Although the stereotypes want you to believe that mowing the lawn is a favorite pastime of all suburban dads, it can be quite a chore — one that many people would be happy to offload to someone else if given the opportunity.
In fact, lawn care service is a $99 billion market. And Austin-based startup LawnStarter has built a tech-enabled business to become part of it.
Think of LawnStarter as the TaskRabbit of lawn care. Customers can go onto the LawnStarter app or website and book a variety of outdoor home services, including lawn care, mowing, aeration and irrigation, as well as landscaping, pest control and tree care. The company also lets professionals sign up to be “LawnStarter Pros” and get paid to mow lawns.
On Tuesday, LawnStarter announced that it received a $10.5 million growth investment from Edison Partners. LawnStarter says it’ll use this money grow and add more services.
“In the highly decentralized lawn care industry, ordering service takes days, communication is poor, and caring for your home requires hiring several different companies,” LawnStarter CEO and co-founder Steve Corcoran said in a statement. “We’ve brought vetted and fully insured professionals together in a marketplace to give consumers the best possible experience. Subscribers can schedule lawn care and other services with a local business in just a few clicks using a mobile app, giving them an effortless way to manage the full spectrum of their outdoor home needs.”
LawnStarter operates in 120 U.S. markets. It has also hit 100 percent year-over-year growth and become profitable.
