Local-services startup Redbeacon raises $7.4M

Redbeacon, the service listings startup that won the top prize at the TechCrunch50 conference last fall, just raised $7.4 million in its first round of funding.

Users post service requests on Redbeacon, detailing if they need something repaired or delivered, then service providers can bid to do the job. One of the big differentiators emphasized by cofounder and chief executive Ethan Anderson is the control that buyers have over the process. They don’t just choose providers from a directory, but respond to actually bids. And their information isn’t shared with a service provider unless that provider’s bid is chosen.

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In March, the San Mateo, Calif. startup unveiled new features like the ability to share jobs on social networks and also hinted at new distribution methods by creating a co-branded service listings page with BigTent.

The new funding will help Redbeacon expand beyond the Bay Area, to grow its team, and to strike more distribution deals. The money comes from Mayfield Fund and Venrock.

Another startup, Bragadoo, recently launched its own service directory.