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§ Private Profile · Selangor, Selangor, Malaysia
e-marketplace platform connecting consumers with vetted service providers for home and personal local services in Southeast Asia.
Kaodim Group was a regional e-marketplace platform that connected consumers with vetted service providers for various everyday needs across Southeast Asia. The company facilitated services such as plumbing, cleaning, and event planning, aiming to support small and medium-sized businesses while improving service accessibility. It attracted over 350,000 service providers to its platform and raised a total of US$11.6 million in venture capital funding across three rounds. Lead investors included 500 Startups, BEENEXT, East Ventures, and Venturra Capital. Kaodim Group ceased operations on July 1, 2022, after seven years in the market. It was founded in 2014 by Choong Fui-Yu and Jeffri Cheong. Its business model centers on commission-based marketplace model, earning revenue by facilitating connections between consumers and service providers, funded by venture capital with US$11.6 million raised across three rounds.
Kaodim Group has raised $11.0M across 2 funding rounds.
Kaodim Group has raised $11.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Kaodim Group was a technology company that operated as a leading online home services marketplace in Southeast Asia, primarily serving Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, and the Philippines. It built a platform that connected users with a wide range of home service providers—from plumbers to photographers—allowing customers to post service requests and receive competitive quotes, thereby solving the problem of unreliable and inefficient service sourcing. At its peak, Kaodim facilitated over 150,000 transactions and raised approximately USD 17.6 million in funding, becoming a recognized name in the regional home services space[1][2][4].
Founded in 2014 by Fui Yu and others, Kaodim emerged from the insight that consumers struggled to find trustworthy home service providers without spending excessive time or relying solely on word-of-mouth. The company quickly gained traction, hitting USD 10 million in sales within four months and expanding across Southeast Asia by 2019. However, despite early success and strong investor backing from firms like 500 Startups and East Ventures, Kaodim faced rising operational costs and severe disruptions from the COVID-19 pandemic, which ultimately led to its shutdown in July 2022[2][3].
Kaodim rode the wave of digital transformation in Southeast Asia’s service economy, addressing a common pain point in emerging markets where informal service procurement was the norm. The timing aligned with increasing smartphone penetration and consumer demand for convenience and transparency. The platform contributed to formalizing and digitizing the home services sector, influencing how service providers and consumers interacted in the region. However, the pandemic exposed vulnerabilities in operational scalability and adaptability, highlighting the challenges startups face in volatile markets[2][3].
Although Kaodim ceased operations in 2022, its story offers valuable lessons on agility and resilience in startup ecosystems. Future ventures in the home services space can build on Kaodim’s model by emphasizing flexibility, diversified revenue streams, and robust crisis management. The ongoing digitalization of service marketplaces in Southeast Asia remains a strong trend, suggesting that successors or new entrants can capitalize on the foundation Kaodim helped establish, especially as consumer expectations for seamless, reliable service continue to grow[2][3].
Kaodim’s rise and fall encapsulate both the promise and peril of tech-enabled marketplaces in emerging markets, underscoring the importance of adaptability alongside innovation.
Kaodim Group has raised $11.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Kaodim Group's investors include Square Peg Capital, SIG Venture Capital, 500 Startups, East Ventures, KK Fund, Venturra Capital, Beenext.
Kaodim Group has raised $11.0M across 2 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $7.0M Series B in November 2017.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 1, 2017 | $7M Series B | Square PEG Capital, SIG Venture Capital | 500 Startups, East Ventures, KK Fund, Venturra Capital | Announced |
| Nov 18, 2015 | $4M Series A | Venturra Capital | 500 Startups, Beenext, East Ventures | Announced |