Here we speak with Eli Wachsmann, the CEO of London based Fuzzball, a subscription model cat food company offering protein rich “real-ingredient” meals.
Fuzzball was founded in 2023 by five good friends as one of them, Jacob, was getting a cat and didn’t know what food to buy for it. He discovered that most of the top search results were all paid for by big brands that looked more focused on profit than feline health. Now just 18 months later, Fuzzball offers 20 different products and the business has recently achieved recognition winning the Tomorrow Brand Challenge, a $250,000 prize for outstanding subscription growth.
Eli, could you start by telling us a bit about your background and what first inspired you to become an entrepreneur?
I’ve always been curious about how things work and driven to find solutions rather than accept things as they are. Growing up in my family’s antiques business gave me an early introduction to business and sparked this interest from a young age.
Over time I became drawn to branding and storytelling. I saw how a strong identity could turn an idea into something people connect with. I was also inspired by the independence of entrepreneurship, and the chance to shape your own path rather than follow a set route.
I’ve always loved solving problems creatively, especially in industries that felt outdated. For me, it’s about balancing vision with execution: having an idea and figuring out how to bring it to life. On a personal level, I’ve always loved animals, so when it came to starting Fuzzball, it felt natural. It was a way of combining something I care about with improving how cats are fed and looked after.
How did the idea for Fuzzball come about?
It started with a simple problem. When one of our co-founders got a cat, he realised how confusing the pet food aisle was. Cats are carnivores, but most options had little real meat and looked more like sludge than food. It wasn’t clear what was good for them, and we knew other cat parents felt the same.
We wanted to change that by making proper food with loads of protein and real meat; while giving cat parents confidence they were feeding the best nutrition in the right portions. To do this, we built an algorithm that creates a tailored plan based on each cat’s lifestyle and preferences.
But Fuzzball has never just been about numbers and nutrition. It’s about real cats: messy, fuzzy creatures that rule our homes and steal our hearts. We wanted the brand to feel like them, fun and a little chaotic, but full of personality. We wanted people to laugh, but we were also serious about quality. The food had to be the best, because cats deserve nothing less.
Building a business from scratch is never easy. What were the biggest challenges you faced in the early days?
Breaking into the market was tough. Pet food is dominated by big players with huge budgets, so standing out and building trust was difficult. Many owners were also used to supermarket food and didn’t realise why a high-protein, meat-first diet matters. Changing habits and educating people takes time.
On the practical side, building the supply chain was challenging. Sourcing ingredients, finding manufacturers who met our standards, and setting up packaging and shipping was more complicated than expected.
We also knew the brand had to stand out and feel authentic. Creating that distinctive voice was as important as the food itself. And as a subscription-only brand, we had to earn trust quickly. People were putting their cats’ health in our hands, so consistency mattered from day one.
How has the business grown and evolved since you first launched, and what milestones are you most proud of?
There have been many. Developing the highest-protein wet cat food in the UK set the standard for what we wanted Fuzzball to be. Shipping our first order was unforgettable, and moving from my spare bedroom into a warehouse and then into fulfilment centres felt like progress.
Winning the Recharge Brand Challenge, the biggest prize in ecommerce history, was an incredible boost. Hitting 10,000 orders on Shopify and serving our millionth meal were milestones that made us stop and reflect on the scale of what we’d built.
But what makes me proudest is hearing from our customers. Messages about how Fuzzball has helped their cats feel healthier or happier make it all worthwhile.
What do you think are the key qualities an entrepreneur needs to succeed in today’s environment?
Persistence is essential. Things rarely work out the first time, so you have to keep going. Resilience matters too, because setbacks are inevitable, and it’s how you bounce back that counts. Creativity is another, being open to new ideas and solving problems differently. Finally, you have to keep moving forward. Even small steps add up, and as long as you’re moving, you’re making progress.
Finally, what advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs who are thinking about starting their own venture?
My advice is to just go for it. There will always be tough days, but successful businesses aren’t built by superheroes. They’re built by ordinary people who decided to try and kept going.
