Local Services Marketplace Thumbtack Raises $30 Million

Thumbtack, a marketplace that connects local professionals with clients, has raised a $30 million Series C round from Sequoia Capital and Tiger Global Management, TechCrunch has learned.

The startup has an original approach when it comes to local services. Unlike with TaskRabbit, customers don’t have to waste time searching for different options. Instead, they tell the platform exactly what they are looking for, and service providers have 24 hours to bid on the job. The client receives multiple quotes, can compare reviews and then only needs to pick the right person.

There are many professionals on the platform, including handymen, DJs for a reception, photographers, yoga teachers and more. After selecting the job and your location, you need to fill out a short form to narrow down what you’re looking for. For example, for a bartender, you will be asked to select beverage types, say who is bringing the bottles, if tip jars are allowed and more.

For now, the service is only available in the U.S. Back in June 2013, the service had 250,000 different service providers. Even more difficult, the company needs to keep a healthy number of active providers, as they are the ones who answer requests. They can’t just wait for clients to show up.

A year ago, the startup raised $12.5 million from Sequoia Capital, Javelin Venture Partners and MHS Capital. So far and including today’s round, the company has raised a bit less than $50 million.

After the previous round, Thumbtack didn’t have any plans for international expansion. Maybe it has changed, or maybe the startup just wants to go to the next level in the U.S.