Handybook Closes $2M from Highland Capital and General Catalyst to Reinvent the Process for Booking Home Services

Quickest and Easiest Way to Book Housekeepers, Handymen and other Household Services Takes Strategic Investment to Accelerate Product Expansion

NEW YORK & BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Handybook, the easiest way to book household services, today announced that it raised a $2M round of seed funding from General Catalyst Partners, Highland Capital Partners and individual investors to eliminate the hassle of finding, scheduling and paying for household services. The investment will be used to expand the company’s core engineering team, accelerate the introduction of innovative features to its online platform, introduce its services into new geographies and build its network of professional service providers.

“Quality and reliability are Handybook’s highest priorities, which is why we have an intricate screening system in place and offer service level guarantees”

"The way people are forced to book home services today is frustrating and inconvenient. Buying a book or airline ticket online takes seconds, so why does it still take a series of phone calls, emails or text messages to schedule simple services that are supposed to make life easier,” said Handybook CEO, Oisin Hanrahan. “We are drowning in technology that allows us to solve the problem of scheduling services and Handybook applies them in an intuitive interface that lets users book a vendor in about 90 seconds."

Spun out of Harvard University's Innovation Lab earlier this year, Handybook is the first platform that allows users to instantly book professional home services online. By standardizing prices and knowing when its service provider partners are available, Handybook allows users to make immediate bookings at the time and price that’s convenient for them. Adding to the convenience, payments are made online via any major credit card.

With a community of about 100 professional service providers such as handymen, housekeepers and painters, Handybook currently offers services in New York and Boston and plans to add additional geographies in the coming months. Service providers in Handybook’s network are verified and experienced professionals that go through a strict screening process that includes background checks, reference checks and in-person interviews to ensure they meet high quality standards.

“Quality and reliability are Handybook’s highest priorities, which is why we have an intricate screening system in place and offer service level guarantees,” said Umang Dua, the company’s COO. “Combining trusted providers with the advanced technology platform we’ve built enables us to offer instant booking and confirmation, and makes working with service providers more convenient than ever before.”

"A lot of sites offer lead generation by allowing users to request proposals, but Handybook’s business model and underlying technology take that to the next level by making the process seamless and instantaneous,” said Bob Davis, general partner at Highland Capital. “Handybook has executed really well in a complicated space and has seen real transactions right out of the gate. There have been a lot of developments in Handybook’s marketplace, but it’s by far the most exciting and promising.”

About Handybook

Handybook is the easiest way to book household services. Within a couple of minutes, Handbook users can schedule pre-approved service providers such as housekeepers and handymen to handle specific jobs at the time of their choice. After providing basic information about the type of job, the location, and the most convenient time, Handybook does the rest. For more information or to book a household service, visit www.Handybook.com.