Work doesn’t look like what it used to, and Gen Z knows this best. This generation is more likely than previous generations to choose freelancing for work. Wishu is the creative job marketplace that’s grow with the work preferences of Gen Z’ers. This marketplace helps rising talent find jobs and build long-term working relationships, which is partly attributed to Wishu’s social feature that allows buyers (job-posters) to follow freelancers and review portfolios. Wishu represents creative freelancers from a variety of industries including photography, design, music, and beauty. Operating on a commission-based model, Wishu charges a collective fee of 12%, which breaks down into charging buyers 5% and the freelancer 7%.
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Who were your investors and how much did you raise?
The company is in its pre-seed stage and has attracted a total of £450K in investment.
Tell us about the product or service Wishu offers.
Wishu is the first social marketplace app for creative freelancers that enables individuals and businesses to book and pay online. Wishu was founded in 2018 to make the process of finding and booking freelance creative talent streamlined and transparent for both the buyer and seller.
Creative professionals in a wide range of fields (such as photography, film, design, beauty, fashion, music, art and dance) display their portfolios on the Wishu app. Then those looking for talent can search these portfolios to find the right person for their project. The fact that Wishu is structured like a social network makes the whole process even simpler. Buyers can follow their favourite freelancers to see new works in their portfolio and nurture long-term relationships.
Wishu also organises real-life networking events.
Wishu’s mission is to support creative freelancers and become the social marketplace of choice for booking on-demand creative talent.
What inspired the start of Wishu?
Our founding team had previously worked on an app providing a marketplace for students to help each other with different chores and work. There, we realised that a particular segment was more active and engaged than others: creatives.
How is Wishu different?
The platform is the first social marketplace for services. It focuses on the creative industries and is designed to be seamless – building a portfolio should be similar to building a social profile. This, in turn, makes business development (for freelancers) and finding a suitable creative talent (for businesses) an easier task. It tackles pain points in a different way and accounts for how younger generations communicate.
What market are you targeting and how big is it?
Wishu’s main target is Generation Z, a demographic that will make up 75% of the global workforce by 2030.
What’s your business model?
Wishu holds a commission-based model, charging a collective fee of 12% (buyers a 5% and the freelancer 7%) of the transaction.
What are the milestones you plan to achieve in the next six months?
Wishu will focus on expanding its user base in the UK, with a particular focus on nurturing the London community. The idea is to be more present in other UK cities with events and other community activities soon.
Wishu will focus on expanding its user base in the UK…The idea is to be more present in other UK cities with events and other community activities soon.
What advice can you offer companies in London that do not have a fresh injection of capital in the bank?
Focus on the users/customers you have already. Dedicate your time in building a great relationship with them, approach them and ask them to join your community. It’s often that these first users/customers you have are the ones that stick around and help you grow your business.
Where do you see the company going now over the near term?
In the next term, we are planning to expand our community of top talented freelancers, alongside partnerships with NGOs and other businesses for events and collaborative projects.
We are looking to expand our team that will help us grow our community.
What’s your favourite outdoor activity in London?
London has the best parks, it’s fun to spend some time enjoying the weather when it’s sunny and the people that surround us every day.
