London-based website building startup Munch has raised £1.3m for its platform that aims to simplify web development for businesses and ‘side hustles’.
Munch faces stiff competition in the codeless website creation market, with companies like WordPress and Squarespace becoming household names. However, the London-based platform claims its offering is different because it is focused on mobile website development.
This is based on the idea that small businesses and those running side projects need the option to work on their webpage on the go.
Another key distinction from the competition is the business model. While the majority of the industry uses a freemium subscription model – wherein basic access to tools is free but premium features require a subscription plan – Munch is completely free, instead taking a commission on money made through the website made with its platform, bringing it into the ecommerce provider space.
“SMBs are the cornerstone of stable economies and most of these start as a side hustle. That’s where we want to focus first,” said Munch founder and CEO Alex Bondarev.
“We’ve had a great run with all the simple website-building tools, but now I feel it’s time for the tools to be as flexible as people’s lives are today. People who want to succeed online deserve better tooling, especially in the modern world.”
The funding round was led by Notion Capital along with Credo Ventures.
“The latest Microsoft research found that almost two-thirds (62%) of Gen Z intend to start their own business and we believe that the Munch team have developed a perfect tool for it while providing useful boilerplates puts the creator’s individuality at the forefront,” said Kamil Mieczakowski, principal at Notion Capital.
“The Munch team have lived and breathed the challenge of launching and running an online business and their deep understanding of the problem is now beginning to translate into an impressive product that is gaining more traction by the day.”
