Rover.com, a website devoted to helping pet owners find a home where their dogs can stay while they travel, has secured $3.4 million in its Series A round of funding, according to Vator News.
Rover.com is a Seattle-based service that is a small startup of nine employees. CEO Aaron Easterly has over 10 years of experience in the technology industry and previously worked for Microsoft in advertising, beginning in 2008 as General Manager of Ad Networks.
The recent funding is being led by Madrona Venture Group and the service will be rolled out nationwide as of Monday, April 9, 2012.
The service works by uniting travelers with a pet sitter in their area. After creating a free profile on the Rover.com website, users can browse hundreds of homes that will host their dog. After finding the desired sitter, the pet owner and sitter may make arrangements for a visit of the home. Rover.com is free of charge but the cost of pet sitting can be secured using a credit card or PayPal account. Sitters are able to create a profile, upload photos, establish rates, and let pet owners know what type of dogs they will host in their home.
According to Vator News, Rover.com estimates that the commercial dog boarding market is worth about $6.5 billion annually, with numbers staggeringly higher further north of Seattle.
The founder of Rover.com is Greg Gottesman, who developed the idea after a frightening experience with a local kennel. In addition to working at Rover.com, Gottesman is a Managing Director at Madrona Venture Group in the Pacific Northwest. He has authored three books and is adjunct faculty member at the University of Washington Business School.
For more information about Rover.com, visit www.rover.com.
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