Fresha, an AI-powered marketplace and business management platform for the beauty and wellness industry, announced an $80 million primary growth investment from funds managed by KKR at a valuation of more than $1 billion.
The funding brings Fresha’s total capital raised to date to $285 million. The company said it plans to use the new capital to accelerate global expansion efforts and invest further in next-generation product development and AI innovation. Fresha is already profitable.
Founded in 2015 and headquartered in London by William Zeqiri and Nicholas Miller, Fresha has expanded across multiple international markets, including the United Kingdom, Australasia, the GCC, North America, Continental Europe, and Southeast Asia.
The platform serves more than 130,000 beauty and wellness businesses globally across sectors such as hair, beauty, barbering, nails, aesthetics, wellness, fitness, and spas. Fresha said its platform facilitates more than 35 million appointments per month and over $15 billion in annual GMV.
KKR made the investment through its Next Generation Technology Growth strategy, which focuses on technology investments. The firm recently announced investments in companies including Reserv, Coder, and Premialab.
KEY QUOTES:
“Fresha has built a differentiated platform, combining software, financial services, and marketplace capabilities with embedded AI, in a way that is deeply integrated into daily operations of beauty and wellness businesses. We believe the company is well positioned to continue scaling globally as demand grows for modern, vertical-specific technology solutions.”
Patrick Devine, Partner and member of KKR’s Tech Growth team
“We have followed William and the broader management team over the years, and have been highly impressed with the consistent performance they have been driving at Fresha. The team have been on the front-foot in implementing AI in a way that drives meaningful business outcomes, and we are thrilled to be embarking with them on the next chapter of Fresha’s journey.”
Marta Szczerba, Director in KKR’s Tech Growth team
“Reaching unicorn status is a proud milestone, but more importantly, this investment is a strong testament to the trust our partners place in Fresha every day. KKR brings deep experience scaling category-defining technology companies, and their conviction in our vision gives us tremendous confidence as we enter this next chapter. With KKR’s support, we will be able to further accelerate our global expansion and invest heavily in AI to transform how beauty and wellness businesses operate worldwide.“
William Zeqiri, Founder And CEO, Fresha
“From day one, our obsession has been building software that beauty and wellness professionals genuinely love using. Every feature we ship is shaped by the people running these businesses, the salon owners, the stylists, the spa operators. This round reinforces what our customers have been telling us for years: Fresha delivers one of the most complete, intuitive, and valuable platforms in the industry. KKR’s investment gives us the resources to push that even further, particularly in AI, where we see enormous potential to remove operational friction and unlock new revenue for our partners.“
Nicholas Miller, Co-Founder And Chief Product Officer, Fresha
