TaskHer, the online booking platform helping homeowners book professional tradeswomen, has raised £200,000 in a pre-seed funding round from a trio of UK impact investors.
The investment from Bethnal Green Ventures, Resolution Foundation and Ufi Ventures will be used to develop the platform and to support and build the growing community of tradeswomen using TaskHer to access well paid, secure work.
TaskHer allows customers to book and pay for tradeswomen online, as opposed to being a directory where customers can find tradespeople but then have to contact them, discuss the job and negotiate prices. For tradeswomen there’s no pitching, no costs and no admin, they simply accept the jobs they want to take on.
Launched in July 2022, TaskHer currently helps people book skilled electricians, plumbers and heating engineers. Currently only 3 per cent of professionals working in these trades are female but this is something the company is looking to change.
With more than 30 per cent of customers so far making a repeat booking through the platform, and tradeswomen receiving market-leading rates of pay, the number of users joining the platform is on the rise.
Co-founder Anna Moynihan said: “The chronic skills shortage across all skilled trades presents a huge economic opportunity that is currently being missed due to a lack of visibility and outdated gender norms. We are delighted that Bethnal Green Ventures, Resolution Foundation and Ufi Ventures have invested in TaskHer to fuel the work we’re doing to tackle these social challenges”.
TaskHer, which was co-founded by Paul Moynihan, will also focus on developing a careers hub. Using content produced by tradeswomen and apprentices they’re aiming to rebrand and demystify skilled manual trades and encourage more women to develop careers in the sector.
Louise Marston, director of Ventures at the Resolution Foundation, said: “We’re really pleased to be supporting Anna and Paul with their mission to support tradeswomen and change the gender gap in trades through training. We’ve been impressed with the team’s vision and dedication from the start, and believe there is great potential to support better work for tradeswomen through TaskHer, and to attract more women into the sector.”
Nelly Lavielle, partner and investment manager at Bethnal Green Ventures, said: “We are very excited to continue supporting TaskHer on their mission to address the gender imbalance in skilled manual trades. This is a systemic problem as the barriers and discrimination that tradeswomen face are extensive. We look forward to continuing working with Anna and Paul to deliver on their impact and commercial targets in the years to come.”
Alex Bishop, senior investment manager at Ufi Ventures, said: “There is a clear need to remove the stigma and barriers faced by women looking to pursue a career in the manual skilled trades, through addressing gender imbalance in the sector and ensuring there are accessible, non-discriminatory pathways into work. We are delighted to be supporting TaskHer on their journey, as they look to grow the marketplace further and develop a careers hub for aspiring tradeswomen.”