Bark.com
British services marketplace
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bark.com is a web-based services marketplace headquartered in London that was founded in November 2014 by British entrepreneurs Andrew Michael and Kai Feller.
Small business marketing
Local services
Kai Feller
 | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Lead generation Small business marketing Local services |
| Founded | 2014 |
| Founders | Andrew Michael Kai Feller |
| Headquarters | London , United Kingdom |
Area served | Australia Canada Ireland New Zealand Singapore South Africa United Kingdom United States India |
| Services | Market for small business services |
Number of employees | 227 |
| Website | bark |
Description
Bark.com matches service buyers to suitable service providers. It allows people to book local service professionals.[1]
History
Bark was founded in 2014 and launched in January 2015. In 2014, while seeking various local services, Feller experienced difficulty finding reliable providers online.[2] In 2015, without any funding, he and serial entrepreneur Andrew Michael built and launched Bark.com.[3][4]
In January 2015, it was announced that Bark had purchased Dublin-based skills marketplace SkillPages for an undisclosed sum.[5]
In March 2015, English television presenter Nick Hewer became Bark's brand ambassador.[6]
As of 2019, the service has 5m users across 5 markets and turned over £20m[7][8]
In March 2020, the company launched in Singapore, New Zealand and Australia.[9]
In April 2022, Bark was acquired by the private equity firm EMK Capital in a deal reported to be valued at £240 million.[10]
In 2023, Bark featured number #6 on The Sunday Times 100 fastest-growing companies list.[11]
Key people
Kai Feller
Kai Feller | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1991 (age 34–35) Exeter, England |
| Alma mater | Cardiff University (BEng) |
| Occupation | Businessperson |
| Years active | 2012–present |
| Employer | Bark.com (2015–2023) |
| Organization | Bark.com |
Kai Feller (born 1991) is a British businessperson who is the co-founder of Bark.com and served as its chief executive officer (CEO) until 2023.[12] Feller was born in 1991 in Exeter, England. He graduated from Cardiff University with a First-class Honours degree in Engineering. In 2012, during his final year at university, he co-founded Socialite, a booking mobile app for users to find sporting and entertainment events.[3]
During his tenure, Bark grew from zero to £70 million revenue and £15 million profit, expanding its services to several countries, including the United States, Canada, South Africa, and Ireland.[3][2] Following the 2022 acquisition, Feller continued to serve as CEO until 2023 after which he transitioned to an advisor to Bark.com.[13]
Andrew Michael
Andrew Michael (born 10 January 1980) is a British-Cypriot tech entrepreneur and founder of Fasthosts, Livedrive and Bark.com.
