Care.com Acquires Besser Betreut And Becomes The Largest Online Care Destination In The World

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WALTHAM, Mass. and BERLIN, July 11, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Care.com (www.care.com), the largest and fastest-growing online service in the U.S. used by families seeking high-quality care providers, announced today that it has acquired Besser Betreut GmbH (www.betreut.de), the largest online destination for care and service providers in Europe, creating the world's largest online care destination.  Terms of the transaction, which has been completed, were not disclosed.

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Based in Berlin, Germany, Betreut will become an operating unit of Care.com and will continue under its current name, while also serving as Care.com's European hub under the Care.com Europe banner.  Steffen Zoller, Founder and Co-CEO of Betreut and Manuel Nothelfer, Co-CEO of Betreut, will continue to manage the organization, reporting to Ted Preston, General Manager, International and SVP of Operations for Care.com.

In making the announcement, Sheila Lirio Marcelo, Founder and CEO of Care.com, said, "We have always believed that care is a global issue.  By bringing together Betreut and its extensive international operations with Care.com, our leadership position in the U.S., and our new operations in the U.K. and Canada, we are creating a dynamic portal for families around the world that provides best-in-class services to help families find the local care they need."

Ms. Marcelo continued, "Steffen and Manuel have built a terrific team that shares our passion for what we do, and those shared values make this a perfect organizational fit, as well as a business fit.  We look forward to bringing our teams together and building upon our experiences to create an even more robust solution for families everywhere."

Mr. Zoller said, "Both Care.com and Betreut were founded on the belief that it simply must be easier for families to find suitable, affordable care.  Be it child care, elder care or pet care, the need is universal but the challenges families face in each market can differ.  By blending Betreut's European expertise with Care.com's U.S. expertise we hope to become even more adept at speaking to each market's care challenges and providing a solution for care beyond boundaries."

Mr. Nothelfer commented, "The need for quality care solutions doesn't just impact the home; it has a documented impact in the workplace for both employees and employers alike.  Care.com is a leader in providing solutions for U.S. employers and we at Betreut have begun to address this market in Europe.  We believe that the combination of our resources and experience will enable us to roll out these services to more corporations across more markets much more rapidly."

Founded in 2006, Care.com currently counts close to 5 million families and providers in the U.S. and its recently launched operations in the UK (April 2012) and Canada (July 2012).  Betreut, which was founded in 2007, has approximately 2 million members and providers across more than 15 countries, including Germany, Austria, Switzerland,  France, Scandinavia, the Netherlands, and Belgium.

Both Care.com and Betreut help families address the unique lifecycle of care needs that every family goes through – child care, including special needs; senior care, pet care; housekeeping, and tutoring.  Additionally, both companies have units devoted to providing these services to employers as part of employee benefit programs.

About Care.com, Inc.:
Founded in 2006, Care.com, Inc. (www.care.com) is the largest and fastest-growing service used by families seeking care providers, providing a place to easily connect with hundreds of thousands of care providers, share caregiving experiences and get advice. The company helps families address the unique lifecycle of care needs that they go through - child care, senior care, special-needs care, tutoring, pet care, housekeeping and more.  Care.com also provides tools and information to help families make safer and more informed decisions throughout the search and hiring process, including monitored messaging, access to background checks, recorded references, and an online safety guide. Fortune 500 companies, educational institutions, technology companies, and professional services firms offer Care.com memberships as a benefit to employees through its Workplace Solutions program.

About Besser Betreut GmbH:
Besser Betreut GmbH offers a service to help families find the care they need and help care providers find quality jobs.  In more than 15 European countries, families can find care solutions across a range of areas including child care, senior care, and pet care, as well as housekeeping and garden help.  And, through its Aupairnet24 brand, the company manages a global Aupair internet platform.  In addition, numerous international companies and research organizations use the Besser Betreut Corporate Services, which enable employers to offer Besser Betreut's care solutions as employee benefits.  Besser Betreut are available to hundreds of thousands of workers in German speaking countries alone.  The company is currently based in Berlin and employs around 100 people from around the world.

SOURCE Care.com