A whole S$150 million factory is being built around fresh animal feed in Singapore
For decades, the answer to feeding your pet was simple: open a bag of kibble, scoop some into a container, and that’s it—you’re done.
Dry kibble has been dominating the global pet food market, and Singapore is no exception. It is cheap to produce, easy to store, and widely marketed. For many pet owners, it has always been “the way.”
But increasingly, pet owners are asking tough questions. What exactly goes into those brown pellets? What is their nutritional value? And why do so many pets, even on premium kibble, still suffer from chronic illness?
For a growing number of Singaporean pet owners, the answer has been to ditch the bag altogether. They’re turning to fresh pet food—slightly processed, human-grade food made with real ingredients like sous vide chicken and bone broth. It is very expensive, but they are willing to disperse.
To meet the demand, a new wave of local brands has emerged, reshaping a market that had remained stagnant for decades.
Among them are PetCubes again BOM BOM: two Singapore-based pet food companies are both seeing market changes that their founders didn’t expect when they started.
Taking animal nutrition to a new level
For Dr. Francis Cabana, Director of Nutrition at PetCubes, the journey to pet nutrition began far from home kitchens.
With a PhD in Animal Nutrition, her career has spanned zoos and rescue centers around the world, eventually bringing her to Mandai, where she works with the Singapore Zoo. There, he began consulting for a local pet food store—PetCubes—which would later become his full-time business.
Founded in 2013, PetCubes claims to be Singapore’s first pet food company, entering the market at a time when the concept was unheard of.
“Back then, pet owners only had two options: highly processed kibble or time-consuming home cooking,” he shares. “We wanted to bridge that gap with something that was biologically correct and appropriate.”
But being the first came with its challenges. Early growth was slow, and convincing pet owners and even veterinarians required extensive education.
“Every negotiation was an uphill battle,” he said. “We were actually teaching the market from the beginning.”
However, in time that persistence paid off. Today, PetCubes operates its own ISO 22000 and HACCP-certified facility in Singapore and has expanded throughout Hong Kong and Malaysia. It also achieved a milestone few new pet food brands can claim: stocking at local veterinary clinics.
While PetCubes came from industrial technology, BOM BOM was born out of deep personal experience.
The founder and CEO, Jason Wang, never set out to start a business. In fact, he was preparing to retire when his dog, Kyubi, began to suffer from chronic health problems, from digestive problems to joint conditions.
Frustrated by the lack of clear answers from conventional treatments, Jason began researching pet nutrition himself.
“What started as a personal journey quickly became a great fulfillment,” he explained. “Most of the problems Kyubi faced were food related, specifically, highly processed kibble.”
Unable to find produce that met his standards, Jason began to cook his own new meals. The results were amazing: within a few weeks, Kyubi showed noticeable improvements in digestion, skin, and strength, to the point where friends started asking him to prepare food for their pets as well.
Finally, the kitchen-based passion project he started in 2016 became BOM BOM, which was officially established in 2017.
Today, the company serves about 10,000 customers in Singapore and operates a licensed 5,000 sq ft SFA facility in Tiong Bahru. It also has a presence in South Korea, with a 9,000 sq ft factory set up in Seoul to cater to its customers there.
Business growth has improved significantly, increasing at a CAGR of more than 30% over the past decade, shared Jason.
What exactly goes into the bowl
The shift to processed pet food is largely driven by pet innovation: the idea that pets are family members who deserve the same quality of care and nutrition as humans.
Although dry kibble still dominates due to its convenience and affordability, its growth has increased. In contrast, the fresh and cooked pet food segment—which is still only 10–20 percent of the market, according to Jason—is growing rapidly.
The new dog food market in Singapore is estimated to reach approximately S$150 million by 2025, driven by growing pet ownership and high spending habits.
Pet owners who have made the switch are seeing real, tangible changes in their pets’ lives.
Dr. Francis notes that after just three days on PetCubes, pets’ stools become smaller, darker, and less smelly—a clear sign their bodies are absorbing real nutrients instead of passing on artificial fillers.
PetCubes achieves these results with its thoughtfully designed menu, which includes 12 single protein options from rabbit and deer to alligator and even insects.
Each meal is “perfectly cooked” at 75-80 ° C for at least 45 minutes-a low and slow method that eliminates bacteria while preserving critical nutrients such as vitamins, antioxidants, and proteins, which are often destroyed during the high-temperature process used for kibble. The product also offers raw options for pets that prefer raw food.
On the other hand, BOM BOM specializes in customized food. Each food is tailored to the needs of each pet based on age, breed, activity level, and specific health conditions.
Its smart factory rigorously checks isolation, fat content, and ingredient quality, while lab-tested produce and strict farm-to-table SOPs ensure freshness and safety.
This precision-guided approach means pets often see measurable improvements in digestion, energy, coat health, and even chronic conditions—demonstrating the benefits of personalized nutrition rather than a one-size-fits-all formula.
Making an impression on the traditional market
As the category grows, so does the competition.
Fresh, frozen, and dried products are entering the market at a rapid pace, providing pet owners with a wider range of options than ever before. But perhaps the most striking sign of disruption is how traditional players are reacting.
According to Dr. Francis, the big kibble brands have started using language like “green inspiration” and “ancestral feeding”—a shift he sees as affirming rather than competitive.
“When multi-billion dollar companies start imitating your messaging, it proves that the demand for minimally processed, natural foods has really hit the mainstream market,” he said.
“Disruption is happening because we have proposed what a pet container should look like, and now the whole industry is trying to keep pace.”
Jason echoed the same sentiment but added that the next phase of growth must be deeper.
Currently, there are no consistent standards that define what “new” actually means. As a result, manufacturers can label their products as fresh without confirming that they are actually nutritious or biologically appropriate.
“The industry needs to go beyond using innovation as a marketing term. We need clearer nutrition standards, more transparency, and better education about long-term health outcomes.”
The market is still finding its feet
While both PetCubes and BOM BOM see the new feed is still in its early stages, the potential for growth is undeniable.
In Singapore, both brands are expanding their presence to reach mainstream consumers. PetCubes has strengthened its footprint in supermarkets such as Pet Lovers Center, while continuing to grow its online and registered channels.
It has already seen phenomenal growth. “We have increased our revenue by over 400%,” said Dr Francis, adding that the business produces “hundreds of thousands of fresh meals” a year.
On the other hand, BOM BOM goes beyond its direct-to-consumer model with selected sales relationships and extensive e-commerce availability, ensuring that pet owners can easily access fresh, personalized food.
For both brands, expansion isn’t just about sales—it’s about making new, science-backed or precision-guided nutrition more widely accessible.
But challenges remain.
Fresh foods come with higher production costs, including premium, human-grade ingredients. Cold chain logistics is essential to ensure that food remains safe and nutritious, but it adds complexity to distribution. Shelf lives are also shorter compared to conventional kibble, which requires careful inventory management and can limit bulk availability.
Additionally, the need to educate consumers continues. Many pet owners are still not used to the new feed or are hesitant to switch from standard options.
Still, if current trends are anything to go by, the trajectory is clear: demand for fresh pet food is on the rise, and the market is poised for growth.
- Read other articles we’ve written about Singapore businesses here.
Featured Image Credit: @trufflewhuffle via Instagram/ BOM BOM
