Wikipedia

Booksy

Booksy, Inc.
Company typePrivate
Industry
FoundedJuly 8, 2014; 11 years ago (2014-07-08) in Warsaw, Poland
Founder
  • Stefan Batory
  • Konrad Howard
  • Agnieszka Zembrzycka
  • Tomasz Zembrzycki
Headquarters
Chicago, Illinois
,
U.S.
Area served
  • United States
  • United Kingdom
  • Poland
  • Spain
  • France
  • Mexico
  • Brazil
  • South Africa[2][3]
Key people
Products
  • Booksy
  • Booksy Biz
  • Booksy Med
  • Booksy Marketplace
  • Booksy Payments
  • Booksy Store
Services
Number of employees
700[5] (2024)
Websitebooksy.com

Booksy is a software-as-a-service and marketplace platform company operating in the beauty and wellness industry, founded in Warsaw, Poland in 2014,[6] headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.[5][7][3] Its namesake platform provides appointment scheduling software, client management tools, and payment processing services for hair salons, barbershops, beauty salons, and wellness service providers.[8]

As of 2020, Booksy was available in 25 countries[9] including the United States, United Kingdom, Poland, Spain, Mexico, Brazil, South Africa.[3] and France.[10] In 2024, the platform served over 40 million consumers and 140,000 businesses globally,[11] facilitating 260 million appointments annually worth over $10 billion in transaction value.[12]

History

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Founding and early years (2014–2017)

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Booksy was founded in July 2014[13] by Polish entrepreneurs Stefan Batory and Konrad Howard who adopted a global-first strategy from inception, with their first client based in the United States.[14][15] Batory, a mathematician and ultramarathoner who had previously founded a taxi-hailing app iTaxi,[16] relocated to California to focus on the American market.[2] In the 2000s, he founded a web portal Ahoj.pl, and software company Eo Networks.[17] Howard, a software engineer and user experience designer, had managed e-commerce sites in the United States, United Kingdom, and South Africa.[2] Additional co-founders included Agnieszka and Tomasz Zembrzycki, who had earlier developed a beauty portal Wizaz.pl.[2][17]

The concept for Booksy emerged from Batory's personal frustration as a marathon runner who struggled to schedule appointments with massage therapists while working a full-time job and raising two children.[11] Batory partnered with Howard to develop a solution to eliminate the need for real-time phone coordination.[18] The founders considered multiple service categories, but ultimately focused on beauty and wellness after determining those services offered the best product-market fit.[19]

In September 2015, Booksy secured seed funding of PLN 3 million, achieving a valuation of PLN 20 million.[20] By January 2016, the company employed 80 people and served 5,000 salons with over 20,000 users.[20] The platform recorded 339,000 appointments by November 2015, with 42% of bookings occurring outside business hours.[20] By December 2015, the total financing amounted to PLN 12 million.[20]

In March 2017, Booksy raised a $4.2 million Series A round.[8][21] At the time, the platform was processing 1 million monthly reservations and was valued at $35 million, with over 100 employees.[22] In June 2019, Batory claimed Booksy was used by 15% of Wrocław residents and 10% of Warsaw residents,[23] while its U.S. monthly user base had reached 20% of Uber's reach and 25% of Airbnb's.[23]

Expansion and partnerships (2018–2020)

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In July 2018, Booksy completed a $13.2 million Series B funding round (PLN 49.3 million) led by Piton Capital, with investments including Sebastian Kulczyk's Manta Ray Ventures.[24][25][26] The same month, Booksy acquired its Polish competitor Lavito, which had 400,000 users, and 2,500 salons.[27][28] The combined entity processed 2.5 million global appointments monthly.[27]

In 2019, the platform's client base included high-profile users including Barack Obama's personal barber, Beyoncé's stylist Kimberly Kimble, Neymar's barber, and Nergal's barbershop chain.[29][30] The same year, Booksy partnered with L'Oréal, integrating approximately 900 expert salons in Poland[9][31] and achieving monthly transaction values of 300 million PLN in Poland.[31] At the time, Booksy was facilitating over 2 million appointments monthly with an annualized value of $620 million and serving 4.2 million users globally.[23]

In September 2019, Booksy raised another $28.5 million round (PLN 115 million), which amounted to PLN 200 million in total.[15] The company was valued at $710 million, processing 2.6 million monthly appointments with 5 million users and 300,000 service providers.[15]

During 2020, Booksy expanded into non-beauty sectors, partnering with financial institutions including BNP Paribas,[32][33] Alior Bank,[34] and Crédit Agricole,[26] as well as an electronics retailer X-Kom,[35] and telecom provider Play.[26] In August 2020, Booksy acquired U.S.-based competitor GoPanache, which served 500,000 users.[36][37] By September 2020, Booksy had grown to 7 million users across 25 countries,[9] processing 60-70% more appointments than traditional booking methods.[9]

Consolidation and pandemic response (2020–2021)

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Booksy co-founders Stefan Batory and Konrad Howard on the hair show Premiere Orlando, June 2018

In December 2020, Booksy merged with its largest Polish competitor, Versum (which operated a reservation portal Moment.pl), creating a combined entity with 13 million active consumers and 500 employees.[38][39][40] Versum founders Sebastian Maśka and Paweł Kantyka joined Booksy's management team,[26] with the merger projected to generate 100 million visits valued at 10 billion PLN in 2021.[26]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, in March 2020, Booksy experienced revenue declines of up to 70% in some markets as beauty salons closed,[41] forcing workforce reductions from 350 employees to 180.[40][41] Following the easing of restrictions, the company experienced record demand, with June, July, and August 2020 becoming the company's most profitable months to date.[41] On May 13, 2020, the platform received 500,000 reservation requests within 24 hours of salon reopening announcements.[41] The workforce subsequently grew to 230 employees by mid-2020, expanding to 500 following the Versum merger.[39][41][42]

In January 2021, Booksy completed a $70 million Series C funding round.[41][43][44][45][46] This brought total fundraising to $120 million (PLN 450 million).[47][48] In September 2021, Booksy acquired Genbook, a Sydney-headquartered competitor with U.S. operations serving 22,000 businesses.[41][49] In November 2021, the company acquired French competitor Kiute, which served 10,000 salons and was described as "one of the largest Polish acquisitions abroad."[44][10][50] By the end of 2021, Booksy had reached 20 million users globally[48][10] and employed 1,200 people at its peak.[51]

Growth (2022–present)

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In July 2022, Booksy underwent restructuring to achieve profitability in 2023,[5][51] operating with 700 employees as of 2024.[51] In 2024, Booksy reported revenue of $65.9 million (PLN 260 million), generating over $10 billion in annual platform transaction volume while processing more than 260 million appointments.[12] The company serves over 40 million consumers and over 140,000 businesses globally,[11] with operations focused on five core markets: United States, United Kingdom, Poland, Spain, and France.[3]

In May 2024, Booksy acquired a Polish medical and physiotherapy platform Znajdź Gabinet [Find a Salon], expanding beyond the beauty sector into healthcare services.[52]

Products and services

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Booksy is a software suite that provides appointment-based businesses with a customer relationship management, marketing automation, inventory management, point-of-sale management, financial reporting, the management of commission for employees, and in-app payments.[8][53][54]

Booksy Biz
DeveloperBooksy International
Initial release2014; 12 years ago (2014)
EngineAppointment scheduling software
Platform
Type
LicenseProprietary
Websitebiz.booksy.com

Platform integrations

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Booksy integrates with major social platforms including Google Reserve (appointment booking through Google Search and Google Maps), Instagram, and Yelp.[24][31][60] In May 2019, Booksy was selected as one of four companies to integrate globally with Facebook's Appointments feature, enabling businesses to manage bookings directly through their Facebook pages.[23][29] In November 2025, Booksy integrated their appointment management systems with AI agents[62] including Google Search AI-powered results AI Overviews.[63]

Recognition and awards

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In September 2018, Booksy was named one of the five fastest-growing marketplaces globally by Andreessen Horowitz.[14]

In January 2026, co-founders Batory and Howard received a Wektory award from Pracodawcy RP (Employers of Poland), recognized as "creators of a global platform that revolutionized the services market."[64] In 2024, Booksy was selected to join Endeavor, an global network supporting high-impact entrepreneurs.[56]

References

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  1. ^ Szczepański, Cezary (2021-10-20). "Booksy otworzy biuro w jednym z najwyższych wieżowców w Warszawie" [Booksy will open an office in one of the tallest skyscrapers in Warsaw]. My Company Polska (in Polish). Retrieved 2026-03-02.
  2. ^ a b c d Prewęcka, Karolina (2016-01-27). "Fryzjer umawiany bladym świtem" [Hairdresser appointment at the crack of dawn]. My Company Polska (in Polish). Retrieved 2026-03-02.
  3. ^ a b c d Duszczyk, Michał (2021-11-28). "Stefan Batory: Będziemy rosnąć przez akwizycje, chcemy kupować mniejszych graczy" [Stefan Batory: We will grow through acquisitions, we want to buy smaller players]. Rzeczpospolita (in Polish). Retrieved 2026-03-02.
  4. ^ a b c Gonzalez, Natalia (2024-04-08). "Booksy Bolsters Its Executive Team with Key Hires from Tech Giants". Booksy blog. Retrieved 2026-03-02.
  5. ^ a b c Wanat, Zosia (2023-12-11). "'We're running a marathon': How Poland's Booksy broke into America". Sifted. Retrieved 2026-03-02.
  6. ^ Bełcik, Anna (2015-02-04). "Start na amerykańskim rynku" [Start on the American market]. Puls Biznesu (in Polish). Retrieved 2026-03-07.
  7. ^ Hines, Michael (2018-01-16). "50 Chicago Startups to Watch in 2018 | Built In Chicago". Built In. Retrieved 2026-03-02.
  8. ^ a b c d O'Hear, Steve (2017-03-02). "Booksy, the mobile-first booking app for appointment-based businesses, raises $4.2M". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2026-03-02.
  9. ^ a b c d Szczepański, Cezary (2020-09-16). "Booksy zawarło porozumienie z Google. Polski startup rusza z wielką ekspansją" [Booksy has reached an agreement with Google. The Polish startup is embarking on a major expansion]. My Company Polska (in Polish). Retrieved 2026-03-02.
  10. ^ a b c Duszczyk, Michał (2021-11-30). "Booksy podbija Francję. Jedno z największych polskich przejęć za granicą" [Booksy conquers France. One of the largest Polish acquisitions abroad.]. Rzeczpospolita (in Polish). Retrieved 2026-03-04.
  11. ^ a b c Bełcik, Anna (2025-06-18). "Booksy jak dziesięć jednorożców. W strategii czterokrotny wzrost użytkowników i nowe produkty (WYWIAD)" [Booksy Like Ten Unicorns. The Strategy: Quadrupling Users and New Products (INTERVIEW)]. XYZ (in Polish). Retrieved 2026-03-02.
  12. ^ a b c d e f g Zawadzki, Bartosz (2026-03-02). "Płatności będą dla Booksy nowym silnikiem" [Payments will be the new engine for Booksy]. Puls Biznesu (in Polish). Retrieved 2026-03-02.
  13. ^ "BOOKSY INTERNATIONAL | Rejestr.io". rejestr.io. Retrieved 2026-03-02.
  14. ^ a b Burtan, Grzegorz (2020-02-25). "Polski Booksy chce być gigantem jak Uber i Airbnb" [Polish Booksy wants to be a giant like Uber and Airbnb]. Rzeczpospolita (in Polish). Retrieved 2026-03-02.
  15. ^ a b c Duszczyk, Michał (2019-09-28). "Booksy wyjął 115 mln zł z inwestorskich portfeli" [Booksy withdrew PLN 115 million from investor portfolios]. Puls Biznesu (in Polish). Retrieved 2026-03-02.
  16. ^ Acher-Czanda, Barbara (2016-10-30). "Opowiem ci o sobie" [I'll tell you about myself]. Rzeczpospolita (in Polish). Retrieved 2026-03-02.
  17. ^ a b Dorbian, Iris (2017-03-03). "Booksy inks $4.2 mln Series A". Venture Capital Journal. Retrieved 2026-03-02.
  18. ^ Chapman, Tom (2019-10-11). "Booksy Is Making Appointment Scheduling Easier and More Efficient". Silicon Prairie News. Retrieved 2026-03-02.
  19. ^ "Biznesowa uroda Booksy" [Booksy's Business Beauty]. Serwis PFR Startup (in Polish). Polski Fundusz Rozwoju S.A. 2019-09-04. Retrieved 2026-03-02.
  20. ^ a b c d Bełcik, Anna (2016-01-12). "Booksy ma miliony na ekspansję" [Booksy has millions for expansion]. Puls Biznesu (in Polish). Retrieved 2026-03-02.
  21. ^ FinSMEs (2017-03-03). "Booksy Raises $4.2M in Series A Funding". FinSMEs. Retrieved 2026-03-02.
  22. ^ Jedliński, Karol (2017-03-07). "Booksy włącza turbo" [Booksy turns on the turbo]. Puls Biznesu (in Polish). Retrieved 2026-03-02.
  23. ^ a b c d "Od startupu do prężnie działającej globalnej firmy. Booksy liderem e-rezerwacji usług w segmencie urody" [From a startup to a thriving global company, Booksy is a leader in online booking for beauty services]. Brief.pl (in Polish). 2019-06-21. Retrieved 2026-03-02.
  24. ^ a b "AF" (2018-07-05). "Booksy pozyskało środki na rozwój. Wśród inwestorów Sebastian Kulczyk" [Booksy has secured funding for expansion. Among the investors is Sebastian Kulczyk]. Forbes (in Polish). Retrieved 2026-03-02.
  25. ^ Degeler, Andrii (2018-07-05). "Polish-founded Booksy raises $13.2 million for its beauty services booking platform". Tech.eu. Retrieved 2026-03-02.
  26. ^ a b c d e Bełcik, Anna (2020-12-14). "Booksy i Versum połączyły biznesy" [Booksy and Versum have merged their businesses]. Puls Biznesu (in Polish). Retrieved 2026-03-02.
  27. ^ a b Bełcik, Anna (2018-07-18). "Booksy przejęło polskiego konkurenta" [Booksy took over its Polish competitor]. Puls Biznesu (in Polish). Retrieved 2026-03-02.
  28. ^ Zawadka, Karolina (2016-05-18). "Fryzjera najłatwiej znaleźć w sieci" [The easiest way to find a hairdresser is online]. Puls Biznesu (in Polish). Retrieved 2026-03-02.
  29. ^ a b Ziomek, Witold (2019-05-26). "Facebook łączy się z Booksy. Ogromna szansa dla polskiej firmy" [Facebook merges with Booksy. A huge opportunity for the Polish company.]. Money.pl - portal finansowy (in Polish). Retrieved 2026-03-02.
  30. ^ Duszczyk, Michał (2019-09-28). "Stefan Batory oczarował amerykańskich fryzjerów. I Nergala" [Stefan Batory charmed American hairdressers. And Nergal]. Rzeczpospolita (in Polish). Retrieved 2026-03-02.
  31. ^ a b c Bełcik, Anna (2019-06-16). "Booksy jest warte L'Oréala" [Booksy is worth L’Oréal]. Puls Biznesu (in Polish). Retrieved 2026-03-02.
  32. ^ Bełcik, Anna (2020-05-19). "Booksy otwiera się na… banki" [Booksy opens to… banks]. Puls Biznesu (in Polish). Retrieved 2026-03-02.
  33. ^ "Skyrocketing Startups". Warsaw Business Journal. 2021-09-13. Retrieved 2026-03-02.
  34. ^ Bełcik, Anna (2020-05-28). "Alior Bank też sięgnął po Booksy" [Alior Bank also reached out to Booksy]. Puls Biznesu (in Polish). Retrieved 2026-03-02.
  35. ^ Dobroszek, Kuba (2020-08-10). "x-kom nawiązuje współpracę z Booksy. Po odbiór sprzętu umówimy się w aplikacji" [x-kom is partnering with Booksy. We'll arrange pickup of your equipment in the app]. My Company Polska (in Polish). Retrieved 2026-03-02.
  36. ^ Bełcik, Anna (2020-08-06). "Booksy przejęło GoPanache" [Booksy acquired GoPanache]. Puls Biznesu (in Polish). Retrieved 2026-03-07.
  37. ^ "Booksy, the biggest appointment app in the beauty industry, is merging with GoPanache". PRNewswire. 2020-05-11. Retrieved 2026-03-07.
  38. ^ Szczepański, Cezary (2020-12-14). "Fuzja startupowych gigantów. Booksy połączy się z Versum" [Merger of startup giants: Booksy to merge with Versum]. My Company Polska (in Polish). Retrieved 2026-03-03.
  39. ^ a b Duszczyk, Michał (2020-12-14). "Booksy łączy się z rywalem i staje się globalnym liderem" [Booksy merges with rival and becomes global leader]. Rzeczpospolita (in Polish). Retrieved 2026-03-03.
  40. ^ a b Duszczyk, Michał (2020-12-14). "Kandydat na jednorożca rośnie w siłę mimo pandemii" [Unicorn Candidate Grows Strong Despite the Pandemic]. Rzeczpospolita (in Polish). Retrieved 2026-03-03.
  41. ^ a b c d e f g h Gillet, Kit (2021-01-27). "Booksy raises $70m after a tumultuous year". Sifted. Retrieved 2026-03-03.
  42. ^ Masajło, Dominika (2020-05-14). "Wirtualne kolejki do salonów" [Virtual queues to salons]. Puls Biznesu (in Polish). Retrieved 2026-03-03.
  43. ^ Duszczyk, Michał (2021-01-27). "Polski Booksy podbija świat. Rekordowe wsparcie od Amerykanów" [Polish Booksy Takes the World by Storm. Record Support from Americans]. Rzeczpospolita (in Polish). Retrieved 2026-03-04.
  44. ^ a b Butcher, Mike (2021-01-27). "Booksy raises $70M war chest to acquire salon appointment apps, expand internationally". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2026-03-04.
  45. ^ "Booking Platform Booksy Raises $70 Million". BeautyMatter. 2021-06-30. Retrieved 2026-03-04.
  46. ^ "A turn-up for the books – How Booksy went from small start-up to 13m customers". ITWeb. 2021-11-03. Retrieved 2026-03-04.
  47. ^ Duszczyk, Michał (2021-11-22). "Stefan Batory stworzył jednorożca. Rynek startupów wystrzelił" [Stefan Batory created a unicorn. The startup market has exploded.]. Rzeczpospolita (in Polish). Retrieved 2026-03-02.
  48. ^ a b Szczepański, Cezary (2021-01-27). "Booksy zamyka wielką rundę finansowania. "120 mln dolarów na digitalizację"" [Booksy Closes Major Funding Round: "$120 Million for Digitalization"]. My Company Polska (in Polish). Retrieved 2026-03-04.
  49. ^ Dobroszek, Kuba (2021-09-16). "Booksy przejmuje amerykańskiego konkurenta. Powstanie największy marketplace dla branży hair&beauty" [Booksy Acquires American Competitor. Creates Largest Hair & Beauty Marketplace]. My Company Polska (in Polish). Retrieved 2026-03-04.
  50. ^ Szczepański, Cezary (2021-12-02). "Booksy przejmuje konkurenta z Francji. Będzie dalszy rozwój przez akwizycje" [Booksy is taking over a French competitor. It will continue to expand through acquisitions]. My Company Polska (in Polish). Retrieved 2026-03-04.
  51. ^ a b c Domaradzki, Krzysztof (2022-07-15). "„Zwalniamy, żeby przyspieszyć". Booksy tnie zatrudnienie i porządkuje biznes przed recesją" ["We're slowing down to speed up." Booksy cuts jobs and cleans up business before recession]. Forbes (in Polish). Retrieved 2026-03-04.
  52. ^ Dobroszek, Kuba (2024-06-06). "Booksy i Znajdź Gabinet łączą siły. Dostarczą kompleksowe narzędzie dla fizjoterapeutów" [Booksy and ZnajdzGabinet are joining forces to provide a comprehensive tool for physiotherapists]. My Company Polska (in Polish). Retrieved 2026-03-05.
  53. ^ "Booksy". We Did it in Poland. Fundacja WłączeniPlus. Business & Science Poland. Retrieved 2026-03-07.
  54. ^ Mikrusek, Tomasz (2024-10-05). "Booksy – aplikacja dla firm i klientów. Co to jest i do czego służy Booksy?" [Booksy – an app for businesses and consumers. What is Booksy and what is it used for?]. HappyVR (in Polish). Retrieved 2026-03-07.
  55. ^ "Features of Booksy - the tools for your business". biz.booksy.com. Retrieved 2026-03-07.
  56. ^ a b "Entrepreneur Companies". Endeavor Poland. Retrieved 2026-03-05.
  57. ^ Gacoń, Jacek (2025-06-15). "Booksy Med, czyli co najpopularniejsza w Polsce platforma do rezerwacji wizyt oferuje branży medycznej? Z naszym kodem 3 miesiące gratis!" [Booksy Med, or what does Poland's most popular appointment booking platform offer the medical industry? Get 3 months free with our code!]. JakDorobic.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 2026-03-07.
  58. ^ a b "Fast, easy, secure Payments". biz.booksy.com. Retrieved 2026-03-07.
  59. ^ "Get more visibility and more bookings with Boost". biz.booksy.com. Retrieved 2026-03-07.
  60. ^ a b c Forna, Julia (2024-05-10). "Booksy z nową funkcją – od teraz salony beauty mogą zamawiać produkty bezpośrednio u dostawców" [Booksy with a new feature – from now on, beauty salons can order products directly from suppliers]. My Company Polska (in Polish). Retrieved 2026-03-07.
  61. ^ Bartodziej, Mariusz (2024-04-29). "Semilac i Booksy łączą siły. Rusza kosmetyczny marketplace dla firm" [Semilac and Booksy Join Forces: Cosmetics Marketplace Launches for Businesses]. Puls Biznesu (in Polish). Retrieved 2026-03-07.
  62. ^ Sparkco AI Engineering Team (2025-10-21). "Consolidating Square and Booksy Appointments with AI". Sparkco AI. Retrieved 2026-03-07.
  63. ^ Farago, Julie (2025-11-17). "New ways to plan travel with AI in Search". The Keyword. Google. Retrieved 2026-03-07.
  64. ^ "24. edycja Wektorów Pracodawców RP – kto otrzymał" [24th edition of the Vectors of the Employers of Poland – the Recipients]. Puls Biznesu (in Polish). 2026-01-18. Retrieved 2026-03-05.
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