Erik and Georgi, the founders of LEVANS

About LEVANS

The Stall That Did Not Exist Yet

You can find almost anything at the weekly market at Boxhagener Platz. And there are almost always dogs around. They walk between the stalls, wait beside their humans and pay very close attention to whether something might fall their way.

But there was no place just for them.

We had known the market for a long time. We are Erik and Georgi, two brothers who grew up nearby in Berlin Friedrichshain. Weekly markets and flea markets were simply part of the neighbourhood for us. The more time we spent at Boxhagener Platz, the less we understood why there was no proper stop for all the dogs visiting the market.

So we decided to create one ourselves.

At the end of 2025, we arrived at the market for the first time with a selection of treats and a few accessories. We did not have a perfectly planned stall. Looking back, our first setup resembled a flea market table more than a neatly presented brand.

The dogs did not mind.

Erik and Georgi with Debby and Levi at the LEVANS market stall at Boxhagener Platz

Boxhagener Platz

When Picky Dogs Come Back

Many came closer to investigate. Some tried a sample cautiously. And we kept hearing the same sentence from their humans: “My dog is very picky.”

The best moments were the ones when that exact dog suddenly refused to leave after trying one of our treats. Some already knew where to find us when they returned the following week. Before their humans had properly reached the stall, the dogs had long since worked out where they wanted to go.

That was when we knew something had been missing here.

From the Market to Our Own Brand

Each Week, the Stall Became a Little More LEVANS

From 2026 onwards, we became regulars at Boxhagener Platz. We rebuilt the stall, reorganised our selection and experimented with clearer ways of presenting the products.

What helped us most was not theoretical market research. It was speaking to people directly.

They wanted to know what a product contained, where it came from and why we had chosen it. They read ingredient lists, compared compositions and told us what their dogs tolerated well or particularly enjoyed. We quickly understood how important clear and traceable information was to them.

What happened in front of the stall mattered just as much. Some treats were immediate favourites. Other products raised questions. And occasionally, a dog made its opinion of our selection remarkably clear.

It was not only the range that continued to develop. With every market day, our idea of what LEVANS should stand for became more precise.

Why We Did Not Simply Continue Reselling Products

The world of pet supplies was not entirely new to us. Our parents have worked in the pet supply wholesale business for more than 30 years. We grew up around many different products, conversations and experiences from the industry. For our first trials at the market, they gave us a few products so that we could find out whether people were interested in our idea at all.

We could have continued along that path and simply resold existing products.

We did not want to.

We wanted to decide for ourselves which products belonged on our stall. We wanted to understand what they contained, how we selected them and whether they suited the way we live with our own dogs.

The market stall was therefore never meant to remain a simple place of sale. At the beginning of 2026, we founded LEVANS as an independent brand. LEVANS is now officially registered as a trademark.

The knowledge within our family still helps us today. LEVANS remains our own path.

How We Choose

Conscious Nutrition Does Not End with People

We both do a lot of sport and pay close attention to our own nutrition. We look at ingredients, composition and what we consume regularly. At some point, the obvious question was why we should look any less closely at what we give our dogs.

Debby and Levi are part of our family. We therefore wanted to understand what was actually inside their treats too.

When selecting products, we look for short and understandable ingredient lists. Our treats and chews are gluten-free and each use a single source of animal protein. They contain no added sugar and no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives.

We review the ingredients, analytical constituents and available information about origin. In doing so, we rely on the information and documentation provided by our suppliers. Our treats, chews and oils come from a family-run business in the Netherlands.

A product does not belong at LEVANS simply because a dog enjoys eating it. We also want to understand why we are offering it.

Two Brothers, Different Responsibilities

Over time, our responsibilities at LEVANS developed quite naturally. Erik mainly looks after the commercial side of the business and the online shop. Georgi is responsible for marketing and social media.

We still make most important decisions together. That does not always mean agreeing immediately, but it usually leads to a better result.

Alongside LEVANS, we both study subjects related to business and law, Erik at master’s level and Georgi at bachelor’s level. Some of what we learn helps us build the company. Much of it, however, comes from the places where LEVANS actually happens: at the market stall, in conversations with our community and whenever we encounter a new problem that was not part of any plan.
Erik with Debby and Georgi with Levi on a park bench

Part of the Family

Debby and Levi Have Opinions Too

Debby is a six-year-old Yorkshire Terrier. She is the calmer of the two and is happiest wherever there is an opportunity to cuddle.

Levi is a one-year-old Toy Poodle and the youngest member of our family. He is curious, energetic and playful. He also has remarkably good hearing whenever a packet of samples rustles nearby. It rarely takes long before he appears beside us to investigate exactly what we are working on.

Debby and Levi try almost every product that is suitable for them. They often join us at the market and are almost always with us away from LEVANS too. We go to the park together, spend a great deal of time outside and usually end the day together on the sofa.

Officially, they are not responsible for quality control at LEVANS.

Unofficially, very little escapes their attention.

Around here, we call that approved by Debby and Levi.

The Name

What Does LEVANS Actually Mean?

The name LEVANS existed before Levi joined our family. Levi was named after the brand, not the other way around.

LEVANS is derived from Levana. In Roman mythology, she is regarded as the protective goddess of newborn children. She symbolises the protection of those who are small, vulnerable or dependent on others.

We never wanted to turn that into a grand mystical story. We simply liked the thought behind it: animals rely on the people they live with. They are part of the family and depend on us to pay attention to their needs.

That is precisely what the name LEVANS is meant to remind us of.

What Comes Next

We Are Far from Finished

A great deal has changed since that first improvised stall. Our selection has grown, our presentation has become clearer and LEVANS now has a home beyond Boxhagener Platz.

The market is still an important part of our story. It is where we speak directly to the people we select our products for. And it is where we meet the dogs who are very quick and very honest in showing us whether we made the right choice.

We continue to develop LEVANS one step at a time, openly and visibly for everyone who would like to join us along the way.

 Explore our range