Participated · Seed · Nov 2015

WaHome operates an app-based on-demand home cleaning marketplace that replaces traditional call-center booking with mobile booking. The founders say the service addresses slow, subscription-based call-center models by standardizing training and bookings. The company reports roughly 1,200 users, with about half hiring a WaHome cleaner once a week, and about 350 cleaners on the platform. Cleanings cost about $40 per session, which WaHome is currently passing through to cleaners, who take home roughly $1,300 a month after taxes. WaHome aims to guarantee contractors at least eight sessions (about 32 hours) a week to keep them satisfied and encourage retention. After expanding to more Korean cities the startup plans to add other verticals such as home maintenance and then pursue expansion into Hong Kong and Japan. The founders also conducted legal research to train contractors without changing their independent status to avoid legal risks encountered by similar startups.

Participated · Seed · Jan 2014

Smile Mom is a mobile social network that connects mothers with nearby parents and provides private channels for sharing photos, updates, and advice. The app offers a Pinterest-like home feed, user profiles, photo sharing and albums, commenting, chat, Local Streams for nearby conversations, and a marketplace for buying and selling used baby items. During beta the service reached about 14,000 users and has averaged roughly 14% week-over-week growth; it is currently available only on Android with an iOS release planned for early 2014. Smile Family, the Seoul-based company behind the app, has raised $1.5 million in seed funding from angels and institutional investors. The founding team is led by CEO John S. Kim, who previously founded Paprika Lab (sold to GREE in 2012). The company is planning to relocate to the U.S. West Coast (L.A. or Silicon Valley) where many early users are coming from.