MyBuilder
| Founded | October 2004 |
|---|---|
| Founder | Ryan Notz |
| Headquarters | London, United Kingdom |
Area served | United Kingdom |
| Services | Tradesmen |
Number of employees | 40 |
| Website | www.mybuilder.com |
MyBuilder is an online marketplace that connects homeowners and tradesmen, founded by former tradesman Ryan Notz. Notable for being the first winner of the Seedcamp startup competition in 2007,[1] MyBuilder was founded in Bristol, UK in 2004 and is now based in London.
The website is based around a feedback review system and works by introducing job posters to relevant, vetted tradesmen. Once a job has been completed through MyBuilder, feedback can be left for the hired tradesman on the website.[2]
Since November 2011, MyBuilder operates by charging trade members ‘shortlist fees’ which range from £2 to £35.[3] MyBuilder lists over 25,000 plumbers, electricians, painters, plasterers and other tradesmen and has had over 500,000 jobs posted since the company was founded.[4]
History
The company was founded by Ryan Notz, who thought of the idea while working in Bristol as a stonemason.[5] The business was developed to enable tradesmen in the UK to find jobs in their local area and find jobs suited to their skills.[6] The website revolved around the process that users can check the profiles of tradesmen, and provide feedback for other users once the job is completed.[7] After the relaunch and rebrand in 2008, MyBuilder had thousands of users [8] and by 2009 had 20,000 users.[9] By 2010, 85,000 jobs had been posted on the MyBuilder website.[10]
- The Buildersite Limited was founded in October 2004.
- Buildersite.co.uk launched in the UK in February 2006.
- The website was relaunched and rebranded as MyBuilder.com in May 2008
Awards and achievements
- HSBC elevator pitch competition winner (2007) [11]
- Seedcamp Investment Winner (2007) [12]
- Shortlisted in Courvoisier Future 500 ‘the one to watch’ (2007) [13]
- Finalist in the British Interactive Media Association (BIMA) Awards in the Property, Construction and Engineering category (2010) [14]
- Number 6 in ‘Startups 100 2010’ - a hitlist of the UK’s best new businesses (2010) [15]
- Shortlisted for the Future 50 Awards - a list of Britain’s most promising and exciting startups (2011) [16]
Partners and funding
MyBuilder won the Seedcamp competition in 2007,[17] and was rewarded with seed funding and support from a host of angel investors,[18] including TAG (Robin & Saul Klein), Paul Birch, Jamie Murray Wells, Sean Park, Alex Hoye and others.[19]
As a part of the Seed investment, Travis Perkins Group became a stakeholder in 2008, inviting MyBuilder in as a partner to their network of builders merchants and retail stores, including Wickes and Tile Giant.[20]
The Channel 4 investment fund, 4iP, pledged investment in 2009.[21]
References
- ↑ "Seedcamp Winners". Retrieved 2010-02-26.
- ↑ "How Ryan Notz went from stonemasonry to MyBuilder with the aim of fixing the UK construction industry". Your Hidden Potential.
- ↑ "It’s All About You...". Source Wire.
- ↑ "MyBuilder launches survey to find best builders’ breakfast". Business and Leadership.
- ↑ White, Dominic (2008-03-30). "Telegraph - Wakeup and smell the new dotcom brew". London: Telegraph. Retrieved 2010-02-26.
- ↑ "Business: Ryan Notz". Guardian (London).
- ↑ "Website filters cowboy builders". BBC News. 10 February 2008.
- ↑ Bassett, Kate (4 June 2008). "Internet Whizz Turns Angel Investor". RealBusiness.
- ↑ O'Kelly, Sebastian (26 January 2009). "Now take a sharp intake of breath: Our builders are charging bargain basement prices!". Daily Mail (London).
- ↑ "MyBuilder.com - Startups 100". Startups.
- ↑ "How Ryan Notz went from stonemasonry to MyBuilder with the aim of fixing the UK construction industry". Your Hidden Potential.
- ↑ "MyBuilder Profile". Seedcamp.
- ↑ "Courvoisier The Future 500". London: The Observer. Archived from the original on October 1, 2012.
- ↑ "The BIMA awards : 2010 Winners and Finalists". BIMA Awards.
- ↑ "Startups 100 2010 - the complete list". Startups.
- ↑ "Real Business - Future 5: shortlisted companies announced". Real Business.
- ↑ "Seedcamp Winners". Retrieved 2010-02-26.
- ↑ http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/5cab047a-f411-11e0-b221-00144feab49a.html#axzz1caczE9Uk
- ↑ ."Buildersite wins angel funding round". Retrieved 2010-02-26.
- ↑ "Mail On Sunday - Travis Perkins takes mybuilder.com stake". Retrieved 2010-05-17.
- ↑ "Techcrunch - 4ip makes 350k equity investment in MyBuilder.com". Retrieved 2010-02-26.