Handy vs H&M (Hennes & Mauritz)

About

Handy is an on-demand home services marketplace connecting consumers with professional house cleaners, handymen, plumbers, electricians, and other home service providers through a mobile app and website. Founded in 2012 by Oisin Hanrahan and Umang Dua in Boston, Handy raised approximately $111 million before being acquired by ANGI Homeservices (Angi Inc.) in 2018 for approximately $47 million. The acquisition made Handy the booking and marketplace technology layer within Angi's (NASDAQ: ANGI) broader home services marketplace ecosystem.\n\nHandy's platform focuses on recurring home cleaning as its core product — customers book weekly or biweekly cleanings with vetted, background-checked cleaning professionals at flat rates with instant online booking and guaranteed service quality. The handyman service covers furniture assembly, TV mounting, light fixture installation, and other small home tasks. Handy manages the payment, scheduling, and customer service relationship, while professionals receive predictable work streams through the platform.\n\nIn 2025, Handy operates within Angi's (formerly IAC's home services division) portfolio, which also includes HomeAdvisor and Angi (the rebranded marketplace). The home services marketplace category has faced profitability challenges — both Handy and the broader Angi platform struggle with the fundamental economics of marketplace businesses in labor markets where contractors prefer direct customer relationships after initial platform introductions. Handy competes with Thumbtack, TaskRabbit, and local cleaning company apps for on-demand home services. The 2025 strategy focuses on Handy's e-commerce partnerships (selling home services through Home Depot and Wayfair product listings as an add-on to product purchases) as a differentiated acquisition channel.