Amazon In Talks For Stake In Bangalore's Local Handyman Services Startup Housejoy: Report

BANGALORE, India -- Amazon.com, Inc. is in advanced talks for a stake in city startup Housejoy.in, a local on-demand handyman provider, the Economic Times reported Friday, citing three people with knowledge of the plans. The southern city of Bangalore is well established as India's tech and startup hub.

Amazon could lead a clutch of investors in a funding round that could raise between $15 million and $20 million at Housejoy, backed by Growth Story, the organization through which Bangalore’s serial entrepreneur couple Meena and Krishnan Ganesh support startups, and venture capital firm Matrix Partners, the newspaper reported.

Krishnan Ganesh declined to comment when contacted by International Business Times through a company spokesman. An Amazon spokeswoman declined to comment.

From fixing electrical blowouts to changing rusted T-valves, getting a facial to boosting your laptop’s RAM, Housejoy says it can send experienced professionals to your doorstep at your convenience. Just use their mobile app or log on to their website, choose a service, pick a time and pay once the work is done, according to the startup's website.

Amazon and its Indian e-commerce rivals such as Bangalore's Flipkart have contributed to making the country’s growing mobile Internet user base increasingly comfortable with ordering services online and paying for them with mobile wallets and other electronic options. Amazon’s interest in Housejoy reflects the gradual maturing of that ecosystem, which is moving beyond buying gadgets to ordering a growing list of local services.

Amazon's investment in two other startups in India is publicly known -- Qwikcilver Solutions, which provides the technology for businesses, including Amazon in India, to sell gift vouchers, and more recently BankBazaar, an online loan facilitator.

If an investment in Housejoy materializes, the money raised will help the Bangalore startup expand into more cities and develop its products further, one of the people told the newspaper.