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Drizzle on top: a new high-end dog food brand is coming for the 1%

Published

2 months ago

April 28, 2026

Preport

The pet food aisle has never been more crowded, which is exactly why Hillary Coles says she was skeptical when Atomic Labs came calling.

“I had the same reaction you did,” Coles told me on a call Monday afternoon, a day before her new company, Golden Child, opened for business. “Surely that can’t be what people need.”

Coles co-founded Hims & Hers with Andrew Dudum, Jack Abraham, and Joe Spector back in 2016 and spent seven years there overseeing brand, physical products, and consumer strategy before taking a year and a half off to have her children. She describes herself as “a consumer person first” who happened to land in healthcare. Dog food wasn’t “on the bingo card,” as she put it.

The pitch that won her over was rooted less in dog food specifically than in a methodology. Atomic, the startup studio founded by Abraham, runs what it calls “painted door tests” — lightweight experiments designed to reveal what consumers will actually do, not just what they say they want. When Atomic ran those tests in the pet food space, interest was clear. The team then studied 11,000 reviews of existing fresh dog food products and found recurring complaints: inconvenience, dogs getting sick, food that felt like a chore to prepare and serve. “We started to peel the onion,” Coles said.

What they found, she and her co-founder Quentin Lacornerie argue, is an industry that hasn’t innovated in about 12 years — a claim that strains credulity, given how crowded the premium and human-grade segment has become — but one they say ties to 11,000 customer reviews showing persistent complaints about existing fresh food options, even as the humans feeding their dogs have dramatically changed their expectations.

Lacornerie, who was part of the founding team at Hims & Hers and spent years spearheading its personalized growth strategy, says there are lots of parallels to the early days of that company. “Wellness has eclipsed Big Pharma by 4x in market cap,” he noted. Pet parents who take collagen for joint health, who read ingredient labels, and who track their own nutritionincreasingly want the same rigor applied to what goes in their dog’s bowl.

Golden Child is launching with two “five-star” products sold direct-to-consumer for now: a fresh frozen meal system and, more intriguingly, a “drizzle” — a shelf-stable liquid topper that can be added to whatever a dog is already eating, whether that’s Golden Child’s own food, kibble, or something else. The drizzle retails for $19.95 a bottle. The meal system starts at $3 a day and is sold primarily on subscription, though a starter box is available for people who want to ease into the relationship.

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The drizzle is the more novel idea and, presumably, the higher-margin one. I asked Coles whether the company had considered just focusing on that product. “Like all entrepreneurs, we have a lot of opportunities to build out worlds,” she answered. “This is just the first inning.”

The food itself is made in the U.S. across multiple manufacturing facilities, using human-grade supply chains — a harder thing to establish than it sounds, said Lacornerie. The recipes were developed by a PhD in animal nutrition; Megan Sparkle, who is one of only roughly 80 board-certified veterinary nutritionists in the country; and (naturally) a classically trained chef, one who has work ties to Ina Garten and Guy Fieri, says Lacornerie.

The company also developed what it’s calling a “protein block,” a way of delivering chicken and beef with an enhanced amino acid profile that standard meat cuts alone don’t provide, says Coles.

Golden Child is announcing $37 million in total funding today as it comes out of stealth — a seed round and a Series A led by Redpoint Ventures, with Atomic and A-Star also participating. That’s a meaningful amount for a company selling dog food, but Lacornerie says that doing it right requires actual experts who don’t just dial it in. Indeed, among the company’s 12 employees, and the nutritionists and chef are all on staff, not advisors.

The brand name is broad by design. When I asked whether Golden Child might eventually expand into shampoos, travel gear, even some form of veterinary access — getting medication for a dog is its own particular bureaucratic headache — Coles didn’t deny it. “There’s a lot of interest and excitement from pet parents to involve their dogs in all aspects of their life,” she said. The goal, eventually, is to earn a place as a household brand, not just a food company.

Atomic has had notable successes along with some stumbles. Hims & Hers, now 10 years old, is a publicly traded company with a nearly $7 billion market cap. OpenStore, the e-commerce roll-up co-founded in 2021 by Abraham and venture investor Keith Rabois, tells a different story: after years of splashy coverage and more than $150 million in venture funding, it recently shuttered.

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News

Malaria Consortium Seeks Stronger Media Partnership Ahead of 2026 SMC Campaign

Published

9 minutes ago

July 8, 2026

Preport

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The Plateau State Ministry of Health, National Malaria Elimination Programme and Malaria Consortium has engaged media practitioners and key stakeholders ahead of the 2026 Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention (SMC) campaign to boost public awareness and community participation in the fight against malaria.

The media parley, held at the Crispan Event Centre in Jos, brought together health professionals, development partners and journalists to strategise on the successful implementation of the campaign aimed at protecting children under five from malaria.

Speaking at the event, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Nicholas Ba’amlong, described the media as a critical partner in malaria elimination, saying sustained public enlightenment remains key to the success of the intervention.

He said Plateau had made remarkable progress in malaria control, with prevalence dropping from 18.8 per cent in 2021 to 2.8 per cent in 2025 due to increased government commitment, effective implementation of the SMC programme and the support of development partners.

“The prevalence rate has dropped from 18.8 per cent in 2021 to 2.8 per cent in 2025, representing about an 87 per cent reduction. It shows that malaria elimination is possible, and with sustained support for the SMC programme, we can achieve zero malaria,” he said.

In his presentation, Project Manager of the IMPACT Project, Nrs. Ndak Andarawus, said the 2026 SMC campaign targets 1,007,652 eligible children across Plateau State.

He disclosed that over 11,500 health workers, supervisors, volunteer drug distributors and community leaders had been mobilised for the exercise, while trained volunteers would administer preventive malaria drugs through house-to-house visits supported by digital monitoring systems to ensure every eligible child is reached.

Andarawus said the programme had contributed significantly to the reduction of malaria prevalence in the state through strong government support, effective partnerships and active community participation.

Project Manager of Malaria Consortium, Dr. Mbwas Mashor, said the media engagement was organised to strengthen collaboration with journalists and stakeholders to improve public awareness and acceptance of the SMC campaign.

He explained that Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention is a World Health Organisation (WHO)-recommended intervention that provides safe and effective preventive malaria medicines for children aged three to 59 months during the peak malaria transmission season.

“We want the media to strengthen public awareness, promote accurate information and support community acceptance of the SMC campaign so that every eligible child is protected,” Mashor said.

The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health described the media parley as timely and urged journalists to sustain accurate reporting on malaria prevention to improve community participation and campaign success.

Also speaking, SBCC Consultant, Mr. Kaskida Yilyok, said the media plays a vital role in shaping public perception, combating misinformation and encouraging caregivers to ensure eligible children receive the preventive medicines.

Programme Officer, Miss Kachollom Gyang, stressed that safeguarding remains a key component of the SMC programme, saying staff, partners and volunteers are regularly trained to protect children and vulnerable adults from abuse and exploitation.

She added that the programme operates a zero-tolerance policy against abuse and encouraged members of the public to report any safeguarding concerns for prompt investigation.

The Plateau State Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Dr. Yilji Kumtap, commended the Ministry of Health and the State Malaria Elimination Programme for the progress recorded in malaria control and pledged the association’s continued support.

Similarly, Pharm. Godwin Nimyel, representing the Plateau State Chairman of the Pharmacy Society of Nigeria (PSN), reaffirmed the society’s support for the programme, stressing the need for quality-assured medicines and strict regulation to eliminate substandard drugs.

Also, Dr. Molsat Emmanuel Sydney, representing the Plateau State Primary Health Care Board, lauded the Ministry of Health, the State Malaria Elimination Programme and Malaria Consortium for their efforts in reducing malaria, assuring of the board’s continued support for the SMC campaign at the grassroots.

News

Defection: ‘Aslam Aliyu was not our registered member’ — Zamfara ADC

Published

12 minutes ago

July 8, 2026

Preport

The Zamfara State chapter of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, has reacted to the defection of Dr Aslam Aliyu to the All Progressives Congress, APC, saying she was not a duly registered member of the party in the state.

Aliyu, an ally of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, had announced her resignation from the ADC, saying the party lacked a concrete plan to address Nigeria’s challenges.

However, in a statement issued by the party’s State Publicity Secretary, Abdulhakeem Umar, the ADC said its records showed that Aliyu neither possessed a valid membership card nor was she formally registered as a member in Zamfara State.

The party maintained that her defection would not affect its leadership, structure or operations in the state.

According to the statement, the ADC remains committed to working with loyal and duly registered members who share its vision and are prepared to contribute to the party’s growth.

It also stated that anyone not committed to the party’s constitution, ideals and objectives was free to leave.

“We also wish to make it clear that any other person who is not genuinely committed to the ideals, Constitution, and objectives of the ADC is free to follow the same path.

Our focus is on building a disciplined, united, and principled political party with members who are dedicated to its progress.