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| Type of business | Private |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Seattle, Washington |
| Area served | United States |
| Founder(s) | Matt Williams |
| Key people | Matt Williams |
| Employees | 20 |
| URL | www |
| Launched | May 2014 |
| Current status | Active |
Pro.com is an American venture-funded startup based in Seattle, Washington that provides real-time estimates for home improvements and repairs, directly connecting customers to qualified contractors. Founded by former Amazon executive and Digg.com CEO Matt Williams, the company launched a beta product nationally in May 2014 with $3.5 million in seed funding.
History
During his years at Amazon, Williams was intrigued by ways that Amazon's consumer-centric model could be extended from products to local services. He returned later to the idea of an 'Amazon for local services' while an entrepreneur-in-residence at venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz. In 2013 Williams launched SeattleHomePro.com from a former Enterprise Rent-A-Car building in the South Lake Union neighborhood of Seattle, Washington. For six months Williams and 30 employees (many of whom formerly worked at Amazon) collected consumer insights and refined their product and business model. In May 2014 Williams launched nationally, rebranding the site as Pro.com and expanding services into additional cities.
Financials
Pro.com's investors include Madrona Venture Group, Andreessen Horowitz, Redpoint Ventures, Bezos Expeditions (Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos' venture capital firm), Two-Sigma Ventures, and Sherpa Foundry. Prior to launch, the company has raised $3.5 million in seed funding, with additional rounds likely to follow.
Business Model
Pro.com consumers input home improvement projects and are connected to a curated list of professional contractors with a real-time estimate, or 'prestimate', of the project's cost based on location and other details provided. The service is free to consumers; Pro.com receives a commission from contractors receiving business through the service. In the Seattle area only, users can contact and schedule a contractor directly through the site, a service planned to extend to additional cities.
Competitors include Angie’s List, HomeAdvisor, Yelp, Seattle startup Porch.com and others.
Reception
Pro.com's May 2014 launch was covered by numerous publications including USA Today, Business Insider, TechCrunch, Yahoo! and others due to both public interest in former Digg.com CEO Williams and the launch of a tech startup backed by prominent venture capital firms.
References
- ^ "A Pack Of Ex-Amazon Employees Want To Make Your Next Home Improvement Project A Breeze". Business Insider.
- ^ "Former Digg CEO Matt Williams Launches Pro.com To Connect Homeowners With Nearby Contractors". TechCrunch.com.
- ^ "Ex-Digg CEO raises $3.5M from Jeff Bezos, Andreessen Horowitz and others for Pro.com, giving you price estimates for home projects". GeekWire.com.
- "Pro.com wants to make home repairs easier for consumers". USA Today.
- "From Former Amazon Execs, Pro.com Tells You How Much That Home Project Will Cost". recode.com.
- "Matt Williams: From Digg CEO to venture-backed home improvement startup founder". Venture Beat.
External links