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Obby

Online craft class marketplace

Obby logo
1-20 employees
  • B2B
  • Marketplace
  • Learning
  • SaaS
  • Community
Shoreditch, London

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Company mission

To connect local UK craftspeople with those looking to take paid classes, empowering teachers with smart class management tools and creating the perfect learning experience.

Our take

Crafts have seen a resurgence in popularity over recent years, with one in five British consumers expressing a desire to attend a craft workshop. This bodes well for the online craft class marketplace Obby. The SaaS-enabled platform allows users to browse, book, and list learning experiences. For teachers, Obby provides an all-in-one platform with online teaching and product sales tools.

This combination of marketplace and business management platform has been making waves across other instructor-driven industries (see Talent Hack in the fitness space, or Mentorcam’s services for career development). Moreover, Obby are relatively unrivalled in their application of this model to the London craft class market. Their plans for nationwide expansion may have them clashing with competitor ClassBento, but they should feel quietly confident. Obby offer 2,500+ classes in London alone, which dwarfs ClassBento's comparatively modest nationwide offering.

It’s a healthy sign for the market at large that the appetite for craft classes and products is growing particularly fast among the under 35s. So too is it good news that there is increased consumer focus on sustainable, eco-friendly activities. Obby is applying a popular business model to a forward-looking market that's on the up.

Kirsty headshot

Kirsty

Company Specialist at Welcome to the Jungle

Benefits

  • The opportunity to work for a growing start-up alongside a talented, friendly, entrepreneurial team
  • Monthly Commission
  • Enhanced pension scheme
  • Flexible working from home policy
  • 26 days holiday
  • £500 personal learning budget
  • Access to 24/7 Digital GP
  • Subsidised Gym Memberships and other offers

Company values

  • Inspiring - We act and communicate in ways that inspire, motivate, encourage and excite
  • Supportive - We’re always helpful, full of assistance and encouragement - giving people confidence
  • Bold - We’re confident, courageous and not afraid to take risks (and learn from them)
  • Curious - We ask questions and believe that curiosity enhances learning

Funding (last 2 of 3 rounds)

Aug 2018

$1.3m

SEED

Jun 2017

$0.4m

ANGEL

Total funding: $1.9m

Leadership

Tom Batting

(CEO)

Previously co-founded FIRST Face to Face, and went on to work as a Business and Technology Consultant at IBM. Also worked as a Senior Analyst at CIL Management Solutions.

Max Kufner

(Advisor)

Previously a Strategy Consultant at CIL Management Consultants, now works as an Investor at Atlantic Labs alongside their role at Obby.