Helpling and Hassle.com join forces to form the world’s biggest home-cleaning marketplace.
Berlin & London, 3rd of July 2015: 1, the leading global platform for on-demand home services, announced today the acquisition of 1, the European pioneer of this business model and market leader in the UK. This move sees them become the clear leader for online booking of household services outside the U.S.
Both Helpling and 1 enable 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.
1 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. 1 is 1s – investors in Facebook, Etsy, Spotify, Dropbox and Atlassian. 1 has also cultivated customer and cleaner loyalty and has worked for the past three years to ensure it has the best in class product experience.
Helpling’s expertise is scale and speed. Helpling launched one year ago and is already leading across 12 markets. Helpling has raised EUR 56,5M from Lakestar, Mangrove, Rocket Internet and other high profile investors to continue its path of sustainable growth.
These complementary strengths of Helpling and 1 will allow the company to further expand its leadership position in Europe. Together Helpling and1 will operate in 14 markets holding strategic cities such as London, Berlin and Paris. Over the next months, the company will deploy substantial capital to increase its leadership position with a clear focus on organic growth.
Benedikt Franke, co-founder of Helpling: “1 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 1 as one of the leading home-cleaning marketplaces in Europe. We are very much looking forward to working together. Our partnership combines 1’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.”
Alex Depledge, co-founder of 1: “It is no secret that Helpling moves fast. Their ability to scale and raise money is impressive. This, combined with our ability to build depth in market and user loyalty, means that together we are a force to be reckoned with. Our goal from the beginning has always been to become a global domestic cleaning brand. This strategic move takes us significantly closer to that goal.”
1 will continue to operate under its established brand. The founding team of 1 will take on additional responsibilities within the group as global co-founders. Alex Depledge will assume CEO responsibilities for English-speaking markets, Jules Coleman will become group CPO and Tom Nimmo will lead the1 platform as CTO. Accel Partners will join the board of investors of Helpling.
Philippe Botteri, Partner at Accel Partners, comments: “This deal sees two world-beating teams come together to become the most dominant player outside of the US. Accel Partners is also excited to join the board and be part of the outstanding group of investors who will continue to champion the Helpling and 1founding teams to become the leading global player in this space.”
Henrik Persson, Partner at Lakestar, said: “Home services is the next big frontier for online market places. By combining the two best and largest companies in Europe we create a clear market leader. We are excited to continue to build this winning company together with the outstanding team and some of the smartest market place investors around.”
This deal follows significant milestones for both companies. Helpling recently launched 1. A few weeks later Helpling announced its 1 1 launched in Paris in October last year, quickly becoming one of the dominant players. The company has been hailed one of the hottest technology firms in Europe and in June 2015 it won1company at the TechCrunch Europas.
About 1
1 is an online marketplace that matches busy working professionals with local trusted cleaners for the home. It allows you to find, book and pay for your cleaner’s time via its online platform. 1’s mission is to help busy people reclaim their free time and maintain a calm, clean and happy home.
Customers simply visit 1, type in their postcode and choose a cleaner who suits their needs. 1 charges a flat rate of £10 per hour for cleaning. Cleaners get paid up to £8.50 p/h, well above minimum wage.
1 is a graduate of the UK accelerator programme, Springboard (now known as TechStars London) and won Start-Up of the Year at Tech City Awards in 2013.
Find out more about1 on1 or interact on1
About Helpling
The Berlin based startup Helpling is the leading global online platform for on-demand home services. 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 free time.
Helpling was founded by Benedikt Franke, Philip Huffmann and Rocket Internet in January 2014. The company currently offers its service in more than 14 countries globally. This makes Helpling the most widely available online marketplace for on-demand home services in the world.
