Online babysitting site raises cash

Sittercity.com raises $7.5 million from Point Judith Capital and Apex Venture Partners

Having trouble trying to find a nanny or pet sitter?  Forget the weirdo’s on Craigslist, try Sittercity, which just raised a decent round of funding. 

Sittercity.com, an online care-giving directory, on Wednesday announced that it raised $7.5 million in VC funding co-led by Point Judith Capital and Apex Venture Partners.  

Chicago based Sittercity's concept is simple – find the perfect babysitter, pet sitter, senior care person, math tutor, or home sitter near you.  All you have to do is type in your zip code.  The site also offers a four-step screening process, free access to background checks, sitter profiles, and sitter video interviews.  This seems like a safer alternative to hiring a sitter on Craigslist, which has absolutely no screening process, but nonetheless seems to be working for millions of people.

Sittercity, which has been featured on Ellen, Good Morning America, and the Today Show claims it is not suffering during the recession.  According to its press release, “Sittercity is proving to be a recession-proof business. In 2008, the company continued solid year over year growth in the middle of the worst recession since the depression, and it is already beating its revenue goals for 2009.” 

No exact figures were provided, but the VC's must be liking what they are doing to give them a nice chunk of cash during this recession.