Oneflare, Australia’s fastest growing online marketplace connecting consumers with experts within the home improvement and services categories, has secured a $15 million investment from Fairfax Media’s Domain Group.
Domain’s investment in Oneflare, which was founded in 2011, will accelerate the start-up’s growth plans to establish itself as a leading force in the $100 billion Australian local services industry.
Oneflare currently attracts 1.3 million visitors a month and has more than 80,000 registered businesses across 150 service categories. Last year Oneflare generated $450 million worth of jobs with 160 per cent YoY growth across home categories including concreting, renovating, gardening, removals, painting, and general cleaning.
Each month more than four million people use Domain’s apps and website to search for property (as at March 2016), and through its network of publishing and lifestyle brands Fairfax Media reaches 13 million people every month.
What does this mean for Oneflare?
“Oneflare is incredibly excited to partner with one of Australia’s leading media and property platforms, Domain,” said CEO and founder, Adam Dong. “Domain’s investment will deliver a huge win for both brands’ customers, including consumers (home renovators and house hunters) and businesses (tradies and real estate agents).”
“The planned integration will allow Oneflare to help make moving house or renovating a new home much easier and more affordable for millions of Aussies, connecting them with skilled experts. The partnership will also allow us to provide our independently verified trade businesses with quality leads from Domain’s apps and platforms.
“Domain is a true leader in mobile product innovation and the investment and partnership will also accelerate our mobile-first strategy and continue to deliver a best-in-class product, sales and support experience.
“Oneflare is on a strong growth path and with Domain’s backing we are accelerating our goal of connecting the right jobs, with the right experts at the right time, further across the nation.”
Why has Oneflare attracted this investment?
“There is great alignment between Oneflare and Domain, with both businesses highly focused on developing innovative services and delivering great user experiences,” said, Antony Catalano, CEO Domain Group.
“Domain’s investment in Oneflare is part of our strategy to broaden our offering to consumers and agents across the property lifecycle, into home improvement and local trade services.
“We are very much looking forward to working with Oneflare to pursue the significant opportunities and synergies between our two businesses.”
Oneflare has been growing by bounds and leaps since it came onto the scene. Just last year alone, they acquired Renovate Forum, Australia’s biggest home renovation advice forum and WOMO, the country’s largest customer reviews website and raised AU$3 million worth of capital in a round of funding that was led by Microequities Asset Management.
