Management app, rodeo, raises £4m in funding to transform gig work

Gig work management app Rodeo has raised $5m (£4m) to support its mission to transform the future of gig work.

The seed round was led by LocalGlobe and supported by Seedcamp and Form Ventures. The investment will enable Rodeo to hire a team to build new tools that put more power into gig workers’ hands.

Rodeo was started in 2021 by Will Day and Alfie Pearce-Higgins to help gig workers manage and maximise their earnings. Will and Alfie have held senior positions at gig platforms, and worked as delivery drivers for all the major delivery companies.

Rodeo’s vision is a fair and sustainable gig economy where workers have easy, transparent access to all available jobs and financial services. The company believes that if gig workers are to be truly independent they need to be able to make informed decisions about when, where and who to work for.

Rodeo will use the funding to build a single operating system where gig workers can manage all their work and finances. The app will be monetised by charging businesses who wish to offer work opportunities and financial services to Rodeo’s users.

The Rodeo app has already been used by more than 9,000 Deliveroo, Uber Eats, Just Eat and Stuart delivery drivers to track, manage and optimise their earnings. There is also a social feature where users chat with each other, share their experiences and offer advice and support.

Four million people are estimated to work in the UK’s ‘gig’ sector, which includes taxi driving, deliveries, office work, design, software development, cleaning and household repairs.

The gig sector has been subject to criticism over data transparency and workers’ rights. Deliveroo is currently facing a Supreme Court challenge over riders’ rights. In 2021 Spain brought out tough new regulation which has resulted in heavy fines for some platforms. A new EU proposal threatens the classification of gig workers.

Emma Phillips, partner at LocalGlobe, said: “Rodeo has come up with an innovative solution that will help delivery drivers to work more efficiently and maximise their rewards for their hard work. We are excited to support the team in taking the gig worker experience to the next level.

Alfie Pearce-Higgins, co-founder of gig work management app Rodeo, said: “We’re on a mission to make life better for gig workers, and this funding round will enable us to help hundreds of thousands of hard-working drivers.

“Many of our users like the independence and flexibility that gig work provides. But for this to be sustainable we believe gig workers need greater visibility of their work so that they can make informed choices and manage their finances. Rodeo helps to solve these problems.”

By Mark Adair – Correspondent, Bdaily

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