Arlington-based “pet-first aviation service” RetrievAir has received an investment after appearing on the ABC TV series “Shark Tank.” The investment was made by guest “shark” Alexis Ohanian and his venture capital firm, Seven Seven Six.

RetrievAir is a new pet-first aviation service that lets pets fly side-by-side in the cabin with their owners, without the need to confine the pets to a bag, crate, or the dreaded cargo hold.

“Appearing on Shark Tank was a dream come true, and we’re so thankful that Alexis and the team at Seven Seven Six have put their faith behind RetrievAir,” RetrievAir’s Minneapolis-based Co-Founder and CEO Benton Miller said in a statement. “Shark Tank was a series that my dad and I would always watch together. He loved how it was inspiring for young entrepreneurs to go out and chase their dreams. Now that he’s gone, being able to not only stand in the ‘Tank’ as an entrepreneur, but to also get a deal from Alexis, means more than I can describe—I know it’s something my dad would be proud of.”

Coast to coast and expanding

Founded in Arlington, RetrievAir has private terminals in nine cities: Arlington, Los Angeles, Chicago, New York City, Fort Lauderdale/Miami, Denver, Salt Lake City, Tampa, and Carmel, California. The company partners with RVR Aviation for its flights, which are operated out of Arlington Municipal Airport.

RetrievAir said it’s excited about the funding’s impact on the company.

“Alexis and his incredible team at Seven Seven Six have been a delight to work with. We are so happy to have their support behind us as we work to expand RetrievAir to even more destinations across North America,” Ontario, Canada-based RetrievAir co-founder and aviation guru Mark Williams said.

RetrievAir also announced several new, highly requested destinations for its service.

Beginning on Feb. 6, 2026, passengers and their pet companions will be able to fly to and from Atlanta, Georgia; Manassas, Virginia; Oakland, California, and Scottsdale, Arizona. Tickets for these flights already are on sale.

“We’re so excited for the future of RetrievAir,” Miller said. “Mark and I created RetrievAir to help dogs and cats across America with a travel service that puts them first, rather than confining them to crates or the cargo hold. With Seven Seven Six’s support, we can’t wait to expand our service with new destinations and routes to make our service even better for pets and their pet parents.”

‘Flying with your dog…shouldn’t be a luxury’

Ohanian, also known as the husband of tennis legend Serena Williams and a co-founder of Reddit, said his own pets helped him want to invest in the company.

“I’m a pet parent to two very good doggos and one of them is 100 pounds, so I immediately connected with Benton and Mark’s pitch to create a better way for people to travel with their pets,” said Ohanian, founder and general partner at Seven Seven Six. “We’re excited to bring RetrievAir to anyone who wants to have more life experiences with their pets; flying comfortably with your dog, big or small, shouldn’t be a luxury.”

Seven Seven Six is an early-stage venture capital firm with over $1.1 billion and said it is focused on the intersection of product and people. Powered by the operating system Cerebro, at its heart, 776 is a technology company that deploys capital, the firm said. Seven Seven Six invests across sectors, with investments spanning the creator economy, space, climate tech, sports, fintech, web3, healthcare, collectibles, AI, and more.

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