Rent and bill payment app easyshare has recently announced its platform will now be available to Australians following a successful pilot phase.
The app, which collects and pays the share of rent and bills for housemates, has officially launched on iOS and Android, to cater to Australia’s increasing rent and sharehouse market, which accounts for more than 4.1 million occupants across 1.3 million households.
Since releasing its beta product, easyshare has paid over $10 million in rent and bills for customers.
easyshare founder John Bush, said the customer response to the platform had been overwhelmingly positive and validated the market need.
“Living in a sharehouse is a rite of passage for many young Australians and it can produce some of our most memorable moments. However, it also may mean some awkward moments, with managing the household’s finances being a major factor,” he said.
What is the inspiration behind easyshare?
“We built easyshare because we experienced firsthand the pain points and disorganisation associated with managing money in sharehouses. From being out of pocket thanks to late rent and utility payments from housemates to copping the short straw paying for toilet paper to major problems such as theft and breach of lease terms, there are a lot of financial risks that come with living with others, especially if you don’t know someone well.”
“We saw an opportunity to simplify sharehouse living for millions of Australians by offering a smarter, safer and stress-free way to manage finances for housemates. Our pilot phase confirmed there was a real need for something like easyshare,” said Bush.
In addition to positive customer feedback, easyshare has also piqued the interest of Qantas, having recently been selected as part of the Qantas AVRO Accelerator program. The company will use the opportunity to leverage Qantas’ network and support to accelerate business growth and drive customer traction.
easyshare has attracted significant attention from the investor community, receiving a round of angel investment to build the platform’s MVP. The startup is now closing a $1.5 million seed round to fuel the its expansion and growth.
