Dog walking company Swifto has raised $2.5 million from Benchmark Capital.
Swifto says that it takes dog walking as a service a step further by controlling the entire user experience from end-to-end. The company provides clients with the ability to view the route of their walker on a live map through an internal GPS tracking mobile application, and automating their operational back-end with a custom built web application. Behind this technology oriented approach lies a culture focused on customer service and reliability.
Swifto was founded in 2010 by Penina First. The company is headquartered in New York City and has its development center in Herzliya. Swifto plans to expand to Boston by the end of the year, and both Chicago and San Francisco in 2014. New York City alone is estimated to have over 1 million dogs and Swifto sees the dog walking market as a $60 billion dollar opportunity with extremely concentrated markets in urban locations.
A client gets a free Meet and Greet with a selected walker and subsequently, a 30-minute dog walk with Swifto costs $20. First said, ""Our platform asks dog owners everything a potential caretaker may have to know about the dog. Starting with temperatures that the dog may be sensitive to, to the commands he or she respond to, our sign-up process is extremely comprehensive. All of the data is seen on the app, which has a clean and friendly UX design, allowing our dog walkers to easily keep track of their responsibilities and schedule.” In just over a year of activities, the company says it is cash positive with a 20% month-to-month growth rate in revenue and projected yearly revenue to be in seven figures.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on April 28, 2013
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