Joshin, a local tech company that provides on-demand disability care, has closed its first venture-backed funding round at just over $1.5 million.
The round was led by Anthemis, a venture capital group primarily located in the United Kingdom. California firm Sure Ventures also participated, along with Midwestern venture capital group M25.
"The community of families with special needs is a massive, underserved market," Matthew Jones, principal at Anthemis, said in a statement. "Joshin has created a compelling technology that is well-targeted to the unique needs of this market and this community, and we believe that their business model shows exceptional potential for continued growth."
Joshin also said that it has recruited disability care activist Michael Kutcher (Ashton Kutcher's twin brother) as an advisor. Kutcher is an assistant vice president for Transamerica and has also served as a spokesperson and advisor for the Cerebral Palsy Foundation and Reaching for the Stars, among others.
"Joshin is establishing itself as the leader in special needs support, with a brand that families can trust and should turn to for care," Kutcher said in a statement. "I'm honored to be part of the Joshin team as we make progress toward nationwide growth and building a special needs community."
Joshin offers an app that allows families to book caregivers for those with special needs. Customers use an app to create a “care plan” that introduces their child or loved one, including their needs, goals, likes, dislikes, diet and any other pertinent details to a trained caregiver.
The care plan helps them ensure continuity when a family schedules a care date with someone new. Caregivers and families are vetted carefully, the founders said. And they’re matched based on the caregiver’s experience and the needs or disabilities the family lists in their plan.
Earlier this year, the founders of Joshin sold their first company, Josh's Place, to REM Minnesota, an organization serving adults and children with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Joshin said it will use the new capital to expand into new markets including Austin, Houston and Dallas. The company will also continue to develop its product and broaden its executive team.
"Caregiving is important now more than ever and this strong statement of support for our mission from Anthemis and our other investors validates the work that we are doing," said Joshin CEO Melissa Danielson.
