Rover.com, the nation’s largest network connecting dog owners with dog lovers for hire, today announced that it has received new funding from Ashton Kutcher, Guy Oseary and Ron Burkle’s A-GRade Investments, a prominent investor in the sharing economy sector.
“The A-GRade team has been interested in this space for a while but it wasn’t until we met the team at Rover.com and learned about its robust marketplace that we finally found the company we wanted to back,” said Ashton Kutcher, A-GRade Investments. “As dog owners, we understand how difficult it can be to find someone you trust to care for your dog. Rover is solving a problem millions of people deal with everyday by providing the most sensible solution—connecting dog owners with people who truly love dogs and want to take care of them. Rover has huge opportunity for growth and is primed to not only tackle the industry but grow it significantly.”
In addition to the funding, Rover also announced the launch of its Premier service in Los Angeles—a high-touch offering that connects pet owners with local sitters who have undergone an enhanced interview process, including professional inspection of their homes and yards. Dog owners can find Premier sitters on the Rover.com website or over the phone through Rover’s elite customer service team.
“L.A. is one of our fastest growing major markets. This year’s L.A. bookings on Rover are six times higher than last year’s,” said Aaron Easterly, CEO of Rover.com. “Given both L.A.’s size and culture around pets, we thought it was the right time to roll out Rover Premier.”
The Rover Premier service will provide dog owners and sitters with personalized, one-on-one attention. Whether customers have a dog with special needs or simply prefer not to use the online self-service option, a Rover Premier consultant will quickly search for, find, and book a sitter for them. Rover Premier sitters are home full-time, individually interviewed by an agent, undergo in-person home and yard inspections, and have profile photos that have all been verified by the Premier team. The service will help sitters as well. With Rover managing logistics and customer inquiries, Premier sitters can focus more of their time on providing care to the dogs they host.
Rover is the largest online pet services community with more than 25,000 sitters in the United States and service available in every major city. Currently, more than 92% of the population lives within a short drive of a Rover sitter, and the demand for sitters is accelerating. While the Premier sitters undergo home and yard inspections, Rover’s entire network is comprised of dog lovers whose online profiles are reviewed and approved across multiple dimensions prior to publication, in an effort to connect dog owners with loving local sitters who will treat their dogs like family.