Helpling, Rocket Internet’s on-demand home services platform, officially announced today the acquisition of Hassle.com, the European pioneer of this business model and market leader in the UK. According to our colleagues at tech.eu, Helpling has dropped €32 million on the acquisition. After this move, Helpling now seems to be the leader for online booking of household services outside the U.S.
Helpling, which was founded in 2014, enables customers to book a local, vetted cleaner online or via a smartphone app. This means people no longer have to search through classified ads or ask their friends for recommendations. Consumers can now find a local cleaner they trust online and within just a few clicks. According to the Berlin-based company, Helpling is alreading leading across 12 markets. So far, Helpling has raised €56,5 million from Lakestar, Mangrove, Rocket Internet and other high profile investors to continue its path of sustainable growth.
Together Helpling and Hassle.com will operate in 14 markets holding strategic cities such as London, Berlin and Paris. Hassle.com has pioneered this business model in Europe since its inception in December 2012. It has enjoyed first mover advantage in UK and Ireland and is the clear market leader there. Hassle.com is backed by Accel Partners, a well known venture capital fund which will now also hold a stake in Helpling. Hassle.com will continue to operate under its established brand. The founding team of Hassle.com will take on additional responsibilities within the group as global co-founders.
Benedikt Franke, co-founder of Helpling: “Hassle.com is not only the market leader in the UK and Ireland, it also has a very sophisticated technology and has built a brand that people associate with trust, quality and safety. The team has done a great job to pioneer this model and to establish Hassle.com as one of the leading home-cleaning marketplaces in Europe. We are very much looking forward to working together. Our partnership combines Hassle.com’s expertise with Helpling’s international footprint and access to capital. It creates a very exciting global proposition and makes our combined company the strongest player in this space.”
