LawnStarter has successfully raised $17.7 million over five funding rounds, establishing itself as a key player in the outdoor home services market. The platform connects homeowners with skilled professionals for a variety of services, including lawn care, pest control, and roofing.
Keep reading to explore the intricacies of LawnStarter's fundraising journey and the investors backing this innovative platform.
What Is LawnStarter?
LawnStarter, founded in 2014 in Austin, Texas, connects homeowners with outdoor service professionals through a user-friendly app. The company was established by Jonas Weigert, Steven Corcoran, and Ryan Farley.
Initially focused on lawn care, LawnStarter has expanded its services to include pest control, pool care, gutter cleaning, tree care, and roofing. The platform operates in 120 U.S. markets, making outdoor home services easy, affordable, and reliable.
With a team of 201-500 employees, LawnStarter emphasizes technological innovation and talent management, supporting small businesses and helping them grow.
How Much Funding Has LawnStarter Raised?
- Seed Funding Round
- Amount Raised: $1 million
- Date: January 14, 2015
- Lead Investors: Gary Vaynerchuk (via Vayner RSE), Rob Taylor, Cotter Cunningham, Rony Kahan
- Motivation Behind the Round: To expand into new markets and add new clients within existing markets.
- Series A Funding Round
- Amount Raised: $6 million
- Date: June 2, 2015
- Motivation Behind the Round: To expand into new markets and enhance the customer experience by aggregating various lawn care services into one convenient purchase point.
- Series B Funding Round
- Amount Raised: $10.5 million
- Date: November 12, 2019
- Lead Investors: Edison Partners
- Motivation Behind the Round: To add additional services such as pest control to its platform and continue penetrating the lawn mowing and maintenance markets.
Total Amount Raised: $17.7 million
Current Valuation: (~estimated)
Key Investors
- Edison Partners
- Details: Edison Partners is a growth equity firm that invests in high-growth technology and healthcare companies. They led LawnStarter's $10.5 million growth round.
- Investment Focus Areas: Technology, healthcare, financial services
- Notable Investments: Solovis, MoneyLion, Clearpool
- Lerer Hippeau
- Details: Lerer Hippeau is a New York-based venture capital firm that invests in early-stage companies. They participated in LawnStarter's funding rounds.
- Investment Focus Areas: Media, e-commerce, technology
- Notable Investments: BuzzFeed, Warby Parker, Glossier
- Gary Vaynerchuk (via Vayner RSE)
- Details: Gary Vaynerchuk is an entrepreneur and investor known for his work in digital marketing and social media. He co-founded VaynerMedia and VaynerRSE.
- Investment Focus Areas: Technology, consumer brands, social media
- Notable Investments: Facebook, Twitter, Uber
- Techstars Austin Accelerator Program
- Details: Techstars Austin is an accelerator program that provides funding, mentorship, and resources to startups. LawnStarter was part of this program.
- Investment Focus Areas: Technology, healthcare, consumer products
- Notable Investments: SendGrid, Sphero, ClassPass
- Binary Capital
- Details: Binary Capital is a venture capital firm that focuses on early-stage investments. They participated in LawnStarter's funding rounds.
- Investment Focus Areas: Technology, consumer internet, mobile
- Notable Investments: Snapchat, TaskRabbit, Instacart
What's Next for LawnStarter?
As LawnStarter looks to the future, the opportunities are vast. The company aims to expand its service offerings beyond lawn care to include pest control and other outdoor services, tapping into a $100 billion market. This growth is fueled by the increasing trend of millennials outsourcing lawn care, providing a significant opportunity for market penetration.
Future fundraising efforts are likely, given the company's profitability and capital-efficient model. Attracting investors interested in scalable startups, LawnStarter could secure additional rounds to support its ambitious expansion plans. However, challenges such as competition and maintaining service quality while scaling operations remain critical hurdles to navigate.
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