Cape Town-based start-up SweepSouth has secured R10 million in new funding.
SweepSouth, which was launched in 2014, enables its customers to book home cleaning services digitally through a phone, tablet or computer.
The funding comes from the Vumela Fund, as well as from its existing investor, Vinny Lingham and Llew Claasen's firm, Newtown Partners. The Vumela Fund is capitalised by the First Rand Group and the Jobs Fund, and managed by First National Bank in an alliance relationship with Edge Growth.
SweepSouth says it had an impressive 2015, coming off of a winning pitch at the SiMODiSA Startup SA conference in October 2014. This was followed by an April 2015 Series Seed funding round from a team of tech investors, led by Lingham and Claasen's firm Newtown Partners and including Pule Taukobong's Africa Angels Network and Polo Leteka Radebe's Identity Development Fund.
SweepSouth was also selected by Silicon Valley-based venture capital fund and start-up accelerator, 500 Startups. This was the first time a local company was selected by 500 Startups, with only a handful of African companies being chosen to join the programme in the past, says SweepSouth.
"The start of 2016 suggests a year that will be no less exciting for us," says Aisha Pandor, CEO of SweepSouth. "With this major new cash injection from the Vumela Fund, we can further expand our rapidly growing national footprint."
SweepSouth was founded on the belief that the home cleaning industry needed modernisation through technology, as well as a change in mindset towards the belief that everyone deserves access to dignified work at decent pay, the start-up says.
"As we expand, we can offer so many more work opportunities," says Pandor. SweepSouth says it has created thousands of job opportunities in the last few months for women, the vast majority of whom were unemployed, resulting in over 100 000 hours of cleaning being completed over this time.
"Edge Growth is an experienced and respected investor who shares our passion for job creation and social transformation. We've loved interacting with their team and are excited about utilising this investment to continue our rapid growth and create sustainable work for thousands of cleaners in the next year," says Pandor.
Speaking about the deal, lead investor Janice Johnston of Edge Growth says: "We think SweepSouth is one of the leading tech start-ups in SA. The on-demand economy is a huge growth area because a lot of consumers' needs can be far better served with tech-enabled, on-demand services.
"Uber is a great example of such innovation and we think SweepSouth is the Uber of cleaning in SA. The exciting job creation opportunities, in which the SweepSouth platform provides professional cleaners, is an important attribute of the investment for the Vumela Fund."
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