Thumbtack, a marketplace where you can hire local professionals for home improvement and other services, is announcing that it has acquired Setter.
Founded in 2016, Setter provides its customers with video home checkups conducted by experts, then offers personalized plans for how to address any issues. In a blog post, Thumbtack CEO Marco Zappacosta said that by acquiring the startup, his company will be able to offer those same consultations, which in turn could lead to recommendations for different Thumbtack services.
“This is an enormous step for Thumbtack,” Zappacosta wrote. “We won’t just be the platform homeowners turn to when a pipe breaks. We’ll be the only app any homeowner needs for the care and maintenance of their home. For our pros, this means there will be more projects than ever on our platform.”
In response to emailed questions, Zappacosta told me that Thumbtack will “likely” offer both free and paid home consultations: “Our goal is to get this in the hands of as many people as possible and to give homeowners peace of mind when it comes to home maintenance.”
He also said the entire Setter team will be joining Thumbtack, giving the company a presence in Toronto.
“Homeownership is hard,” said Setter co-founder and President David Steckel in a statement. “Together with Thumbtack, we can now give our homeowners both a game plan and a way to tackle their to dos all on one platform.”
The financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. According to Crunchbase, Setter raised a total of $12 million from investors including Sequoia Capital and NFX.
Thumbtack laid off 250 employees at the end of March, after the company saw big declines in its major markets. Since then, however, Zappacosta said there’s been “a renewed focus on the home and an acceleration of digital adoption.”
“In this new era of hyperfocus on the home, we are seeing permanent changes in consumer behavior,” he added. “People are investing in their most important asset, their home.”
