NEW YORK — Hello Alfred, a New York-based service technology company building the first in-home assistant service, has closed a $40 million Series B funding round. The new investment was led by a syndicate of strategic partners, including real estate developers Divco West and Invesco. Early investors, including New Enterprise Associates (NEA) and Spark Capital, also participated in the round.
Hello Alfred partners with residential developers to provide an in-home hospitality experience for busy urban dwellers.
Hello Alfred currently operates in New York, New Jersey, Stamford, Conn., Boston, Washington D.C., San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Chicago, and plans launches in nine new markets, including Atlanta, Dallas, Denver and Miami. By the end of 2018, Alfred will be available in over 100,000 homes.
The company said it has been profitable for several years. The new funding will help Hello Alfred grow and invest in technology, data science, and the Alfred Home Essentials private label line of home goods and products.
Residents of Alfred buildings enjoy a dedicated assistant to manage weekly shopping and errands and the convenience of no-fee, trusted, in-home delivery. Alfred’s technology enables personalized ordering via mobile app and automatic restocking of groceries and other home products in a truly “zero-click” commerce experience. By blending proprietary technology, data science, and a team of trained hospitality professionals, the company offers a level of personal, anticipatory service well above what digital assistants and voice devices can provide.
Unlike other service companies that rely on freelance contractors, Hello Alfred’s “Alfred Home Managers” are W-2 employees who receive rigorous vetting and hospitality training, competitive salaries, benefits, and job advancement.
“Hello Alfred started with the simple premise that time is our most precious, non-renewable resource and that we all need help to make the most of the time we have,” says Marcela Sapone CEO & Co-Founder of Hello Alfred. “By earning the trust to build help and hospitality into our customers’ homes as if they were utilities, we’ve become the only company capable of delivering goods and services past the front door at scale. We truly believe high-tech, high-touch service inside the home is the future of urban living.”
“When we first met Marcela and Jess in 2014, their vision to re-imagine the retail landscape through inside-the-home services and commerce was revolutionary,” said Bijan Sabet, Managing Partner at Spark Capital. “They have created a new category by earning the trust of consumers and simplifying the way they buy and get things done every week.”
Hello Alfred said it will double its employee headcount within the calendar year.
