Other
Jun 2025Public coverage says Ten Lives was still working with the FDA on a six-month safety study and targeting 2027 for approval, indicating regulatory/commercialization risk.
SourceCompany research
Public company, workplace, funding, and market signals
Updated Jul 29, 2026
Overview
Ten Lives is a San Francisco-based startup from YC’s Summer 2022 batch making precision-fermented, animal-protein-identical cat food and treats. Its public story combines consumer cat treats today with a longer-term ingredient/platform business for sustainable pet nutrition, with a small team and modest disclosed funding.
Primary product
Precision-fermented cat treats / sustainable cat food
Founded
2022
Headquarters
San Francisco, California, United States
Team size
1-10 employees
Industry
Food and Beverage Manufacturing
Sub-industry
Pet food / alternative protein / precision fermentation
Offices
San Francisco, California, United States
Business model
direct-to-consumer pet treats
B2B pet protein ingredient platform
Funding
Stage
Pre-seed
Total raised
$525K
Latest round
Grant / Pet Care Innovation Prize · Jan 2025
Latest amount
$25K
Grant / Pet Care Innovation Prize
Jan 2025 · Nestlé Purina PetCare / Pet Care Innovation Prize
Aug 2022 · Y Combinator
Jun 2022 · Y Combinator
People & investors
Work & culture
Mission-driven, science-heavy, and cat-centric; public messaging emphasizes sustainability, animal welfare, veterinarian input, and making food that is healthy and tasty for cats.
Product & market
Pricing
Direct-to-consumer pre-order snacks plus a future ingredient/platform model for pet food manufacturers
Differentiators
- —Uses precision fermentation to make animal-protein-identical ingredients without animals
- —Applies AI to screen yeast strains and speed protein discovery
- —Positions the product as cat-specific and prey-protein aligned (rabbit/fish/lamb)
- —Targets price parity with conventional meat proteins
- —Combines consumer treats as a test bed with a longer-term ingredient business
Technology
precision fermentation
AI/ML strain screening
microbial fermentation
protein purification
Customers
cat parents / pet owners
sustainability-minded pet consumers
pet food companies evaluating alternative proteins
Competitors
Freshpet
Nestlé Purina
Drools
Scale & contact
Estimated revenue
≈$440K ARR (public estimate)
Estimated monthly visits
430
Traffic estimate as of Jun 2026
Signals & risks
Latest news
Pet Food Processing · Jun 2025
Explains Ten Lives’ AI yeast-strain screening, in-house San Francisco lab work, launch of wet cat treats in early 2025, and FDA safety-study work targeting 2027 approval.
Pet Food Processing · Jan 2025
Covers Ten Lives’ finalist selection, the $25,000 award, and the boot camp / pitch-competition path in Purina’s innovation program.
St. Louis Business Journal · Jan 2025
Reports Purina’s startup investments and notes Ten Lives as a San Francisco-based producer of clean animal proteins for cat snacks led by CEO Victoria Mo.
Nestlé Purina News Center · Jan 2025
Purina named Ten Lives one of five finalists in its 2025 Pet Care Innovation Prize, awarding $25,000 and mentorship; the release describes Ten Lives as producing clean animal proteins for cats via precision fermentation.
Jobs and careers at Ten Lives
0 jobs at Ten Lives
No open positions
Check back later for new openings