Toronto-based marketplace for tasks, AskForTask, has raised $500,000 in funding and is announcing an April app launch.
The company calls itself the “Airbnb for tasks”, “changing the way people and businesses get their tasks done – anywhere in the world.” Users post a task, with the amount they are willing to pay for the service, while people make offers on tasks they wish to complete – in a safe, organized, transparent platform. The company said it’s perfecting classified websites like Kijiji and Craigslist.
The site launched 10 months ago in Canada and said it has received over 50,000 users and processed over $2.5 million in tasks.
The startup certainly has competitors worldwide as the sharing economy space specifically for tasks seems like a lucrative one. No doubt others are trying to take a piece of the pie. Kutoto launched one year ago in Montreal, initially targeting its home city and Toronto. It actually found much success specifically from users looking for people to clean their homes and subsequently launched “Express Cleaning by Kutoto” for iPhone.
AskForTask seems to be taking a different approach, by targeting the entire world. The logistics may be a nightmare in ensuring proper checks for those who deliver the tasks, and ensuring everything else that comes with a smooth transaction on a sharing economy app.
AskForTask was cofounded by brothers Muneeb and Nabeel Mushtaq, 23 and 20. Muneeb is a University of Toronto commerce graduate while Nabeel is a Seneca@York computer-systems technology student.
The company plans to release the app on both Android and iPhone next month.
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