Cork beauty software firm sold for over €15m
A Cork entrepreneur has sold his hair and beauty software firm WhatSalon to a Canadian company for a fee reported to be more than €15m.
The Jonas Division of Constellation Software Inc bought founder David O’Flynn’s firm, which was set up in 2013 in Cork as a free mobile app for iPhone and Android that allowed users to make last minute, real-time hair and beauty appointments.
The app was aimed at both customers and salon owners offering the change for customers to find what they wanted and for salons to fill empty same day appointments, before evolving to integrate directly into third-party salon software solutions.
WhatSalon was supported by investors that included the North Cork Enterprise Board; Enterprise Ireland; Tolisons Capital; SOS Ventures; and private investors.
The Jonas Division owns a number of leading salon and spa software brands which service up to 45,000 salons and spas globally.
WhatSalon is now in the process of integrating with many of these brands which will allow for the roll out of the platform on a global scale, it said.
Mr O’Flynn will stay on as managing director of WhatSalon ahead of a planned launch to UK consumers in early 2019. Further markets are being considered, the firm said.
The UCC law graduate founded Tolisons Capital, a family office focused on early stage technology businesses, is a former governor of the University of Limerick and former Government-appointed member of Shannon Aviation Business Development Task Force.
