Expands to UAE, Australia and Singapore; serves more than 50K households globally; now active in 12 countries worldwide
Berlin – 12th March 2015 – Helpling, the leading global online platform for booking local cleaners, announced today the acquisition of its local competitor Spickify. The move will establish Helpling as the largest player for on-demand household services in Singapore. The Spickify trademark will be rebranded as Helpling with immediate effect. The company’s co-founder and CEO Hoe Yeen Teck has joined Helpling as the new country manager.
The deal brings together the two companies’ respective strengths in one single organisation – Helpling’s expertise in technology and operations and Spickify’s deep understanding of local consumer preferences. Combining the two companies’ clients and cleaner registries will further improve customer and cleaner experience. With Spickify on board, Helpling will now serve over 150 independent cleaners, with the ability to accept over 5,000 hours of cleaning per month across the island.
“The acquisition was a compelling and purposeful one,” shared Spickify Co-Founder and newly appointed CEO of Helpling Singapore Hoe Yeen Teck. “Spickify was started as a community project to match low-income residents in our neighbourhood with cleaning assignments in nearby private apartments. Helpling’s robust online platform will allow us to expand our services across the island and provide customers with great cleaning service while giving independent cleaners a better way to obtain clients.”
Spickify was the first and only service in Singapore to back every cleaning session with a $1 million liability insurance policy. With the acquisition, Helpling Singapore will now also offer the same benefits to customers, and is also working on additional benefits to support its cleaning partners.
“We are thrilled to embark on this new venture with Spickify’s team,” comments Benedikt Franke, co-founder of Helpling. “They are the local hero in kicking off the first wave of this business model and will be able to provide valuable insights in propelling service excellence, tailored to the needs of the local community. Combining both our expertises will reinforce our position as a one-stop home-cleaning solution for all Singapore households.”
How it works
Helpling is an online marketplace that matches consumers with qualified independent cleaning providers. All bookings and payments can be done easily online or via app in three steps:
1. Tell us about your place and service required
2. Choose a preferred date and time
3. Make payment online and await the cleaner (payments are only debited after each cleaning job is completed)
All cleanings are charged at a flat rate with no additional or hidden fees. Every cleaning is backed by a comprehensive public liability policy. There is also a customer service team on standby to attend to any enquiries.
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About Helpling
The Berlin based startup Helpling is the leading global online platform for on-demand home services. On the website or the mobile app, customers can book a vetted and insured cleaner in a couple of clicks. The innovative online service gives people more time to enjoy the nice things in life: family, friends and leisure activities.
Helpling was founded by Benedikt Franke, Philip Huffmann and Rocket Internet in January 2014. The company currently has more than 250 employees and offers its service in more than 200 cities globally. This makes Helpling the most widely available online marketplace for household services in the world.
