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§ Private Profile · 231 S La Salle St Ste 2100, Chicago, Illinois, 60604, United States
Sittercity is a technology company.
Sittercity operates an online marketplace connecting families and individuals with diverse in-home care providers. Its platform facilitates the search and hiring of caregivers like babysitters, nannies, and senior care professionals. Leveraging technology, Sittercity streamlines finding trustworthy local care, offering an accessible digital solution for various needs.
Genevieve Thiers founded Sittercity in 2001, driven by her personal challenge to find reliable childcare. A Northwestern alumna, Thiers recognized a significant need for a modern, efficient way to connect with caregivers. She pioneered this tech-enabled platform, replacing traditional, cumbersome methods with a transparent, digital solution.
The platform serves a broad customer base, primarily families seeking childcare, alongside individuals and corporate employees needing diverse care. Sittercity's mission focuses on building trusted connections, emphasizing quality and safety. The company envisions a future where finding reliable, personalized in-home care is seamless for everyone.
Sittercity has raised $58.0M across 6 funding rounds.
Sittercity has raised $58.0M in total across 6 funding rounds.
Sittercity has raised $58.0M across 6 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $13.0M Other Equity in November 2013.
Sittercity is a Chicago-based technology company that operates an online marketplace connecting families with babysitters, nannies, pet sitters, housekeepers, tutors, and senior caregivers.[2][3][8] It serves busy parents and caregivers nationwide by simplifying the search, booking, and payment for trusted in-home care through a subscription-based platform, addressing the core problem of inefficient childcare matching in a fragmented market.[1][3][5] Pioneering tech-enabled childcare since 2001, Sittercity has connected millions of families, grown through bootstrapping and acquisitions, and was acquired by Bright Horizons in 2020, maintaining momentum with innovations like vetted caregiver networks and on-demand services.[2][4][6]
Sittercity was founded in 2001 by Genevieve Thiers, a Boston College student and experienced babysitter from a large family, who spotted the need after seeing a pregnant woman post fliers for sitters on campus.[4] With zero funding post-dot-com crash, Thiers enlisted college friends to build the site and distributed 20,000 fliers across campuses to bootstrap an initial sitter pool, launching first in Chicago before going national within three years.[4][5] The company raised over $20 million in 2011 for expansion, acquired competitor Sitters.com, and evolved its platform for subscriptions and fraud-resistant billing.[2][5] Acquired by Bright Horizons in 2020 (after partnering since 2013), it saw leadership shifts with Elizabeth Harz as CEO around 2019 and Zenobia Moochala taking over in 2021.[1][2][3][6]
Sittercity rides the gig economy and on-demand services trend in family care, amplified by pandemic-driven demand for flexible, in-home alternatives to schools and daycare.[6] Its timing capitalized on early internet adoption for local services post-2001, evolving with mobile apps and AI matching amid labor shortages in caregiving.[3][4] Market forces like dual-income households, remote work, and childcare crises favor its model, influencing the ecosystem by setting standards for vetted marketplaces (e.g., competing with Care.com) and partnering with employers via Bright Horizons for scalable benefits.[2][7][8] As a bootstrapped innovator turned subsidiary, it demonstrates how tech platforms can professionalize essential services, inspiring similar ventures in eldercare and pet services.
Sittercity's integration with Bright Horizons positions it for expanded corporate benefits and nationwide scaling of Chime-like on-demand features, leveraging data from millions of matches for AI-driven personalization.[3][4][6] Trends like hybrid work, aging populations, and caregiver shortages will propel growth, potentially through international expansion or advanced vetting tech. Its influence may evolve from pioneer to category leader in family care platforms, solidifying "making childcare finally work" amid economic pressures on parents—echoing its origins in solving a simple yet universal pain point with enduring technology.[1][8]
Sittercity has raised $58.0M in total across 6 funding rounds.
Sittercity's investors include Apex Venture Partners, Baird Capital, David Lissy, I2A Fund, PJC, Pritzker Group Venture Capital, Square 1 Bank, State of Wisconsin Investment Board, Accomplice VC, Alumni Ventures, Anderson Angels, Bascom Ventures.