Oneflare

About Oneflare

Oneflare Pty Ltd operates as a prominent online marketplace in Australia, connecting consumers with a wide array of local service professionals. Founded in 2011 by Marcus Lim and Adam Dong, the platform was born from Lim's personal frustration in finding a reliable tradesperson for a home repair. Leveraging their backgrounds, with Lim having worked in investment banking at J.P. Morgan and Dong in software engineering, they set out to create a more efficient and trustworthy way for Australians to hire local services.

The company's core business revolves around generating qualified leads for service professionals, or 'businesses', who subscribe to the platform. Consumers post a job request on the Oneflare website or app, detailing their specific needs. The platform's system then matches these requests with suitable local businesses based on their skills, location, and availability. These businesses can then quote on the jobs, paying a fee for the introduction, which constitutes a primary revenue stream. This 'pay-per-lead' model provides a direct and measurable return on investment for the service providers on the platform.

Strategically expanding its market presence, Oneflare has made key acquisitions. In 2014, the company acquired Renovate Forum, Australia's largest online renovation community, integrating a highly engaged audience of home improvement enthusiasts. This was followed in early 2015 by the acquisition of Word of Mouth Online (WOMO), the country's largest business ratings and reviews website, which significantly enhanced the platform's credibility and user-generated content. Another significant milestone was the merger with Melbourne-based competitor hipages in a deal valued at approximately $118 million, creating a dominant force in the Australian online home services sector.

The platform serves a dual-sided market: Australian households and individuals in need of services, and a diverse range of over 100,000 registered local businesses seeking work. The services covered are extensive, spanning from home maintenance and cleaning to event planning and professional services like accounting. For consumers, the key benefit is the convenience of receiving multiple competitive quotes from vetted professionals, complete with past customer reviews. For businesses, Oneflare offers a direct channel to a steady stream of potential customers, simplifying their marketing efforts and helping them grow their operations.