For Investors
Path to Product
The four phases from today to a shippable product, with the cost, the timeline, and the go/no-go signal that gates each transition. Total raise: $215,000 — sufficient to reach break-even at $50K MRR.
Four-Phase Roadmap
- 1
Validate
Landing page + waitlist + 15 problem-validation interviews. Outbound to storm-belt dog owners via subreddit partnerships (r/dogs, r/reactivedogs, r/Anxietydogs), DACVB referrals, and 2 newsletter sponsorships (Dogster, The Wildest). Preliminary storm-classifier + dog-state classifier sketched on an ESP32-S3 dev board. Behavioral protocol drafted and circulated to two DACVBs for letter-of-intent review.
- Timeline
- 60 days
- Cost
- $0
- Go signal
- 750 waitlist signups OR >=30% interview convert-to-pilot rate, plus at least 2 DACVB letters of intent on the SAB.
- 2
Engineering Prototype + FCC
Hardware engineering contract (schematic, PCB rev 1-3, mechanical CAD, DFM review). Embedded firmware contract (storm classifier, MobileNet v3 INT8 dog-pose classifier, motor control, BLE+WiFi stack, dual-bank A/B OTA). Mobile app v0 (pairing, session log, progress chart). 5 hand-assembled functional prototypes for SAB review and a 5-home concierge intake. FCC Part 15B + 15C pre-scan and submission. DACVB SAB retainers initiated (3 members, 1-year).
- Timeline
- 90 days
- Cost
- $53,000
- Go signal
- PCB rev 3 functional + FCC pass on first or second scan + 5 prototypes hand-assembled + protocol signed off by 3-member DACVB SAB + concierge cohort observation passes SAB review at week 3.
- 3
Tooling + Concierge MVP
Injection-mold tooling for 3 chassis sizes (Shenzhen partner, 8-12 week lead time, dominant timeline risk). PCBA manufacturing setup. 5-home concierge MVP cohort with SAB-supervised observation across a full storm-belt season. Year-1 DACVB SAB retainers balance. Year-1 product-liability + compliance insurance. Packaging design + initial print run.
- Timeline
- 120 days
- Cost
- $114,000
- Go signal
- Mold T1 samples pass functional + acoustic spec (<40 dB at 1m on dispense) + concierge cohort shows measurable calm-classification % improvement at week 6 in >=3 of 5 homes + insurance bound.
- 4
First Production Run + Launch
First 1,000-unit production run (component buy at @1K BOM). DTC launch on pawvlov3.nltlabs.ai with SEO + paid search targeting 'dog anxiety', 'thunder phobia', 'fireworks anxiety'. Influencer + DACVB-referral channels. Customer support ops (1 FTE-equivalent). Production ramp 100 units/month (M13) -> 300 units/month (M18). Subscription onboarding flow + Stripe billing. Retail conversations (Chewy, Petco, Amazon) initiated in parallel.
- Timeline
- 90 days to launch + 6 months to scale
- Cost
- $48,000
- Go signal
- $50K MRR by Month 18 (200+ hardware units/month at $249 avg + 500-700 active $9.99/mo subscriptions) + return rate < 3% + NPS > 50 + unit economics validated (CAC < $40, LTV > $180, LTV:CAC > 5:1).
Capital Ask
We are raising $215,000. 18 months to break-even at $50K MRR (200+ units/month at $249 avg M SKU + 500-700 active $9.99/mo subscriptions). Modeled
| Use of Funds | Amount |
|---|---|
| $35,000 | |
| $8,000 | |
| $105,000 | |
| $10,000 | |
| $26,050 | |
| $12,000 | |
| $9,000 | |
| $6,000 | |
| $3,950 |
Current Status
As of 2026-06-19
Completed
- Market validated (PE pipeline FUND verdict, score 7.1/10)
- Competitive landscape analyzed: zero autonomous-therapy competitors (Furbo/Petcube doubled down on engagement features in 2025)
- DACVB systematic-desensitization protocol confirmed as gold standard (VCA, Cornell, ACVB literature)
- Hardware BOM modeled at @100 / @1K / @10K (total BOM $26.05 @10K; COGS $37.50 @10K; 85% hardware GM at $249 M SKU)
- Three chassis sizes (S/M/L) specified with shared ESP32-S3 mainboard and firmware
- Regulatory classification confirmed: consumer training aid, not a medical device (no FDA path)
- POC site live at pawvlov3.nltlabs.ai for investor + design-partner outreach
Pending
- Seed close ($215K) at the FUND verdict valuation
- Hardware + embedded firmware contractor hiring (Phase 2 kickoff)
- DACVB SAB recruitment (3 members, 1-year retainer)
- Injection-mold partner selection + Shenzhen lead-time lock-in (gates Phase 3)
- Waitlist outbound campaign on storm-belt subreddits + DACVB-referral newsletters