How Jacob Zuppke scaled Whisker into a pet-tech leader

Jacob Zuppke, the current president and CEO of Whisker, has overseen a period of significant growth for the pet-tech company, which specializes in self-cleaning litter boxes. Since Zuppke joined the organization as a digital-media consultant in 2015, the firm has experienced a 55-fold increase in overall revenue.

The company, formerly known as Automated Pet Care Products, was founded in 2000 by Brad Baxter. Baxter, who now serves as chairman and chief inventor, initially funded the first prototype with personal capital. Under Zuppke’s leadership, which began with his appointment as CEO in late 2021 or January 2022, the business has reached more than $1.5 billion in lifetime sales.

Zuppke’s early strategy relied on low-cost digital marketing efforts. In 2015, he coordinated a campaign involving 25 Instagram cat influencers who promoted the product without charging a fee. Zuppke noted that paid pet-influencer campaigns were not common at that time. This marketing approach contributed to a near-doubling of sales by the end of 2016.

The workforce at Whisker has expanded alongside its financial growth. The company grew from 25 employees in 2015 to more than 650 staff members today, a group that includes over 100 engineers. While the business has historically relied on founder capital and reinvested profits, it did secure a $31 million recapitalization led by Pondera Holdings in 2019.

Today, the company’s flagship Litter-Robot units are sold at retail prices ranging from $599 to $999. The expansion of the product line and the company's operational scale reflect the growth trajectory established during Zuppke’s tenure.