BackMakers of ManageMySpa to launch consumer app
The app will allow users to check waiting times, book appointments and make cashless transactions
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Hyderabad: Soham Inc., which operates ManageMySpa, a cloud-based technology platform for the beauty and wellness industry, will introduce a consumer-facing product later this month as the company entrenches itself deeper in the ecosystem.
The location-based, app-only product will be the Uber of the spa and salon space, allowing users to check waiting times and availability of slots, get distance estimates, book appointments and make cashless transactions, Sudheer Koneru, co-founder and chief executive officer of Soham, said.
The product, Take 5 Today, will be formally unveiled at an industry event in Mumbai on 28 September. The app will initially work in Hyderabad and Mumbai followed by Bengaluru and Pune in two-three weeks, Koneru said.
The consumer app will leverage Soham’s enterprise software that runs across major spa and salon chains in the country. ManageMySpa’s clients include chains such as Kaya Skin Clinic, Naturals, Dessange, Saks, Jean Claude Biguine, O2 Spa, Apollo Life and b:blunt.
The company has access to the time slots of salons and spas that use its enterprise software, making it a natural fit for the consumer app.
Along with the launch of the app, Soham will also rebrand its enterprise solution, ManageMySpa, that’s used by more than 5,000 centres in 26 countries. The rebranded entity will be introduced in Mumbai.
Although ManageMySpa has its origins as a software-as-a-service (SaaS) technology platform for spas, the founders realized later that the solution was as applicable to salons, fitness centres and even chains that run dance classes. The name change will be a reflection of that, Koneru explained.
Seattle-based Soham, which so far has focused on big chains, will use the consumer app, Take 5 Today, to lure stand-alone spas and salons to use its expensive enterprise solution.
“We are going to use Take 5 to get more customers for ManageMySpa," Koneru said. The company hopes smaller chains and stand-alone outlets will see the advantage of customer acquisition through the app, which relies on information provided by its enterprise software, ManageMySpa.
The company has been talking to smaller businesses over the past two months in preparation for the launch of Take 5 Today.
The consumer app will be later introduced in West Asia, Southeast Asia and the US, where it has a significant presence.
Soham, which raised $6 million in a round led by Accel Partners in July, will initially dedicate about $500,000 to launch the consumer app and hire employees. It will run the business-to-business (B2B) and consumer-facing divisions separately.
It will double headcount to 250 over the next nine months, mainly in the consumer-facing business, which has the “biggest growth and opportunity". The company is working towards raising around $20 million in January to “expand B2B business in a significant way," according to Koneru.
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