{{Infobox company | name = UrbanSitter | logo = Urbansitter_trans_logo.png | logo_caption = | industry = Social networking, child care, caregiving | foundation = San Francisco, California ({{Start date|2010|12|01}}) | founder = Lynn Perkins, Andrea Barrett, Daisy Downs, Hadar Wissotzky | locations = 12 cities throughout United States | key_people = {{UBL |Jessica Steel (President and Board Member) |John Balen (Board Member) |Cynthia Ringo (Board Member) |Rob Hayes (Board Observer) |Lance Barton (Board Observer)}}<ref name="steele">{{cite web |url=http://allthingsd.com/20131017/former-pandora-exec-jessica-steel-named-president-of-urbansitter/|title=Former Pandora Exec Jessica Steel Named President of UrbanSitter|publisher=All Things D|accessdate=May 11, 2014}}</ref><ref name="balen">{{cite web |url=http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/blog/2012/10/urban-sitter-raises-6-million.html|title=Urban Sitter raises $6 million|publisher=San Francisco Business Times|accessdate=May 11, 2014}}</ref><ref name="ringo">{{cite web |url=http://upstart.bizjournals.com/money/loot/2014/02/14/urbansitter-gets-15m-in-fundin.html?page=all|title=It's Valentine's Day date night and UrbanSitter just got $15M|publisher=Upstart Business Journal|accessdate=May 11, 2014}}</ref><ref name="hayes">{{cite web |url=https://www.forbes.com/profile/rob-hayes-1/|title=#75 Rob Hayes|work=Forbes|accessdate=May 11, 2014}}</ref><ref name="socal">{{cite web |url=http://www.socaltech.com/rustic_canyon_backs_social_babysitting_service_urbansitter/s-0040720.html|title=Rustic Canyon Backs Social Babysitting Service UrbanSitter|publisher=socaltech|accessdate=May 11, 2014}}</ref> | num_employees = 23 | num_employees_year = | homepage = {{URL|urbansitter.com}} }}
'''UrbanSitter''' is a San Francisco-based online service and mobile app that allows parents to search for, book, pay, review, and recommend babysitters and nannies. UrbanSitter integrates with Facebook Connect and an internal database, allowing parents to view babysitters hired and reviewed by their Facebook friends and parents from children's schools, sports teams, and local parenting organizations.
The company's online booking technology lets parents search for babysitters by specific time and date and schedule a booking. Alternatively, parents can post a job to a virtual job board. {{As of |2014}}, the company had raised a total of $22.75 million in venture funding.<ref name="time">{{cite magazine |url=https://business.time.com/2013/04/25/need-a-babysitter-in-a-pinch-theres-an-app-for-that/?xid=rss-topstories|title=Need a Babysitter in a Pinch? There's an App for That|magazine=Time|date=25 April 2013 |access-date=May 11, 2014|last1=Luckerson |first1=Victor }}</ref><ref name="mercurynews">{{cite web |url=http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_22957241|title=UrbanSitter, other sites help parents find caregivers for their kids|work=San Jose Mercury News|date=4 April 2013 |accessdate=May 11, 2014}}</ref><ref name="forbes" /><ref name="techcrunch" /><ref name="usatoday">{{cite web |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/personal/2014/03/16/top-tech-gadgets-and-apps-for-frazzled-parents/6217465/|title=10 top tech gadgets and apps for frazzled parents|publisher=USA Today|accessdate=May 11, 2014}}</ref><ref name="cbsnews">{{cite web |url=http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/urbansitter-app-gives-birth-to-new-child-care-idea/|title=UrbanSitter app gives birth to new child care idea|publisher=CBS News|accessdate=May 11, 2014}}</ref>
==History== UrbanSitter's founders conceived of the idea for the service in order to create an easier, faster, more personal way to book childcare.<ref name="entrepreneur" /><ref name="sfbusinesstimes">{{cite web |url=http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/print-edition/2013/11/29/urbansitter-lets-parents-out-to-play.html|title=UrbanSitter lets parents out to play|publisher=San Francisco Business Times|access-date=May 11, 2014}}</ref> CEO Lynn Perkins remarked in a GigaOM article that "I just thought it was kind of ridiculous that you could go to OpenTable and book a restaurant, but when you actually go to find a sitter, it would take you hours and days." Perkins and three co-founders launched UrbanSitter in 2010 with services in the San Francisco Bay Area.<ref name="sfbusinesstimes" /><ref name="businesstimes">{{cite web |url=http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/blog/2013/12/urbansitter-new-years-eve-startup.html?page=all|title=UrbanSitter CEO talks about busiest day of the year|publisher=San Francisco Business Times|access-date=May 11, 2014}}</ref><ref name="wallstreetjournal">{{cite web |url=https://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304815004579419240208055478|title=What's in Your Bag? With Lynn Perkins|publisher=The Wall Street Journal|access-date=May 11, 2014}}</ref> The company raised a total of $7.75 million in seed and Series A funding between 2011 and 2012.<ref name="mercurynews" /><ref name="forbes" /><ref name="entrepreneur" /><ref name="gigaom">{{cite web |url=http://gigaom.com/2012/06/20/babysitting-2-0-credit-card-payments-and-online-bookings/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120620230703/http://gigaom.com/2012/06/20/babysitting-2-0-credit-card-payments-and-online-bookings/|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 20, 2012|title=Babysitting 2.0: credit-card payments and online bookings|publisher=GigaOM|accessdate=May 11, 2014}}</ref><ref name="sanfranciscochronicle">{{cite web |url=http://www.sfgate.com/business/article/UrbanSitter-matches-parents-with-caregivers-online-3381406.php|title=UrbanSitter matches parents with caregivers online|date=5 March 2012 |publisher=San Francisco Chronicle|accessdate=May 11, 2014}}</ref><ref name="allthingsd">{{cite web |url=http://allthingsd.com/20120123/urbansitters-social-baby-sitting-service-granted-1-75-million-in-allowance/|title=UrbanSitter's Social Babysitting Service Granted $1.75 Million in Allowance|publisher=All Things D|access-date=May 11, 2014}}</ref><ref name="parenting">{{cite web |url=http://www.parenting.com/article/navigating-babysitting-websites?src=SOC&dom=tw|title=Navigating Babysitting Websites|publisher=Parenting|accessdate=May 11, 2014}}</ref><ref name="wallstreetjournal2">{{cite web |url=https://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304831304579544422380463420?tesla=y&mg=reno64-wsj|title=More Teenage Boys Get Jobs as Baby Sitters, Find Parents Are Fans|publisher=The Wall Street Journal|date=May 7, 2014|access-date=May 11, 2014}}</ref>
Since founding, the service has grown to 12 cities throughout the United States, including, among others, San Francisco, New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Seattle.<ref name="wallstreetjournal" /><ref name="wired" /><ref name="businessweek" /> UrbanSitter has approximately 170,000 babysitting jobs<ref name="businessweek" /> and a user base of 70,000 parents and 30,000 sitters as of February 2014.<ref name="techcrunch">{{cite web |url=https://techcrunch.com/2014/02/14/urbansitter-raises-15m-to-harness-the-power-of-social-recommendations-in-child-care/|title=UrbanSitter Raises $15M To Harness The Power Of Social Recommendations In Child Care|date=14 February 2014 |publisher=TechCrunch|access-date=May 11, 2014}}</ref><ref name="wallstreetjournal" /><ref name="businessweek" /> ''Forbes'' reported that UrbanSitter saw an "increase in clients and bookings of between 20% and 30% per month" throughout 2012 and 2013.<ref name="forbes">{{cite web |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/karstenstrauss/2013/06/21/urbansitter-looks-to-spread-to-atlanta-and-austin/|title=UrbanSitter Looks To Spread To Atlanta And Austin|work=Forbes|access-date=May 11, 2014}}</ref>
In December 2013 the company announced that former Pandora executive Jessica Steel would become UrbanSitter's new president.<ref name="upstart">{{cite web |url=http://upstart.bizjournals.com/entrepreneurs/hot-shots/2013/10/21/meet-mom-ceo-behind-urbansitter.html?page=all|title=Date night? UrbanSitter's mom CEO has your friend-approved babysitters|publisher=Upstart Business Journal|access-date=May 11, 2014}}</ref>
In February 2014 UrbanSitter raised a $15 million Series B funding round.<ref name="techcrunch" /><ref name="businessweek">{{cite news |url=http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-02-13/baby-sitting-marketplace-urbansitter-raises-15-million|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140214043412/http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-02-13/baby-sitting-marketplace-urbansitter-raises-15-million|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 14, 2014|title=Baby-Sitting Marketplace UrbanSitter Raises $15 Million|newspaper=Bloomberg.com |date=14 February 2014 |publisher=Bloomberg Businessweek|access-date=May 11, 2014}}</ref> The investment was led by DBL Investors and included participation from Match Group, a division of IAC, Aspect Ventures, Canaan Partners, First Round Capital, Menlo Ventures, and Rustic Canyon Partners.<ref name="techcrunch" />
==Services== Through its website and mobile application, UrbanSitter allows users to vet potential babysitters and nannies, establish regularly scheduled sittings, and find last-minute sitters.<ref name="pregnancymagazine">{{cite web |url=http://www.pregnancymagazine.com/buyers-guide/organizing-tools/urbansitter-an-online-booking-network-for-babysitters|title=Urbansitter: an Online Booking Network for Babysitters|date=18 August 2013 |publisher=Pregnancy Magazine|accessdate=May 11, 2014}}</ref> UrbanSitter leverages social networks by allowing its software platform to search through a user's Facebook connections via Facebook connect and other local parenting organizations via an internal database, letting parents search for babysitters that have been reviewed by friends or connections within social circles.<ref name="forbes" /><ref name="techcrunch" /><ref name="entrepreneur">{{cite web |url=http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/223497#|title=Mom's Startup Success Story: 'Open Table' Reservation Service for Babysitters|date=24 May 2012 |publisher=Entrepreneur|accessdate=May 11, 2014}}</ref><ref name="gigaom" /><ref name="thenextweb">{{cite web |url=https://thenextweb.com/apps/2012/02/27/urbansitter-leverages-your-social-graph-to-find-you-a-trustworthy-babysitter/|title=UrbanSitter leverages your social graph to find you a trustworthy babysitter|date=27 February 2012 |publisher=The Next Web|accessdate=May 11, 2014}}</ref><ref name="pandodaily">{{cite web |url=http://pando.com/2012/09/19/kid-driving-you-nuts-right-now-urbansitter-has-a-new-app-for-that/|title=Kid Driving You Nuts Right Now? UrbanSitter Has a New App for That|publisher=PandoDaily|accessdate=May 11, 2014}}</ref><ref name="allthingsd2">{{cite web |url=http://allthingsd.com/20110916/urbansitter-puts-finding-a-babysitter-into-social-context/|title=UrbanSitter Puts Finding a Babysitter Into Social Context|publisher=All Things D|accessdate=May 11, 2014}}</ref>
Transactions are processed in cash or by credit card, with UrbanSitter charging parents a transactional or membership fee in some areas.<ref name="time" /><ref name="mercurynews" /><ref name="gigaom" />
===Features=== UrbanSitter allows both parents and babysitters to create user accounts for free.<ref name="forbes" /> Parents can view sitter reviews,<ref name="time" /> pictures, videos, availability, hourly rates, as well as how many repeat customers a sitter has had, then schedule interviews and jobs with sitters by paying a pay-as-you-go fee or by subscribing to a monthly or annual membership.<ref name="forbes" /><ref name="techcrunch" /> Search results can be filtered by a sitter's desired skills, certifications (such as CPR certification), experience, educational background, and response time.<ref name="forbes" /><ref name="techcrunch" /><ref name="wired">{{cite magazine |url=https://www.wired.com/2012/10/urbansitter-finds-you-a-babysitter-in-hours/|title=Bringing Babysitting Into the iPhone Era|magazine=Wired|accessdate=May 11, 2014|last1=Mitroff |first1=Sarah }}</ref> Babysitters can find and accept jobs for free or subscribe to a monthly or annual membership to receive a background check as well as other features. Approximately 20% of UrbanSitter sitters undergo third-party background checks.<ref name="time" />
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * [http://urbansitter.com Urbansitter.com]
Category:Internet properties established in 2010 Category:Companies based in San Francisco