Google has never been afraid to diversify its business, something that the company has reminded us of time and time again. The latest reminder comes in the form of a batch of employees from Homejoy, a startup that connects users with professional house cleaners. These twenty employees, which made up the startup’s product team, are joining Google as Homejoy prepares to kick the bucket thanks to some very Uber-esque lawsuits regarding the definition of “employee.”
Google is preparing to stomp into yet another market: Home services. To do so, the search giant is scooping up the technical team behind Homejoy, the startup that connected online users with professional cleaners. As Re/code reported today, Homejoy will cease operations at the end of the month in the wake of multiple employee reclassification lawsuits. Around 20 members of Homejoy’s product and engineering team will be joining Google to build out the company’s technology for matching local professionals — lawn mowers, painters, plumbers, cleaners and the like — with online users, according to sources. Google confirmed that it was hiring a portion of Homejoy’s staff, but declined to comment further. Homejoy didn’t respond to request for comment. Sources said Homejoy’s current platform will be shuttered. Homejoy had amassed a $40 million war chest in funding, from investors including Google Ventures. The startup’s primary business involves taking a cut of the transaction of the home service connections it orchestrated.