Shenzhen's Orange Cat Universe raises tens of millions of yuan, led by a repeat backer
What's the deal? Chinese pet-hardware startup Orange Cat Universe has raised tens of millions of yuan in an early-stage round, backed by Professor Gao Bingqiang and his affiliated Gaofeng Patient Fund, Qianhai Innovation Investment (Shenzhen), and Changlei Venture Capital. The company says the money will fund technology development, product iteration, patent filings, global offline distribution, and mass-production integration.
Why it matters: The round is notable less for its undisclosed size than for investor follow-through. Gao and his funds have now backed the Shenzhen-based startup across three consecutive rounds — a signal of conviction in an unproven product category.
What's the product? Founded in 2023, Orange Cat Universe makes a passive, non-electric cat bed that collects loose fur as cats enter and exit. Its first product, the PawSwing Neo, uses a purely mechanical structure with no motor, battery, or sensors, and the company holds a PCT global patent on it.
The bet: Founder Tian Youren is pitching simplicity and safety against rivals stacking screens, sensors, and AI into pet devices. "What users really need is not nominal 'intelligence,' but the concrete result of less cat hair at home," he said. The company argues electric grooming devices risk jamming and injuring pets.
By the numbers: The product retails for about $200, with a return rate under 3%, which the company says is well below the sector average. Orange Cat Universe claims its grooming mechanism — modelled on the barbed surface of a cat's tongue — removes 3 to 4 milligrams of fur per joule, versus 0.5 to 1.5mg for a standard manual comb.
What's the endgame? The startup validated the product through overseas crowdfunding and, in 2026, entered Europe's largest specialist pet-retail chain, with more than 3,000 stores stocking it. It is accelerating into North America and Australia, and plans a new product by year-end plus a flagship second-generation grooming platform in 2027.
What could go wrong? The commercial claims are company-reported, and Tian concedes early missteps: initial pricing was too conservative, leaving thin margins once shipping, platform fees, and returns were deducted. Selling a brand-new category also means educating the market from scratch; some overseas buyers initially feared the device could hurt their cats.
The signal: The round captures a split in pet-tech strategy. While peers such as MoonbackDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → — which raised tens of millions of yuan in September — chase AI and data-led health monitoring, Orange Cat Universe is betting that mechanical design and safety can build a moat. The real test is whether it can sustain sales and margins as it expands abroad.
Read more: 36kr.com
Image credit: Generated with Gemini
