Hometree, a startup seeking to disrupt the way in which consumers purchase a new boiler, has raised £1.9m in Seed funding from LocalGlobe, DN Capital, Oxford Capital and FJ Labs.
The London-based company, which closed an undisclosed round in August last year, offers a mobile application and website to allow customers to find a local craftsman and obtain information about their projects.
Simon Phelan, co-founder and CEO, said: “Installing a boiler remains a painful and mostly offline experience for homeowners. Much like Eve and Purplebricks have upended their sleepy and over-priced industries of mattresses and estate agency, we intend to disrupt the heating industry with best practices from e-commerce, fair and transparent prices and a great brand.
“We will use this strong foundation as a springboard into the broader home energy space, re-thinking how energy companies interact with consumers from the ground up.”
George Henry, partner at LocalGlobe, spoke about the relationship shift between energy companies and homeowners across Europe.
“Hometree is taking a radical new approach to providing services to the home and building a 21st century utility,” he added, noting: “The best companies often start from a very specific pain point. Boiler installation is just the first step on the way for a company that will challenge the incumbents to win the customer relationship and is entirely rethinking the way that houses improve their heating systems.”
Founded early last year, Hometree has also attracted investment from backers including Ian Marchant, the former chief executive of energy company SSE; Ian Nolan, former head of the UK Green Investment Bank; and Oliver Pawle, founder of the New Entrepreneurs Foundation.
The head of GE in Europe, Mark Hutchinson, also invested in the firm.