Fresha, based in London, achieves unicorn status following an $80 million funding round led by KKR.

      The beauty and wellness booking platform based in London has entered the UK unicorn club with a valuation exceeding $1 billion, amidst ongoing debates about the future of the broader SaaS industry. Fresha, which focuses on bookings and payments for salons and spas, announced on Thursday that it has secured $80 million from funds managed by KKR, positioning the company’s value above $1 billion.

      This funding round, categorized as primary growth capital, elevates Fresha to unicorn status and brings its total fundraising since 2015 to $285 million. The investment originated from KKR’s Next Generation Technology Growth fund, which targets companies that have surpassed the product-market-fit stage and are seeking growth capital.

      The figures released by Fresha alongside the announcement reveal strong demand for its services. The platform supports over 130,000 beauty and wellness businesses in the UK, Australasia, the Gulf, North America, and parts of Southeast Asia, handling more than 35 million appointments monthly, translating to approximately 420 million annually, linked to $15 billion in annual gross merchandise value. The annual revenue run-rate now exceeds $140 million, with growth exceeding 60% year-over-year, while the business remains profitable. When Fresha last announced a valuation during a Series C extension in late 2021, it was valued at $640 million.

      Founded in 2015 by William Zeqiri and Nick Miller, Fresha has spent five years steadily replacing older booking systems in its primary markets while extending into payments, capital, and more recently, AI-driven scheduling and marketing tools. Zeqiri described achieving unicorn status as “a proud milestone” and stated that the new funding would facilitate further global expansion and investments in AI. Miller, the company’s chief product officer, viewed the funding round as an endorsement from customers who are already employing the platform as their main operational tool.

      KKR's investigation lasted over a year and involved surveying over 1,000 beauty and wellness businesses across the US, UK, Ireland, the EU, and Australia, along with discussions with customers, former workers, and competitors. According to KKR, the research rated Fresha highest in software quality, ease of use, support, setup, and marketplace strength, achieving an average score of 8.1 out of 10 compared to a competitor average of 6.7.

      Patrick Devine, a partner on KKR’s Tech Growth team, stated that Fresha had developed “a differentiated platform that integrates software, financial services, and marketplace functionalities with embedded AI.” Marta Szczerba, a director on the same team, noted that she has been closely following the founders for years and has been “highly impressed” with their consistent performance.

      This deal arrives at a challenging time for the SaaS sector in which Fresha operates. Salesforce has experienced a roughly 30% decline in value year-to-date, and the wider software industry has spent 2026 grappling with the view that per-seat pricing may be outdated in the AI era. A vertical platform generating revenue from payment and marketplace fees, in addition to subscriptions, seems to be less affected by this debate, which the KKR diligence team likely recognized.

      Fresha indicated that the new funding will be utilized for growth in the US, continental Europe, Africa, and Southeast Asia, as well as for developing AI features for booking automation, marketing, accounting, and workforce management. The company did not reveal any plans regarding a timeline for an IPO or additional fundraising.