Leading marketplace platform for beauty and wellness, Fresha has secured a $31 million venture debt facility from J.P. Morgan, to accelerate its expansion into new markets and drive growth of its ML capabilities and AI-powered robotics.

The platform has experienced 70% growth year-over-year in Australia, with five million unique sessions across web and app traffic.

In Australia, Fresha has over 12,000 partners and 16,000 across the APAC region. This investment will see the team grow from 30 to 40 people by the end of the year, to help service the 40,000 staff members on Fresha receiving bookings, as well as expand into wellness, class-based businesses and medical practices.

Fresha’s platform empowers beauty businesses, such as salons, barbershops, spas, and aesthetics clinics, to operate efficiently and independently, by offering a subscription-free business software with embedded payment processing and a consumer marketplace.

Consumers can discover, book, and pay for beauty and wellness appointments with local businesses through the Fresha marketplace. Beauty and wellness professionals benefit from an all-in-one platform that includes free business software and financial technology solutions including appointment bookings, point-of-sale, customer records management, marketing automation, loyalty programs, beauty product inventory, and team management.  

The marketplace leverages online bookings and automated marketing through mobile apps and advanced integrations with major platforms, including Instagram, Facebook, and Google, unlocking significant revenue potential for partner businesses.

Fresha founder and CEO, William Zeqiri said, “We are thrilled to be working with J.P. Morgan. The beauty and wellness industry is a dynamic world, buzzing with creativity, innovation, and an endless quest for service enhancement.

“Beauty service providers need a 360-degree view of each client, including booking behaviour, preferences, payment methods, and lifetime value. Extracting insights from every transaction has become a key competitive advantage, allowing our users to offer highly tailored and personalised services.

“The next frontier for Fresha is expanding our research and development in machine learning and integrating AI into daily business operations. By embracing cutting-edge technology, we are not just enhancing our services; we are creating opportunities and redefining what’s possible.”

J.P. Morgan UK innovation economy banking, Alexandra Wyatt added, “We’re delighted to support Fresha on their continued growth journey. Fresha is steering the rapidly expanding beauty and wellness space with its innovative technology and strong unit economics. Their unique business model is transforming the industry landscape, and it’s precisely the type of innovation we want to help drive globally.”