The porch is making another acquisition, its second after the home improvement startup came out of a self-imposed quiet period almost a year ago following a challenging time that included significant layoffs.
Porch said it acquired Kandela, a Los Angeles-based company that aims to simplify the moving experience by setting up the installation of home services like TV, internet and security systems. The porch would not disclose how much it paid for the 100-person company.
Porch CEO Matt Ehrlichman. (Photo via Porch)
“Kandela’s mission closely aligns with Porch’s — to make tasks related to the home easier, faster, and simpler,” Porch CEO Matt Ehrlichman said in a statement. “Kandela’s suite of services is a natural extension of the work Porch is already undertaking.”
Ehrlichman went on to say that the deal will help “make that initial transition period as seamless as possible while helping make people’s houses feel like home.”
Kandela is Porch’s fourth acquisition in the last three years. Last August, Porch bought Serviz, a smaller home services company that focuses on appliance repair, plumbing, electric, handyman, and carpet cleaning. Other recent acquisitions include home services company, Done.com, and robotic lawn service startup Robin Lawncare.
Porch grew rapidly and raised $100 million less than two years after it came out of stealth mode in 2013. But just months later, Porch reduced its headcount from 500 to 250 as the company was forced to repair the business.
The company came out of a two-year quiet period last year, and it has resumed its growth trajectory. With the acquisition, Porch has now returned to its peak headcount of 500.
Ehrlichman told GeekWire last year that he expects the home services market to grow to $600 billion within five years. He said he considers Porch the No. 2 player behind HomeAdvisor.
Porch said it has 250,000 professionals in its marketplace. The company has partnerships with large retailers including eBay, Overstock, and Pottery Barn. Last year, Porch facilitated more than 2 million projects that generated more than $1 billion in revenue for the businesses on its platform.
