After releasing an AI-powered dog collar this summer, pet tech company Fi recently released the Fi-mini—a smaller and lighter version of its wearable pet collar—now available not just for dogs, but also cats.
Jonathan Bensamoun, founder and CEO of Fi, told Retail Brew that he is looking to market the Fi-mini as the perfect holiday gift in the coming months. In an emailed interview, Bensamoun talked about Fi’s AI playbook, the evolution of DTC, and Fi’s plans for the holiday season.
This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.
What makes the new Fi-Mini or smaller tech gadgets in general a broader trend in this market? Is it the higher margins or something else?
It’s about accessibility. In wearables, size and weight matter immensely, particularly for pets. Fi Mini is exceptionally small—just 0.56 ounces. With a device that light, even owners of the tiniest dogs can feel comfortable knowing their pets are both safe and closely monitored.
For the first time, we’ve also released a product specifically designed for cats. Because cats typically have smaller necks, our team prioritized making the device as lightweight and comfortable as possible.
How does Fi plan to handle competition in this space?
Our focus has always been on core product innovation. Today, we are well ahead of the competition in three critical areas: One, device performance, both in GPS tracking and AI/ML-driven health insights; two, size—Fi is 40% smaller than the next-smallest competitor; and three, battery life, offering three to four times the duration of other products.
What's your hot take on DTC brands and how shoppers interact with them given how the sector has evolved?
For any brand today—not just DTC—it’s no longer viable to rely on one-time transactions. Success comes from building long-term relationships, earning trust, and demonstrating that you’ll continue to serve customers as your business grows. Fi has been around for six years, and it’s not uncommon for customers to tell us they’ve been with us from the beginning.
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How is the pet care industry and Fi prepping for the upcoming holiday season? Anything you’d be trying/investing in for the first time?
The holidays are always an exciting time for us. Historically, one challenge was that our previous product was difficult to give as a physical gift; you had to know the recipient’s dog’s neck size and preferred collar color.
With Fi Mini, that challenge disappears. The device attaches to any existing collar, making it easy to gift directly rather than relying on a membership certificate. So this year, we’re planning to experiment with special packaging to enhance the gifting experience.
What parameters define Fi's overall AI strategy?
AI is at the very core of our strategy. We recently launched the Series 3+—the first AI-powered dog collar capable of detecting barking, drinking, eating, scratching, and licking. This data enables us to alert owners to changes in their dogs’ habits or potential early health concerns. We’re already hearing incredible stories from customers who, thanks to these insights, have taken their dogs to the vet for an allergy shot or realized it was simply time for a bath. Personally, I discovered how many treats my team was sneaking to my dog in the office!
At the foundation, Fi is a data company. Today, we stream about 10,000 reports every second from collars in the field, generating over 1 terabyte of location and health data daily. It’s an extraordinary volume of highly specific information that no one else in the industry has.