Whistle (company) facts for kids
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| Private | |
| Industry | Pet devices |
| Founded | 2012 |
| Founders | Ben Jacobs (CEO) Kevin Lloyd (CTO) Steven Eidelman (COO) |
| Headquarters | San Francisco, California, U.S. |
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Key people
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Ben Jacobs, CEO |
| Products | Whistle Dog Tracker (GPS device) |
| Parent | Mars Petcare |
Whistle Labs Inc. is a company that makes cool gadgets for pets. They are based in San Francisco, California, and are part of a bigger company called Mars Petcare. Whistle makes a special device called the Whistle GPS Pet Tracker. You can attach it to your pet's collar. This device helps you keep track of where your pet is and how much they move around. Even animal doctors and scientists use these devices to learn more about pets!
Contents
How Whistle Started
The Big Idea for Pet Tech
The idea for Whistle came from Ben Jacobs. He later became the company's first CEO. He worked with Steve Eidelman, who helped manage the company. They were looking into the pet care business. They then brought in Kevin Lloyd, who became the main technology expert. These three friends started Whistle in 2012.
Early Days and Growth
Whistle began with 20 people working there. They also got about $6 million from investors to help them start. Some of the people who invested money were important figures in pet care.
Whistle's first product came out in 2013. It was a device that tracked how much dogs exercised. It was like a "fitness tracker" for dogs! The company continued to grow. They got more money to help them develop new products.
Working with PetSmart and Vets
In 2014, Whistle made a deal with PetSmart. This meant Whistle devices were sold in all PetSmart stores. Whistle also started working with schools that teach about animal medicine. They used the information from the devices to help with research.
For example, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania used Whistle data. They studied dogs with long-term pain. Scientists at North Carolina State University used the data too. They looked at dogs with epilepsy. Whistle even has a group of animal doctors who give them advice.
New Technology and Company Growth
Whistle began trying out new ways to connect their devices. In 2015, they bought another company called Tagg. Tagg also made pet tracking devices. This helped Whistle make their devices even better. They improved battery life and how well they could find pets. By 2015, Whistle had sold 100,000 devices!
In 2016, a large company called Mars Petcare bought Whistle. Mars is famous for making food and candy bars.
Whistle Products for Pets
Smart Devices for Your Furry Friends
Whistle makes devices that you can put on your pet's collar. These devices help you keep an eye on them.
Whistle Activity Monitor
One device is called the Whistle Activity Monitor. Some people call it a "Fitbit for dogs." It tracks how long, when, and how hard your pet exercises. You can see this information on your phone using an app.
GPS Pet Tracker
Whistle also makes a GPS pet tracker. This is super helpful for finding lost pets! It can also send you an alert if your pet's behavior changes. For example, if they sleep much less, it might mean they are worried.
Newer Models and Features
In 2017, Whistle introduced a new model called Whistle 3. It was smaller than older models. This meant it could be used for smaller dogs or even cats.
Later, Whistle released Whistle GO in 2019. Whistle GO is an improved version of the Whistle 3. Its main features are:
- GPS location tracking, so you always know where your pet is.
- Health and fitness monitoring, to help you understand your pet's activity.
Whistle GO also has a better battery life. It gives you even more health information than the older models.
