Gone are the days when finding a plumber or electrician involved frantic phone calls to relatives or flipping through a dusty directory that had definitely seen better days. 🫠
Enter Urban Company (formerly Urban Clap), a Gurugram-based startup that’s redefining home services and making you wonder: how you ever managed without it.
A Frustrated Consumer + Disorganized Market = Big Opportunity
Before Urban Company entered the scene in November 2014, home services in India were basically the wild west. Customers had two options:
- Roll the dice on the neighborhood expert whose qualifications were questionable at best.
- Find someone through word-of-mouth, which often meant begging your chatty aunt for recommendations. 😩
The market was disorganized, trust levels were non-existent, and pricing was as unpredictable as your Wi-Fi connection during a storm. On the flip side, skilled professionals like beauticians and carpenters couldn’t find steady work. The whole system was like an unfinished IKEA shelf, messy and barely holding together.
Urban Company’s founders, Abhiraj Singh Bhal, Varun Khaitan, and Raghav Chandra, decided to be the Allen key that tightened things up.
Their vision?
A sleek, app-driven platform that offered reliable services, transparent pricing, and a seamless user experience. And boy, did they deliver.
The Urban Company’s Glow-Up
Let’s start with some receipts:
- Worldwide operation – Urban Company now operates in 60+ cities across India, the UAE, Singapore, and Saudi Arabia.
- Trained partnerships – It partners with over 55,000 trained professionals, or as we like to call them, “service ninjas”.
The platform’s valuation? A cool $2.53 billion.
But How Did It Get There?
Here’s the tea:
- Safety First—Always: Urban Company runs its service providers through a background-check boot camp. Think of it as Mission Impossible but for plumbers. 🔍🛠️
- Training that Slaps: These aren’t your average service providers—they’re pros who undergo intense training. From customer service skills to technical expertise, Urban Company ensures they’re ready to slay.
- Feedback FTW: The platform thrives on customer reviews. You can rate and review services, creating a system that’s transparent and keeps everyone accountable. It’s basically Yelp but without the unsolicited food pics.
- Geographical Expansion: Starting in India wasn’t enough for these overachievers. By 2020, they rebranded from Urban Clap to Urban Company (to sound more international, duh) and expanded to Australia, Singapore, and the UAE. The result? Global domination, one pedicure at a time.
The Numbers Don’t Lie
Urban Company isn’t just about cleaning houses; it’s cleaning up in the funding game too. Here’s a quick recap:
- Seed Round: $1.6M in 2015 (shoutout to Snapdeal founders Kunal Bhal and Rohit Bansal for investing early).
- Series F: $190M in April 2021, led by big names like Prosus and Wellington.
Total funding?
A jaw-dropping $376 million across 11 rounds. Oh, and they’re gearing up for a $350 million IPO.
From Ghar Repair to Glam Care
Urban Company isn’t just fixing leaky taps anymore. Over the years, it’s added services like:
- Beauty and wellness (hello, home spas!)
- Fitness and yoga trainers
- Carpentry, plumbing, and electrical work (the OGs)
The platform even offers service financing for high-ticket items like home renovations. Who needs a shady contractor when you can book a certified pro with just a swipe? 🖐️
The Secret Sauce Behind the Success
- Tech-Driven Operations: Urban Company uses cutting-edge tech to match customers with service providers seamlessly. Whether it’s AI-powered analytics or smart algorithms, they’ve streamlined the entire process to feel as easy as ordering pizza, but way more impactful.
- Quality Over Everything: It’s not just about connecting you with a plumber or beautician, it’s about connecting you with the best. Strict background checks, professional training, and consistent feedback loops ensure that every service provider on the platform is a total rockstar.
- Customer Trust: Transparency is the name of the game. With upfront pricing and a robust rating system, customers know exactly what they’re paying for, and who’s showing up at their door. No shady surprises, just top-notch service.
- Global Ambitions: The 2020 rebranding from Urban Clap to Urban Company wasn’t just a name change, it was a statement. Expanding into international markets like Singapore and the UAE has solidified its position as the go-to platform for home services across borders.
- Diverse Services: From carpentry and plumbing to spa treatments and fitness trainers, Urban Company has diversified its offerings to cater to a wide range of customer needs. It’s not just a “home repair app”; it’s practically your one-stop solution for upgrading life.
- Empowering Professionals: Urban Company is as much about the service providers as it is about customers. By offering training, tools, financial support, and even insurance, it’s helping thousands of skilled professionals find consistent work and build their reputations.
The Bottom Line
Urban Company’s success lies in its ability to bridge the gap between customers and service professionals while offering reliability, quality, and transparency at every step. It’s not just a startup, it’s a revolution that’s transforming the way we think about everyday services.
Want a spa day at home or need your AC repaired? Urban Company’s got you covered, no sweat, no stress, just excellence. 💅🛠️
Get their services: Urban Company
