In today's "on-demand" world, you can get virtually anything you want with the tap of your smartphone. Food, beer, snowplows, a nurse, you name it. Now, another "Uber for X" startup has launched in Chicago to bring the experience of a relaxing massage right to your home.
Excel Mobile Massage launched in March and provides in-home massages on-demand. Using EMM's iOS or Android app, customers can request a time for a massage therapist to arrive, who then shows up to your house or hotel for a 1-2 hour massage. A 1 hour massage runs $120 and a 2 hour massage costs $220, and all prices include a 15% gratuity, the company says.
EMM currently offers massages in Chicago and the western suburbs, and it has partnered with 10 Chicago-area hotels to offer in-room massages. The company has done around 100 appointments since its launch earlier this year, and has seven licensed massage therapists on staff, with plans to soon add another three, CEO Karen Ehlers said.
"We humbly believe our business model is spot on," Ehlers said in an email to Chicago Inno. "Customers want products and service at their fingertips."
EMM isn't the only startup offering on-demand massages, but they might be the first in Chicago. Some of the other players in the space like Zeel, Unwind Me, and Soothie have yet to enter the Chicago market. Soothie recently raised $1.7 million for its same-day in-home massage company.
Ehlers said the key for EMM's growth is getting the word out and letting people know there's a more convenient way to book a massage in Chicago.
"While we feel good about our start, Chicago is a large market and we have to get the message out there," she said. "Customers deserve to know that there is a new and improved way to get a massage."
Screengrab via iTune App Store
