Helpr raises undisclosed seed funding from 500 Startups
By Digital News Asia October 21, 2015
- ‘Digital concierge’ startup founded by former Groupon Asia Pacific execs
- Seed fund to be used in user acquisition and building up team
Founded by former Groupon Asia Pacific executives, Helpr officially launched its service in August after two months in beta.
In a statement, it said has seen user requests grow an average of 130% monthly, and a conversion rate that sees 76% of customers willing to pay for its services.
“This round represents a strong first step for us not just because we raised our seed funding, but because we have managed to bring on board experienced investors who truly understand the Asian ecosystem,” said cofounder Ang Kok Seong.
“500 Startups have backed some of the most successful startups in Asia including GrabTaxi, iMoney and KFit, and we are proud to be part of the 500 family,” he added.
E-concierge and other types of on-demand services seem to be booming in the Malaysian startup scene. In June, Be Lazee Group Sdn Bhd, which runs the Be Malas SMS-based concierge service, landed US$500,000 in seed funding, just a month after its launch, in a round led by Singapore-based KK Fund Pte Ltd.
“Launching an on-demand concierge is easy. But scaling one is not,” said 500 Startups managing partner Khailee Ng.
“Helpr’s founders dealt with some of the most complex product, logistics and customer support scaling throughout Asia Pacific, and their experience is an unfair advantage here.
“I’m betting on them on getting this right, and creating a vital service for South-East Asia’s growing middle income [population],” he said in the statement issued by Helpr.
Ng is also the cofounder of Groupsmore, Malaysia’s first group-buying site that was later acquired by Groupon.
Meanwhile, Ang said that Helpr plans on using the seed investment to push user growth and to beef up its team.
Helpr is presently only operating in Malaysia, with plans to go regional by the end of the year.
Related Stories:
From brace wax to US$500K funding … in one month
Services startups: A trend that is sweeping up?
Kaodim aims to elevate services quality
For more technology news and the latest updates, follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn or Like us on Facebook.
