Managed by Q, the platform that helps office managers handle day-to-day operations, has made its first acquisition, picking up Y Combinator graduates Hivy for an undisclosed amount.
Managed By Q lets office managers book cleanings, handy work, IT help, and order office supplies thanks to a partnership with Staples. MBQ has raised upwards of $72 million and now serves New York, Chicago, San Francisco and Los Angeles.
The system began with Q installing a specialized tablet in the office that lets office managers book services or order supplies like bathroom soap, paper, pens, and other office staples (don’t mind the pun). The company has since evolved to offer the same services (and many others, including cleaning, maintenance and IT) through a web platform. While some of these services are handled by W2 Q Operators, others are provided by third-party vendors listed on the Managed By Q website.
Hivy, on the other hand, focuses on internal communication between office employees and office managers, letting employees make requests and note out-of-stock supplies without making a trip over to the office manager’s desk. Hivy also integrates third-party vendors so that office managers can check out what they need internally and order externally all on the same platform. Eventually, Hivy customers will be booking services through the Q marketplace.
Q CEO Dan Teran explained to TechCrunch that the Hivy service fits in really well with Q’s existing platform, as both services are built around the customer.
“We have a lot of customers in common, and realized just how complementary the services were,” said Teran. “This acquisition will make it easier to run and office and make an office more productive, which is what we’re all about.”
The acquisition will bring over Hivy’s core team, which, according to Teran, was limited to a relatively lean core team of founders. In fact, Teran said that he found it easiest to contact Hivy CEO Pauline Tordeur via Hivy’s customer support channel, as she handled all customer support communication.
For now, Managed By Q and Hivy will continue to run separate businesses, says Teran. Eventually, however, the companies will integrate services.