Two years ago Manchester-based MusicForPets – described as the Netflix for pets or ‘Petflix’ – was acquired by US tech giant Create Music Group.
The deal size was undisclosed but was known to be an eight figure sum and it changed the life of founder Amman Ahmed forever.
The entrepreneur, who founded MusicForPets in 2017 with Ricardo Henriquez, grew the business to more than 50 million pets worldwide.
Reflecting on the impact of the sale, Ahmed said: “The so-called ‘unexpected challenges’ weren’t really unexpected.
“I’d built MusicForPets like a fortress, everything owned in-house, lean, structured, airtight.
“When the acquisition happened, the deal was smooth. According to my investment banker, the smoothest he had ever seen.
“The real challenge wasn’t financial or operational, it was cultural. Imagine being the first UK acquisition for a massive Hollywood hip-hop label that had never done this before. Integration was like learning a new language. But pressure creates clarity, and I think I came out of it sharper.”
Ahmed recalled how selling his business caused a loss of identity.
“Everyone warns you ‘after you exit, you’ll lose your identity’ and they’re right, it does hit you,” he said.
“One day you’re the guy building something with global impact, the next day you wake up thinking: ‘Now what?’
“I decided to embrace it. I reminded myself I wasn’t just a founder, I was also an artist. That mindset gave me a blank canvas again. From there, I started building for fun, not pressure. That shift turned into real creative momentum.
“Instead of feeling like I lost control, I had a different kind of freedom and the ability to experiment creatively without the weight of full ownership.”
‘People changed after exit’
Ahmed admitted the way people treated him changed after the high-profile exit.
“Pre-exit, you’re just Ahmed building a pet music startup,” he said. “Post-exit, suddenly everyone’s pitching you, calling you an ‘angel investor’, trying to get you on their cap table.
“Even some friendships shifted once they saw me through the lens of a business exit. It’s a trip, but also a filter. True friendships survive, opportunistic ones don’t.”
Asked about his motivation for the sale he explained: “I never operated from financial desperation. Post-exit, I doubled down on that freedom. Now, everything I do comes from a place of pure creative energy. I’m motivated by fun, experimentation, and seeing how far I can bend music to serve new purposes.”
The entrepreneur has spent a lot of the last two years dabbling in AI.
“I’m watching AI with both curiosity and caution,” he said. “Right now, everyone’s jumping on the AI bandwagon like it’s a new religion. I prefer to experiment quietly, play with it, test it, see how it really shifts the music landscape.
“Will it become a creative partner, or kill originality? I don’t know yet. But I’m not afraid to find out.”
Grammy winners
Far from resting on his laurels, Ahmed has been busy collaborating with Grammy winners.
“After nine years of running everything in-house, I wanted to break our own mould,” he said.
“There’s science proving reggae keeps dogs calm and happy, so I knew I needed the best in reggae. Enter Grammy-winning producer, ANTAEUS, who worked with Julian Marley and co-producer, Daniel from the celebrated collective Mosadi.
“The collaboration isn’t just about prestige, it was about pushing the boundaries of sound and creating music designed equally for dogs and their humans. It gave me new artistic fire.”
Dreaming Dog
The result of their work has been the launch of Dreaming Dog, a 13-track album developed to reduce anxiety in dogs.
Ahmed admitted: “It’s a dream (no pun intended!). When I started making music for dogs, nobody imagined it would even be in the conversation for Grammy consideration.
“For me, this isn’t just about chasing an award it’s about showing that pet ‘is serious art with genuine impact.
“Dreaming Dog is the clearest expression of that vision: music built to deepen the bond between pets and people. Even being considered puts this movement on a global stage, and that in itself feels like a milestone.”