Gentleash’s story began in 2018, when our invention first took shape. In 2020, we received an important grant from your foundation, which made it possible for us to seriously begin the product development process. Our first prototype was completed as early as 2021, but it did not yet live up to our expectations.
The following years were challenging. A lack of funding slowed down the development work, but we did not stand still. We focused on refining our business plan, registering the product, and filing patent applications. As a result, we were granted patents for our product globally – including in the United States.
In 2023, we welcomed our first investors, which marked a turning point for us. Now, in May 2025, we can proudly say that we have a finished and tested product. We have just been granted a bank loan and additional investment funding, meaning that production can now begin.
The product has been tested both by users and on a test bench, and the response has been enthusiastic. Some of the best comments have been along the lines of: “How has nobody thought of this before!” Our slogan sums it up: We reinvented the leash. Testers have been delighted and surprised that an automatically braking leash finally exists, and dog owners are already asking when they can buy the product.
We are launching production in Finland, and all the major Finnish retail chains have shown interest in our product. According to our current plan, the product will be available for purchase in stores and in our webshop in September.
As for the team, one of the company’s owners will now begin working full-time on Gentleash, while the other owners will initially contribute alongside their regular jobs. We will hire additional staff as soon as possible in order to meet the growing demand.
Once our operations in Finland are up and running, the next natural step will be to expand into international markets.
We would especially like to thank the Runar Bäckström Foundation for your early support – without it, we would not be where we are today. Thanks to your support, we were able to develop a product that, after several prototypes, is now ready for the market. We are deeply grateful to you!
Our journey has been a long one – one dog year, or seven years – but now we are ready to make Gentleash into a significant company. And when we have the opportunity, we want to give back to your foundation, so that someone else can receive the same kind of support that we received in 2020.
We want to make the world a little kinder – Gentleash.
