Toronto-based Volley announced today that it has raised $500,000 in seed funding from Version One Ventures. The announcement comes at the same time the company’s online helping platform comes out of private beta.
Volley’s goal is certainly not understated: be the best place to ask for help and help others online. The process starts with people posting requests for things they need help with. Other Volley users can reply directly to the request or refer (i.e., “volley”) them to people they know who are better suited to help, hopefully leveraging the best help from inside and outside your personal network. Currently, Volley is focusing on providing developers, designers, and entrepreneurs – the types of people often in need of help but also most willing to give back – before expanding into different verticals.
“We believe the future of getting help online will be far more personal and human than most people are accustomed to today,” said Mike Murchison, co-founder of Volley. “Everyone will be able to benefit from our collective knowledge and experience to get help with challenges big and small.”
Volley’s early confidence in a competitive space comes from the success of its private beta, which saw 90 percent of people who created a request receive help with an average of five high-quality replies. A vote of confidence (and cash) from noted VC Boris Wertz, founder of Version One Ventures, certainly must have helped.
“Not only are we investors, but we’re also avid users of Volley,” said Wertz in a statement. “We’re excited to see Volley become the dominant way to solicit help from real people online.”