iara.
iara is a Paris-based two-sided beauty marketplace connecting 20,000+ independent beauty professionals (nails, lashes, hair, makeup, skincare) with consumers across 14+ countries, monetizing through a freemium SaaS subscription (€19.99–€39.99/month) with no transaction commissions.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2021
- HeadquartersParis, France
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingSoftware
What iara. does
iara is a Paris-based, two-sided beauty marketplace and SaaS platform founded in 2021 that connects independent beauty professionals — including nail technicians, lash and brow artists, hairstylists, makeup artists, estheticians, massage therapists, and barbers — with end consumers seeking appointments. The consumer-facing app (iOS, Google Play, and web at iarabeauty.com) enables location-based discovery of professionals across 14+ countries, with one-click booking, real-time availability, and portfolio reviews. The companion 'iara for Pros' product provides appointment scheduling, client tracking, automated SMS reminders, loyalty programs, calendar sync (iCal and Google Calendar), and a Pinterest-style visual feed for showcasing work.
The underlying platform is a mobile-first, dual-interface application built around real-time appointment scheduling, in-app messaging, Stripe-powered payment processing, and a social-media-style content feed for discovery. Stripe serves as the core infrastructure partner for online payments, deposits, and professional wallet withdrawals. The product surface covers 13+ beauty service categories (nails, lashes/brows, hairstyling, afro hairstyling, makeup, permanent makeup, face/body care, hair removal, aesthetics, massages, barber, wellness) and is supported by digital gift cards in €50–€300 denominations.
iara monetizes via a three-tier SaaS subscription aimed at beauty professionals: a Free tier with unlimited core booking and CRM features, a Mini plan at €19.99/month adding online payments, deposits, SMS reminders, gift cards, and marketing campaigns, and a Lite+ plan at €39.99/month adding service customization, pre-appointment forms, surcharges, and public/private promotions. The company operates a no-commission policy on transactions, taking only subscription fees plus standard Stripe processing fees passed through. Distribution runs primarily through app store listings, the web app, and content-led organic discovery via the platform's visual feed. The company has raised approximately $2.19 million in seed funding from Fast Forward in 2021 and operates with 11–50 employees.
iara. firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- iara.
- Website
- https://iarabeauty.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2021
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- iara is a Paris-based two-sided beauty marketplace connecting 20,000+ independent beauty professionals (nails, lashes, hair, makeup, skincare) with consumers across 14+ countries, monetizing through a freemium SaaS subscription (€19.99–€39.99/month) with no transaction commissions.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
iara. industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Beauty & Wellness Booking Software
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Hotel & Accommodation Booking Platforms (THALAFAB)
Keywords
Where iara. is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Paris
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
iara. business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Operations
Revenue model
- Subscription Plans: Three-tier subscription model for beauty professionals: Free plan (€0/month) with core features, Mini Plan (€19.99/month) with payments and SMS, and Lite+ Plan (€39.99/month) with full feature set including marketing campaigns and surcharges.
- Payment Processing: Stripe-powered online payments for appointments. A standard Stripe commission applies on the client side for dispute management and refunds. No additional iara commissions beyond subscription plans.
- Gift Cards: Digital gift cards sold in denominations of €50, €100, €200, and €300 that can be used to pay for beauty services and deposits with participating iara professionals.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Monthly | Free plan with core booking and management features for beauty professionals |
| Subscription | Monthly | Mini plan with payments, deposits, and SMS reminders |
| Subscription | Monthly | Lite+ plan with full feature set including additional customization and advanced tools |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels4 records
iara. product offering
Product offeringCore offering
iara operates a two-sided beauty booking platform: a consumer-facing app for discovering and booking appointments with independent beauty professionals, and a SaaS management tool (iara for Pros) that lets freelancers run bookings, client management, payments, and marketing. It monetizes the professional side through tiered subscriptions (Free, €19.99/month Mini, €39.99/month Lite+) with no booking commissions, plus Stripe payment processing and digital gift cards.
Product overview
iara operates as a two-sided beauty marketplace and business management platform. The consumer-facing iara app enables users to discover nearby independent beauty professionals (nail technicians, lash artists, hairstylists, makeup artists, etc.) across multiple cities in France and internationally, and book appointments in one click. The companion 'iara for Pros' app serves as the management backend for beauty freelancers, offering free and paid tiers (Mini at €19.99/month and Lite+ at €39.99/month) that include appointment scheduling, client CRM, loyalty programs, payment processing via Stripe, and social feed features. Gift cards are offered as an add-on payment feature. The platform covers beauty service categories including nails, lashes/brows, hairstyling, afro hairstyling, makeup, permanent makeup, face care, body care, hair removal, aesthetics, massages, barber services, and wellness.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- iara Consumer App
Quantifiable outcome
- Reduce cancellation and no-show rate by up to 10x with deposits and online payments
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use iara.
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
iara. technology and API
TechnologyAPI detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
Feature10 records
iara. partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- StripecoreStripe is used as the secure payment platform for all online payments and deposits on iara. It handles dispute management and refunds. Professionals withdraw earnings to their bank accounts via validated Stripe accounts.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
iara. competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Booksy: Beauty and wellness booking SaaS marketplace serving freelancers and SMBs globally. Directly comparable on product scope (booking + payments + marketing) and target customer profile.
- StyleSeat: US-focused beauty professional booking marketplace with pro SaaS. Same two-sided model (pros + clients) for independent beauty, with Stripe-integrated payments similar to iara.
- Planity: French appointment-booking platform focused on salons and beauty professionals. Direct French competitor with overlapping freelancer/SMB target segment and similar geographic customer base.
- Fresha: UK-based beauty and wellness marketplace and SaaS. Most direct global competitor to iara with a two-sided model targeting independent beauty professionals, marketplace + Stripe payments, and a deep PLG funnel.
- Treatwell: European beauty booking marketplace (owned by Wahed) with strong French and UK presence. Closest incumbent for iara's pros and consumer market across Europe, with broader salon chain relationships.
- Phorest Salon Software: Salon/barbershop-focused SaaS platform built around bookings, CRM, and marketing. Comparable pro-target with deeper salon-operations features but narrower consumer discovery than iara.
Broad incumbents
- Vagaro: US-based beauty and wellness SaaS platform with a consumer marketplace. Broader portfolio (salon, spa, fitness) but overlapping pro-facing tools (booking, CRM, payments) and SMB target customer.
- Mindbody: Large wellness/fitness/beauty platform (now part of Block). Enterprise-tilted incumbent with overlapping booking/CRM features, though it focuses on studios and larger SMBs versus iara's freelancer skew.
- Square Appointments (Block): Block's SMB appointment-booking product, embedded in Square's payments ecosystem. Competes for the same independent beauty pros in US/UK with the advantage of native payments infrastructure.
Emerging players
- Reservio: General vertical booking platform with category coverage including beauty and wellness. Smaller and broader than iara, but overlapping online booking + SaaS positioning for SMB service providers.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
iara. social profiles
Digital presenceiara. financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
iara. leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
iara. funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
iara. M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about iara.
What does iara. do?
iara operates a two-sided beauty booking platform: a consumer-facing app for discovering and booking appointments with independent beauty professionals, and a SaaS management tool (iara for Pros) that lets freelancers run bookings, client management, payments, and marketing. It monetizes the professional side through tiered subscriptions (Free, €19.99/month Mini, €39.99/month Lite+) with no booking commissions, plus Stripe payment processing and digital gift cards.
Is iara. a public or private company?
iara. is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was iara. founded?
iara. was founded in 2021. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is iara. based?
iara. is headquartered in Paris, France, in the Europe region.
How does iara. make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Subscription Plans are the primary driver. The others are payment Processing and gift Cards.
Who are iara.'s main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Booksy, StyleSeat, Planity, Fresha, Treatwell and Phorest Salon Software. Broad incumbents are Vagaro, Mindbody and Square Appointments (Block). Reservio is listed as an emerging player.
Does iara. have an API?
No public API is recorded for iara..
What industry is iara. in?
iara.'s product category is Beauty & Wellness Booking Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THALAFAB, Hotel & Accommodation Booking Platforms. Its SIC code is 7372.