Leading Baby Gear Rental Service and Marketplace Babierge (baby + concierge) Closes $1.3M Seed Round, Expands to Over 170 Locations

SAN FRANCISCO and NEW YORK, April 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Babierge (https://www.babierge.com), the leading baby gear rental service and branded multi-sided marketplace, today announced the company closed a $1.3M seed round including Startup Capital Ventures, Quake Capital, Rostrum Capital, The GWC Innovator Fund, and Stanford-StartX Fund as participating investors. The company will use the funding to develop the platform and more quickly achieve North American market penetration.  Babierge also announced their acquisition of the leading baby gear rental directory, Rent Baby Equipment (www.rent-baby-equipment.com).

Serving over 8,000 traveling families in more than 170 destinations in the US and Canada, Babierge provides exceptionally clean, quality baby equipment to traveling families.  The Marketplace has developed a sophisticated activation playbook to meet growing demand for baby gear rental by opening new markets weekly—including Hershey, PA and the New Jersey shore most recently. "Babierge has uncovered a large, underserved market and taken advantage of key trends as both millennial parents and grandparents embrace better family travel through concierge-level gig economy services," said Fran Maier, Babierge Founder and CEO. Maier, a serial entrepreneur, Co-Founder of Match and Founder of TRUSTe (now TrustArc), brought former senior-level colleagues from both companies to Babierge.

Founded in May 2016 with a mission to delight traveling families, the Babierge platform enables gig-economy entrepreneurs called Trusted Partners to launch their own baby gear rental business in as little as two weeks. In addition to launching their websites and driving leads to Trusted Partners, Babierge provides ongoing training in sales, marketing and baby gear safety and cleanliness, as well as guidance for providing exceptional hospitality and customer service.  Trusted Partners quickly emerge as successful business operators, earning on average over $600 in extra monthly income renting cribs, car seats, strollers, high chairs, toys and other gear to traveling families.

With the acquisition of the Rent Baby Equipment directory, Babierge, which is already operating the Baby Equipment Rental directory (www.baby-equipment-rental.com), now owns the two leading baby gear rental directories. The company will use these directories to grow the overall category, continue to attract and onboard local mom & pop baby gear rental providers to the Babierge platform, and offer a provider resource guide in the baby gear and family travel categories.

Babierge has forged partnerships with travel and leisure brands including Destination Hotels and Kid & Coe, and is deeply socialized with other leading travel and hospitality brands seeking to comprehensively address the needs of traveling families. Several important trends are accelerating Babierge's growth including millennials' love of travel, the rapid increase in vacation rental accommodations, increased interest in sustainability (renting rather than buying new), and widespread comfort with gig economy services.

Press Contact: Trish McDermott, 707-529-1509, [email protected]

About Babierge
Babierge (baby + concierge) is the leading baby gear rental service and marketplace serving over 8,000 families in more than 170 markets in the US and Canada.  The company helps families "Pack Light and Travel Far" by delivering and setting-up exceptionally clean, quality baby gear at their hotel, vacation rental, or grandparent's home. As a branded multi-sided marketplace, the Babierge platform enables on-the-ground Trusted Partners, independent contractors and mom 'n pop businesses, to build a solid business renting gear that they own. Babierge Trusted Partners, mostly moms, benefit from liability insurance, an active and supportive community, ongoing training regarding product safety and cleanliness and leads generated from both online advertising and through partnerships, including Destination Hotels and Kid & Coe. Trusted Partners' average monthly earnings exceed those of most other gig economy opportunities. Parents and grandparents love Babierge because of the company's commitment to exceptional hospitality and cleanliness standards. Over 90% of parents surveyed rated Babierge gear as "spotless." Learn more about Babierge at www.babierge.com, follow the company on Twitter and Instagram, and like Babierge on Facebook.

SOURCE Babierge

Related Links

http://www.babierge.com