Helpling snaps up counterpart in Switzerland, gets media group’s backing

Photo credit: Helpling.ch

Helpling, a German household services marketplace with a Singaporean presence, has netted a “seven-figure” investment from Swiss media group Tamedia.

This comes as Helpling – which belongs to the Rocket Internet lineage – acquired the Swiss business of Book A Tiger, a German competitor that was also part of Tamedia’s tech investment portfolio. Book A Tiger has decided to focus on serving its home market, Helpling said in a statement.

Seeing a huge opportunity in Switzerland, Helpling plans to rapidly expand its business in the country with the support of its new backer.

Founded in 2014, Helpling connects homeowners with cleaners, taking inspiration from the now-defunct Homejoy in the US. It claims to have served hundreds of thousands of households and supported tens of thousands of service providers on its platform. It’s active in 10 countries across three continents.

The home-services segment has grown increasingly crowded over the past few years. It appears that a consolidation is taking place, with Helpling acquiring some of its counterparts and conquering new markets with this approach. Prior to Book A Tiger, Helpling bought UK-based Hassle for US$37 million in 2015. That same year, Rocket Internet snapped up Singapore-based Spickify, which later rebranded as Helpling.

In Asia, some of Helpling’s competitors include cleaning service Maideasy, home management service Butler Asia, and services marketplace Kaodim.

Helpling aims to stand out by offering a range of features including automatic invoicing, secure online payment, and insurance against damages.

Tamedia is no stranger to investing in startups. The media group has several other tech ventures under its belt, including scheduling platform Doodle, financial services provider Moneypark, and cryptocurrency and forex trading startup Lykke.

Currency converted from euros. Rate: US$1 = €0.86