Fresha Hits Unicorn Status with $80M KKR Investment

Jan de Vries · 2026-05-22

Fresha, a London-based AI-powered marketplace and business management platform for the beauty and wellness industry, has just announced an $80 million primary growth investment from funds managed by KKR, a global investment firm. That's right, a cool $80 million. This deal values Fresha at over $1 billion, officially making it a unicorn. The company has now raised a total of $285 million. And here's the kicker: Fresha is already profitable. So they're not just burning cash—they're actually making money. The new funding will be used to accelerate global expansion and fuel next-generation product and AI innovation. That's a smart move. ### What Fresha Does Founded in 2015 by William Zeqiri and Nick Miller, Fresha is an AI-powered booking platform for the beauty, wellness, and self-care industry. Think of it as a one-stop shop for both consumers and businesses. For consumers, Fresha offers a platform to discover, book, and pay for beauty and wellness services with top local professionals. Need a haircut? A massage? A nail appointment? Fresha's got you covered. For businesses, Fresha provides an all-in-one platform that streamlines operations. This includes appointment management, client engagement, and more. It's like having a virtual assistant for your salon or spa. ### The Numbers Behind Fresha Fresha is used by over 130,000 beauty and wellness businesses globally. That's a lot of salons. The platform facilitates more than 35 million appointments per month. Yes, you read that right—35 million. And it generates over $15 billion in annual gross merchandise value (GMV). - Over 130,000 businesses using the platform - 35 million appointments per month - $15 billion in annual GMV - Revenue run-rate over $140 million - Growing at over 60% annually Fresha holds the number-one position in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It also has approximately a 45% market share in Australasia. The company is expanding across continental Europe, North America, Southeast Asia, Africa, and the GCC. That's a lot of territory. ### What the Founders Say William Zeqiri, Founder and CEO of Fresha, said, "Reaching unicorn status is a proud milestone, but more importantly, this investment is a strong testament to the trust our partners place in Fresha every day. KKR brings deep experience scaling category-defining technology companies, and their conviction in our vision gives us tremendous confidence as we enter this next chapter." Nicholas Miller, co-founder and Chief Product Officer, added, "From day one, our obsession has been building software that beauty and wellness professionals genuinely love using. Every feature we ship is shaped by the people running these businesses—the salon owners, the stylists, the spa operators." ### Why KKR Invested Patrick Devine, Partner and member of KKR's Tech Growth team, explained, "Fresha has built a differentiated platform, combining software, financial services, and marketplace capabilities with embedded AI, in a way that is deeply integrated into daily operations of beauty and wellness businesses." KKR is a leading global investment firm. They offer alternative asset management as well as capital markets and insurance solutions. KKR is making this investment through its Next Generation Technology Growth strategy. That's a big vote of confidence. ### What This Means for Fresha With this investment, Fresha is well-positioned to continue scaling globally. The demand for modern, vertical-specific technology solutions is growing. And Fresha is right at the forefront. The company plans to invest heavily in AI. They see enormous potential to remove operational friction and unlock new revenue for their partners. That's exciting stuff. So, what's next for Fresha? More growth, more innovation, and more helping beauty and wellness businesses thrive. Keep an eye on this one.