We invested in this niche early, believing in it before others.”
It may seem like a cute niche, but it’s a serious business with real numbers. It’s competitive, but Woofz has built something meaningful.
nove8 aims to evolve Woofz into a “super app” for dog owners: training, health, wellness, and potentially food and grooming. It’s exploring verticals and addressing dog owner challenges needing solutions.
In a crowded app market, Woofz stands out by giving dog owners precisely what they need. Its success illustrates that real growth doesn’t always require VC funds—just understanding users, actionable solutions, and belief in a niche before the market does.