Soothe operates a massage-on-demand booking service that connects users to a network of more than 11,000 massage therapists. The company claims a presence in roughly 60 cities worldwide and competes with players such as Zeel. In Q1 it closed a $31 million Series C to support growth and improve economic terms for therapists on the platform. Leadership is changing as founder and CEO Merlin Kauffman moves to executive chairman and former CFO Simon Heyrick becomes CEO. Soothe recently relocated from Los Angeles to Las Vegas and is expanding into new markets including Manchester (U.K.), Australia’s Gold Coast, Pittsburgh, and Hartford, Conn. The company says the financing will help keep therapists in its network by offering pricing that can be up to three times what those therapists would make in their local markets. Soothe is an on-demand massage and wellness company based in Hollywood, California, led by founder and CEO Merlin Kauffman. Its core product is an app and service that lets users schedule same-day massages with licensed, vetted therapists in the privacy of their home or hotel. The service offers a variety of massage options, including Swedish, deep tissue and couples massages, and allows clients to book a customized experience. As of the article, Soothe serves numerous markets including Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area, New York, Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Fort Worth, Ft. Lauderdale, Houston, Indianapolis, Miami, Minneapolis, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Diego, San Jose, Scottsdale, Seattle, Vancouver (British Columbia) and Washington D.C. In October 2016 the company raised $35M in growth financing led by previous investor The Riverside Company, bringing total funding to $47.7M. The company intends to use the capital to expand into every major U.S. market. Soothe operates an on-demand in-home massage marketplace that lets users book a massage in as little as an hour. The company is available in 12 cities and doubled its roster of cities over the past six months while adding 600 massage therapists to its network. Soothe says it serves “tens of thousands” of clients and is beta testing in New York City with a launch planned in October. Therapists earn about 70% of the billed amount (3.8× the industry standard), and Soothe screens applicants stringently, rejecting roughly 30% of applicants. Management reports 2015 revenue is growing more than 20% month-over-month and plans to launch three new cities per quarter. Over the next two years the company plans to expand into 16 additional U.S. cities and enter international markets. Soothe operates an on-demand booking platform (app and website) that dispatches licensed massage therapists to customers’ homes, with therapists bringing their own equipment. Customers can choose therapist gender and massage types (Swedish, deep tissue, couples); pricing is listed at $99 for one hour, $139 for 90 minutes, and $169 for two hours. The company matches the nearest, highest-rated professional and vets therapists for certifications and credentials, with local liaisons in each market to recruit providers. Soothe reports more than 1,000 massage therapists across six U.S. cities (Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego, Austin, Phoenix, and Miami) and plans expansion into San Francisco, San Jose, and Washington, D.C. The founder distinguishes the service from pure logistics players by emphasizing service quality, and the company sees opportunities to extend its logistics platform into complementary professional services. Soothe was founded in May 2013, was self-funded for about 13 months, and reported revenue growing roughly 20% month-over-month.

Total raised

$78M

Funding rounds

4

Latest round

Series C

Latest activity

May 2018