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Gig economy startup for shift-working millennials seals seven-figure seed investment

London-based startup gig, which aims to match millennials with shift-work in London’s hospitality and retail sectors, has raised £1m in seed funding to help fuel its launch this week.

Available on Android and iOS, the recruitment platform puts individuals, dubbed ‘gig seekers’, in touch with employers offering short-term, temporary employment opportunities, with users able to search for opportunities and book themselves on to shifts through the app.

The platform also handles all payment, and claims gig seekers can receive their pay within 24 hours of completing a shift.

Founded by Antony Woodcock, the startup taps into the prevailing gig economy trend defined by the likes of Uber and Deliveroo, and gives hospitality and retail venues the option of hiring an ‘on-demand’ workforce.

Inspiration for the app came from Woodcock’s previous venture running high street sushi chain Maki with his brother, where he faced difficulties hiring shift workers.

Woodcock explained: “We always talk about 9 to 5 being so last century. Millennials are used to and seek out things that give them instant gratification.

“gig enables people to wake up one morning, find and book work through the app, complete a shift and then they automatically get their pay within 24 hours - it doesn’t get much more instant than that.

“We also pay holiday pay up front so people will always walk away with that little bit extra in their pocket each week.”

Riaz Ladha, Chairman of Omni Group, which has partnered with gig, added that the ‘traditional temporary recruitment model’ is rapidly becoming an anachronism, and that the startup’s on-demand model is far more in-keeping with the expectations of millennials.

“The millennial generation now wants more flexibility and more immediacy, and gig serves both on a plate,” he said.

The app is launching for hotels, cafes and restaurants in London first before rolling out to other major UK cities later this year.

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