The race to create the perfect home setup service is on, as Just Move In raises $5M – TechCrunch

In recent years startups have turned their attention to what’s known as ‘home setup services’. This is where utilities and moving-in are all aggregated into one package which is managed digitally, (hopefully), making two whole moving home process a lot easier and a lot less stressful.

Updater in the US launched over 10 years ago and is managing a decent percentage of American home moves. It’s also raised $467.5M to date. Others include Onadd.io and MovingHub, which emerged from from New Zealand, and just launched in the UK.

Home setup service start-up Just Move In – which covers both sales and rentals – launched in the UK, but has quickly made gains as it attacked the market in a thoroughly holistic manner.

Using the platform, a mover can manage council, water, sewerage, energy, and broadband in a single environment (not going out to 3rd party sites), and it’s also adding insurance and removals imminently, as well as integrating its service via API into the journey(s) of conveyancing firms, banks, and other kinds of fintechs. It even includes removals and storage company recommendations. See what I mean by holistic?

The UK-based startup has now raised a new funding round totaling $5 million (£4 million) led by Longbrook Ventures and Love Ventures. Also participating was Mountside Ventures, alongside a crowdfunding round with follow-on investments from angels Simon Rogerson and Chris Hulatt, the two co-founders of Octopus Group. John Browett, the former CEO of Dixons – and now Just Move In Chairman – has also invested.

Just Move now counts UK property giants Hamptons, Openrent, and Pickfords among its clients.

Movers are supported by ‘Move Specialists’, but the platform is increasingly automated, streamlining the registration and payment process with suppliers.  

Just Move In co-founder Ross Nichols said in a statement: “Moving home is one of the most stressful things you’ll ever do, and on average, we each move home 11 times during the course of our lives. Just Move In exists to make moving home hassle-free.”

Nichols previously founded property tech start-up RoomFlick, while co-founder Tom Old was at Disruptive Ltd – owner of two global iPhone accessory brands, GEAR4 and NudeAudio.

Andrew Gale, Founder of Longbrook Ventures, says: “Just Move In is providing an innovative, frictionless solution to an extremely cumbersome problem that all movers face. I am confident that with this team’s passion and hunger, they will build on the impressive traction already achieved to date and deliver an exceptional outcome for all.”

The startup is also a B-Corp, so, where possible, it partners with ethical businesses and works exclusively with green energy companies, including Octopus Energy. It’s also part of 1% for the Planet, where 1% of its revenue goes to charity.