Brothers Turn Family Tragedy Into Booming Pet-Safety Business; Halo Collar Nears $140 Million Forecast

After their niece’s dog was killed in 2018, Ken and Michael Ehrman launched a satellite-tracking collar that has grown into a multimillion-dollar company. Halo Collar, based in Plano, Texas, brought in nearly $100 million last year and is on track to approach $140 million in revenue this year as demand for pet-location devices climbs.

The idea came after the Ehrmans’ family suffered a loss when a rescued dog slipped past a backyard boundary and was struck by a vehicle. The incident prompted the brothers to rethink traditional electric fences and passive tags. “We wanted something that follows a pet continuously instead of relying on a single barrier,” Ken Ehrman said in a recent interview, describing the moment they committed to building a tracking collar. The pair set out to create a system that alerts owners and guides animals back to safety using satellite positioning and real-time alerts.

Their experience in connected devices gave them an edge. Ken, a Stanford graduate who founded I.D. Systems in the 1990s and introduced radio ID technology for fleet tracking, and Michael, also a Stanford alumnus and longtime collaborator, used that background to design a product tailored to pet owners. They incorporated lessons from industrial asset tracking into a consumer-facing device and formally launched Halo Collar in 2018.

Manufacturing and software choices helped speed development. Hardware engineering and assembly were contracted to a Taiwan-based partner, while app development was outsourced to a team in Eastern Europe. The brothers remain actively involved, visiting suppliers several times a year and holding frequent check-ins to refine design and durability. The current, fifth-generation collar pairs satellite-based location, cellular service and Wi-Fi to keep pets connected; company data shows the device issued about 12 million audible alerts in June alone that caused dogs to turn back toward safety.

Halo Collar’s early years emphasized fundraising, with rounds beginning in March 2018 and follow-up raises planned annually to fuel growth. But as the business matured, management shifted priorities toward profitability and operational scale. The product combines one-time hardware sales with ongoing connectivity, a model that executives say has helped the company move from rapid cash raises to stronger margins and steady revenue growth. An industry analyst noted that companies in this niche often face a turning point where recurring service revenue becomes as important as upfront purchases.

The market context helps explain the appetite for connected collars: industry estimates put the number of missing pets in the millions each year, and owners are increasingly willing to pay for reliable tracking and recovery tools.

Looking ahead, Halo Collar faces the usual challenges of scaling global networks and maintaining regulatory compliance, but the Ehrmans say their goal remains simple — reduce the number of pets lost and give owners peace of mind.