London-based beauty and wellness software startup Fresha has secured $80 million in funding from private equity firm KKR, pushing its valuation beyond $1 billion and granting it unicorn status, according to sifted.eu. The company plans to use the new capital to expand internationally and enhance its AI-powered tools.
Founded in 2015 by William Zeqiri and Nicholas Miller, Fresha offers appointment booking, payments, and business management software tailored for salons, spas, and wellness operators. The platform currently serves over 130,000 businesses worldwide across hair, beauty, barbering, fitness, and aesthetics sectors. It facilitates more than 35 million appointments monthly and processes over $15 billion in annual gross merchandise volume. This latest funding round raises Fresha’s total capital raised to $285 million.
This investment highlights growing investor confidence in vertical AI software businesses within the beauty and wellness industry. Fresha’s profitability and strong market presence in the UK, Australasia, and the Gulf, alongside its expansion into North America, continental Europe, and Southeast Asia, position it as a significant player in a competitive market. The deal reflects broader trends of private equity backing in tech startups that combine AI with niche service sectors.
Fresha intends to deploy the fresh capital to accelerate its international growth and deepen its AI capabilities. The company’s next milestones will likely focus on expanding its footprint in new regions and enhancing its platform’s technological sophistication to maintain its competitive edge in the global beauty and wellness software market, according to sifted.eu.