How Halo Collar Scaled to $100 Million as Demand Surges for Smart Pet Safety Technology

Why it matters:

• Consumer demand for smart pet safety technology has continued to grow after a bump from the pandemic boom in pet adoptions.
• The pet housing and containment market is expected to reach $4.67 billion by 2035, according to market research firm Metatech Insights.
• Against that backdrop, the success of GPS pet-tracking device Halo Collar has been driven by deep research, early pursuit of a patent, and partnering with trusted experts, catapulting the startup to $100 million in sales.

For 25 years, Engineer and Entrepreneur Ken Ehrman developed internet of things (IoT) solutions to secure, track, and manage industrial trucks, tractors, and vehicle fleets. He founded I.D. Systems, which is now publicly traded technology company Powerfleet, and his patented safety innovations are still used on over 500,000 vehicles globally.

Then, in 2017, a family tragedy struck. Ehrman’s niece’s dog, Ruby, escaped through a traditional invisible fence, which requires putting physical wires in the ground, and was hit by a car. Ehrman used a similar fence for his own dog, a lab mix named Reese. If it could happen to Ruby, it could happen to Reese, too, and to the millions of other dogs people have as pets. Ehrman set out to find a better way to prevent pets from getting hurt or wandering off while they’re spending time outside.

Nine years later, the consumer pet-tech company, which he founded alongside his brother Michael and famed dog trainer César Millán, star of the former National Geographic reality TV series “Dog Whisperer with César Millán," is growing rapidly.

Halo Collar pairs installation-free smart fencing, GPS tracking, and app-based behavior training to keep dogs safe outside.

When dogs approach the device’s virtual boundary, they hear a beep or feel a vibration. Training keeps them from crossing it. As consumer demand rises for smart pet safety technology, Halo has scaled from approximately $3 million in revenue in 2020, to $75 million in 2024. Now, it’s projected to top $100 million in 2025. Halo is currently keeping over 200,000 dogs of 350 breeds safe, the company says.

“The invisible fence is really one of the last wire products out there,” Ehrman said, with GPS proliferating. “People could grasp that idea easily, and they could see the potential of our product,” meaning both consumers and investors easily grasped the clear distinction between the more outdated wire fencing and more modern GPS technology. “Having the idea not be super complicated really helped us with the fundraising.”

[Read more: Scaling Vet Startups Vetster, Dutch, and Airvet Offer Telehealth to Appeal to Busy Pet Owners]

First launch steps for Halo Collar Founder Ken Ehrman included exhaustive market research and pursuing a patent

Ehrman’s initial step toward building his business was to exhaustively gather as much data as possible on the pet safety market. It was a tactic he’d taken previously with his business-to-business (B2B) company. “The first thing I did, and that I would recommend for every entrepreneur, is to really do your research,” he said.

He couldn’t find any GPS solutions to the invisible fence, and he discovered that people were searching the term “invisible fence” on Google over 500,000 times a month. “You’re not really searching that term unless you’re looking to buy, so we knew there a was definite demand,” he said. His research on the pet containment industry revealed it to be a multibillion-dollar industry. The pet housing and containment market was at $2.19 billion in 2025 and is expected to grow to $4.67 billion by 2035, according to market research firm Metatech Insights.

Ehrman broke down the often frustrating-for-consumers, multi-step process of purchasing an invisible fence, which includes gathering installation quotes and getting wire installed—which alone could total $1,500 and up—plus dog training. “It had all the makings of an industry that could be disrupted through tech,” he said.

With his prior work as a founder, Ehrman had experience applying for patents. His second step was a call to his patent attorney. “I felt very strongly that, if this was a unique idea, we should get some protection,” he said. “Or, if someone else had already invented it, I didn’t want to get in trouble stepping on someone else’s patents.” Three months after he started his research, he filed his first patent application.

Ehrman was confident in his ability to develop the technology, and he worked with partners who knew him from his previous company to develop the Halo app. “They already believed in my ability, and they were excited to work together again,” he said. What he needed was a dog expert to fine-tune and help promote his product.

[Read more: How 3 Startups—Duckbill, Harbor, and OneRail—Landed Funding Windfalls]

A simple product story and partnering with celebrity dog expert César Millán helped Halo Collar founders with fundraising

Ehrman was convinced that César Millán, who found success with his TV series, would be a great brand ambassador. Previously, Millán had partnered with companies including PETCO on an exclusive line of “Dog Whisperer”–branded merchandise, and K9Grass, a company specializing in artificial grass solutions for dogs. Ehrman and Millán ultimately connected through LinkedIn and they struck a deal.

In its first fundraising round, Halo Collar raised $2 million from friends, family members, and interested peers. The CEO of the app developer Ehrman worked with and executives he hired made investments, too.

“I learned from past experience that when you just give out stock or options, there’s a lot of upside for the individual, but no downside,” he said. “They’re not putting their own money at risk.”

A year later, the company needed more funds. “I underestimated the amount of money we needed,” Ehrman said. To date, the company has raised some $40 million now in equity. Reese the dog proved critical to fundraising. One potential investor said he’d chip in if Ehrman brought a prototype to his house and saw the product work with Reese.

“He said, ‘I believe in this product, but I want to see it.’” Reese passed the test with flying colors even as the investor tempted the dog by dangling a steak on the other side of the fence. “Now, I call her the $5 million dog,” said Ehrman.

After launching direct-to-consumer, the startup has set its sights on retail partnerships with retailers from Walmart to Chewy

The Halo Collar launched direct-to-consumer in 2020, getting a boost from the pandemic boom in pet adoptions. Ehrman finds the business-to-consumer (B2C) model so far easier to scale than B2B. With B2B, he actively sold to companies like automakers and needed dozens of salespeople. With Halo Collar, there’s no need for salespeople.

“People are looking to buy our product; it’s much more scalable,” he said. Products are for sale online at Walmart, Amazon, Best Buy, Chewy, and Scheels.

For founders, Ehrman adds, it’s critical to have an omnichannel approach. For example, selling products in-store, online, and through mobile, plus advertising on social media. Halo Collar, for its part, is working on getting its product in physical stores. Its 2026 road map includes additional retail distribution, Ehrman says.

“You want to be at the right place when people are making their purchasing decisions,” he says, such as when new pet owners shop in-person for their initial supplies. “You have to get in front of them,” said Ehrman.

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