Glamazon, an Australian based on-demand beauty app that connects freelance hair stylists, makeup artists, spray tanners and other qualified beauty specialists to clients’ doors, has been acquired by Urban Company.
Urban Company, an Indian home-services platform previously called Urban Clap, purchased the ‘Uber for beauty’ service off founders Lauren Silvers and Lisa Maree for an undisclosed sum.
Urban Company provides a similar service for home maintenance including cleaning, appliance and electronic repairs, carpentry, plumbing, and pest control.
Glamazon founders Lauren, 30, and Lisa, 35, told esprit the acquisition happened almost organically because the companies shared “scary similarities” when it came to business and had the “same end vision”.
“We found out Urban Company was expanding to Australia,” Lauren said.
“We thought, instead if competing, let’s collaborate.”
Lauren said Urban Company “immediately saw the value of the relationship” when they expanded into Australia in November last year.
“Urban Company wanted to launch Urban Beauty,” she said.
“With more than 1,700 beauty workers on our site, it made sense for them to want to work with us.”
Glamazon’s initial success largely came from appearing on Channel 10’s Shark Tank in 2017, less than one year after the company was conceived.
“After going on Shark Tank our whole website crashed from the huge amount of traffic we received,” Lisa said.
“But it helped us raise more than $1.2m in seed capital and we received an overwhelming response from thousands of people.”
Lauren, a former publicist, has remained with the organisation and is now employed by Urban Company, which has more than 25,000 service professionals on its platform, serving around 800,000 services a month in 22 cities in Australia, India, the UAE and Singapore.
She said was “thrilled” to be launching and leading the beauty and wellness services in Australia after pouring her “heart and soul” into the business.
Lisa has moved back to the US, where she will be focusing on her other business, an LA-based fashion label following the “amazing, crazy journey” here.
“There are so many highs and lows in business,” she said.
“We were lucky we always had each other to offer and give support.”