Kindly Care, a caregiving marketplace startup, has closed a $5.4 million Series A round led by Javelin Venture Partners and with participation from MHS Capital and Jackson Square Ventures.
The new funding will be used for expansion purposes and to onboard more caregivers, Kindly Care co-founder and CEO Igor Lebovic explained via email.
Based out of San Francisco, the company’s platform allows individuals to seek out and hire background checked caregivers for seniors.
Here’s a bit about how the process works: Each caregiver’s profile includes a personal video, which families can watch prior to an interview with the candidate. The family can then conduct an interview with the individual in person or by phone. If the family and caregiver decide to work together, Kindly Care handles the administrative side, including obtaining a tax ID for the employer, setting up a payrolling, tracking hours and more.
Currently, more than 100,000 caregivers are using the Kindly Care marketplace. As Lebovic pointed out, each candidate undergoes an extensive vetting process, which includes federal, state and local background checks and driver’s license checks.
The San Francisco startup has caregivers in Arizona, California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Nevada, New York, Pennsylvania and Texas.
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“In the age of extreme caregiver shortage, having one of the largest pools of caregivers in the country is a significant asset for our company,” he said. “Further, as we continue to expand into new regions, we are increasingly likely to be able to care for additional family members who are spread out across the country.”
Lebovic also touched on what drove him to help found the company, which launched in 2015. He found it increasingly difficult to meet, interview and manage caregivers for his parents, who live far away. After noticing a number of his friends experienced similar challenges, he set out to create a solution.
Back in 2016, Kindly Care raised $3.1 million in a round led by MHS Capital and with participation from Floodgate and Jackson Square Ventures.
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