CallAtHome follows micro-managed marketplace approach to differentiate from existing startups in the hyperlocal service space
Startups catering to hyperlocal needs are fast stealing the limelight in the entrepreneurial ecosystem this year. While on-demand delivery networks (grocery, food, veggie, cake, and flowers etc.) like Grofers, Peppertap, Swiggy, Roadrunnr, TinyOwl and others raised over $133 million fundings, hyperlocal service aggregators attracted about $10 million (approx) VC funding.
Of late, on demand hyperlocal service space witnessed the debut of a slew of startups like Urbanpro, Urbanclap, Taskbob, Housejoy, and Doormint among others. But newly-launched CallAtHome (CAH) claims to cut through competition via micro-managed marketplace with curated and hand-picked service professionals.
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It’s a mobile first, hyperlocal curated marketplace for on-demand service providers like a plumber, electrician, driver required at home that is the buzz. The customer just needs to make a booking as per convenience and CAH takes end-to-end control on the transaction.
Genesis of CallAtHome
The brainchild of Alok Inamdar and Satyendra Singh, CallAtHome was born out of a common pain faced by the duo. While Alok was harassed and overcharged by a plumber, Satyendra faced a lot of hassle in hiring a part-time driver.
Both Alok and Satyendra used to work at Nestle. Alok says,
During the lunch hours and coffee breaks, we used to discuss the possibility of having a simple solution that would solve the problem of hiring people to work on the mundane domestic chores.
With some basic research, the duo realized that nobody had really solved this problem and had instead focused on solving a smaller problem of providing information on the service professional. Alok adds,
After various rounds of discussion with friends and family, the idea seemed to get even more validated.
Finally, before taking the plunge, they decided to test the market by launching a MVP (minimum viable product – the mobile app). He points out,
The idea seemed to click immediately in the market and the number of bookings increased very fast.
Alok is an IIM Calcutta & NIT Nagpur alumnus while Satyendra studied at SP Jain and B. Tech from MIT, Manipal. The duo has over five years experience in IT, FMCG & e-commerce domains.
USPs and differentiators
Stressing on USPs, Satyendra says,
At present, there are various players in the market who’re looking to organize this sector. Our key differentiator lies in approach. We micromanage platform with curated and handpicked service professionals. Moreover, we standardized the services in the market, which provides a clear visibility to the customer on how much he would be charged.
The company classifies services into two categories -- essential and premium services. The essential services are very need based (i.e you call a plumber only if there is a leak) and so the frequency of usage is low.
“But the pain point is pretty high in the essential services and act as a strong selling point to the customers. The premium services (like home cleaning & chauffeurs) are more based on the want of the customer, and so we are seeing a good growth in the transactions in this category,” outlines Satyendra.
Revenue model and traction
CallAtHome charges a fixed commission from the service professionals on each transaction. This works for the service professionals too, as they pay only when they earn. As of now, the CAH team has three full time employees (including the cofounders).
Currently, the company processes close to 500 transactions on a monthly basis. Alok reveals,
We are growing at 5X every month, with around 75% repeat customers.
CallAtHome has 35 service providers listed on its platform and are looking to board 100 more in a month.
Road ahead
CallAtHome plans to establish itself very strongly in the Gurgaon market, while increasing its portfolio and ensuring it becomes the top of mind service for any customer in Gurgaon. Alok says,
The growth we are seeing has convinced us that we are onto something big and we would need to ramp up our marketing and operational capabilities. The company is now actively looking to raise funds mainly for hiring talented people and focus on increasing customer awareness.
Competition and size of opportunity
There are many players in this segment including UrbanPro, UrbanClap, Housejoy, TaskBob, FindYahan and Doormint among others. Theseventures also attracted VC investment. Marketplace for local services UrbanPro secured$2 million funding from Nirvana Ventures while backed by Snapdeal founders, UrbanClap secured INR 10 Crore from SAIF Partners and Accel Partners. FindYahan and TaskBob also snapped up angel rounds.
According to an industry estimate, the market for local services in India is highly disorganised and currently estimated to be worth INR 9 billion. The size of the segment is big enough and multiple players can co-exist. The on-demand hyperlocal space is very nascent and this is just the beginning. Going forward it would be interesting to watch how this space shapes up in the future.