Month: November 2014

Sometime during the month of May I get this call from my friend Julia LeStage. Julia tells me I need to meet these two founders that had taken a leave from Harvard Business School to work on their new startup called Alfred.

Julia insists that the founders are extraordinary so I happily take the meeting. 

I’m so glad I did. 

I knew at that first meeting Marcela and Jessica were special people — intelligent, creative, passionate and making things happen.

We spent more time together and by the summer we led a seed round in the company. Since then they have been busy building the team, building the business, and they won TC Disrupt.

The idea of Alfred is a simple and direct one but the execution is hard and complex. Alfred is a service that makes your household life easier and better. CNN has a nice description here. And I love this line from a recent Fast Company review of the service:

When I unlock the door, the scent of cleaning supplies overpowers the pot stench of the hallway. Gone are the garbage bags filled with clothes for Goodwill and laundry, and on my counter sits a plastic bag of avocados, a box of tea, and a carton of Almond milk (the cheese and salad are in the fridge). I am so over the weirdness of handing a stranger my keys. It feels like I’ve been visited by my errand fairy godmother.

Today, the company is launching in New York City and also the seed round we led along with our friends at SV Angel and Crunchfund. 

I am delighted to be in business with Marcela and Jessica. They are passionate about building a magical experience for their customers and having the highest respect for the actual Alfred’s on their platform.

If you live in NYC I hope you give Alfred a try.