Sept. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Sittercity.com, America's largest and most trusted source for online care, announced today that it has closed another round of equity financing. The company, which secured $7.5 million in financing in January of this year, opened a second round of funding in order to accommodate some of the leaders in Chicago's investment community.
As the inventor of the online care industry, Sittercity.com matches individuals and families with child care, pet care, senior care, home care and tutoring solutions. Currently the site has a network of more than a million caregiver profiles and has been helping hundreds of thousands of care seekers find the perfect in-home care provider for almost a decade.
"Even in these challenging economic times, Sittercity.com has increased job postings on its site 150 percent, added an average of 2,000 caregivers each day, and grown our annual revenue 60 percent over last year," said Genevieve Thiers, founder and CEO of Sittercity.com. "The online care field has grown dramatically over the past decade and we expect that our business will continue to grow at an impressive rate."
The new Sittercity investors include venture capitalists like Matt McCall of New World Ventures; entrepreneurs like Brian Hand, co-founder of Timelines, Inc., and founder & former CEO of ShopLocal; and venture capital firms like the I2A Fund. Sittercity.com previously received financing from Point Judith Capital and Apex Venture Partners.
"I am thrilled to be involved with Sittercity.com," said Matt McCall of New World Ventures. "In addition to being the market leader in a burgeoning sector, Genevieve is one of the top entrepreneurs in the country."
"The I2A fund focuses on investing in the leading innovative start-up companies in the region showing a great deal of growth potential," said Kapil Chaudhary, partner at I2A. "We were impressed with the progress Sittercity.com has made to date and see the company as an emerging star that I2A is excited to partner with."
"Sittercity has built its leadership position in the online care industry by combining great vision and an experienced management team with entrepreneurial tenacity and perseverance," said Brian Hand, co-founder of Timelines, Inc., and founder & former CEO of ShopLocal. "I am excited to be an investor in the company."
Since 2001, Sittercity.com has won 13 national and international awards, and has been featured on shows such as Today, Good Morning America, The View, Ellen and The Early Show. The company was recently number 287 on Inc. Magazine's list of the 500 fastest growing companies.
About Sittercity.com(R)
Sittercity.com, the inventor of online caregiving, is America's largest and most trusted online source for child care, pet care, senior care, housesitting, housekeeping and tutoring. Sittercity has a network of more than a million caregiver profiles nationwide, and helps families and individuals across America find the perfect in-home care provider quickly, easily and safely. Sittercity's care seekers can use the company's four-step screening process, which includes checking references, reading caregiver reviews, conducting interviews and utilizing free access to background checks. Sitter profiles also come with photos, experience, training, safety skills, availability calendars, reviews and more. Our Corporate Program now serves a number of marquee clients, including Avon, MasterCard, FOX Networks, Pitney Bowes and Monster Worldwide.
For further information: visit the company Web site at http://www.sittercity.com.
