The COVID-19 pandemic has spurred advancements in technology, particularly in equipping businesses with enhanced digital resources for customer interaction and internal operations. Today, Jobber, a company specializing in these tools for the home services sector, has announced a new funding round as its business expands.

The Canadian startup has secured $60 million in investment. This funding round is spearheaded by Summit Partners, with contributions from existing investors OMERS Ventures and Version One Ventures, alongside new participation from Tech Pioneers Fund.

Jobber’s platform delivers management software designed to assist independent contractors and small home services companies with scheduling appointments, organizing workflows, handling billing and accounting, and promoting their services online. This investment arrives as Jobber already serves over 100,000 customers across 47 countries, spanning 50 different service types, including cleaning, electrical work, landscaping, and plumbing.

However, this represents only a fraction of the potential market: Jobber estimates that tradespeople and home service professionals comprise a workforce of approximately 5 million in the United States alone, generating over $550 billion in economic activity each year.

Jobber’s growth is occurring at a crucial time, both economically and within the technology landscape.

Numerous industries – including finance, human resources, healthcare, retail, and education – have been progressively adopting digital solutions for years, a trend that has significantly accelerated in the past year due to the complexities introduced by the coronavirus pandemic.

Within this shift, small business owners, particularly those in hands-on trades like home services, have been slower to adopt technology, often relying on mobile phones as their primary tool for advertising and managing their businesses.

This situation has notably changed over the last year. Consumers are increasingly utilizing the internet for transactions – both discovering businesses and paying for services – prompting tradespeople to follow suit, not only to meet evolving customer expectations but also to ensure their safety and continued operation. Furthermore, a younger, more digitally proficient generation is entering the trades, embracing these tools more readily than their predecessors.

According to CEO Sam Pillar (who founded the company with CTO Forrest Zeisler), Jobber’s expansion is “fueled by a combination of factors, including the age of homeowners and the service providers themselves.” He noted that the services offered by home service professionals – such as home repairs and housekeeping – are generally resilient to economic downturns.

“These trends resulted in home service professionals performing better than anticipated during the economic challenges, and we experienced similar success,” Pillar stated. “The new generation of business owners are seeking ways to manage what often amounts to a significant amount of paperwork.” Providing them with user-friendly solutions is therefore essential, he added. “Even those comfortable with technology are often pressed for time,” he explained.

Jobber’s funding is part of a broader trend of startups catering to later adopters in the B2B sector receiving increased investment and attention from venture capitalists.

These include Hover, which develops technology and tools for home repair professionals to source materials, create pricing and estimates, and manage their administrative tasks, securing $60 million in November. Additionally, GoSite raised $40 million in December for a platform designed to help small and medium-sized businesses – many of whom are new to online operations – establish and manage their businesses.

A common element among these three companies is their ability to capitalize on both the broader “digital transformation” trend and the heightened demand for their specific services, particularly over the past year.

“We are confident that the home service sector is in the initial phases of a substantial digital transformation – and Jobber is leading the way for the numerous small and mid-sized service businesses striving to integrate digital tools to meet customer expectations,” said Colin Mistele, principal at Summit Partners, in a statement. “The Jobber team demonstrates a strong product vision, a data-driven understanding of the market, and a customer-focused approach – a powerful combination that we believe will sustain the company’s rapid growth. We are excited to collaborate with the Jobber team and anticipate a promising future for this sector.” Mistele will be joining the board of directors as part of this investment.

The company has not disclosed its valuation, having previously raised $16 million in funding.