Fundraising Fox

theCut

Techstars '18

Fairfax, US · Founded 2016 · 42 employees on LinkedIn · 6 known investors

The Cut builds business software and tools for barbers to manage their operations and client relationships, serving independent barbers and barbershops.

Also known as TheCut · theCut Inc. · THECUT INC.

Founders & leadership

theCut was founded in 2016 by Obi Omile Jr.

OOObi Omile Jr
Obi Omile JrinFounder

Investors · 6

Also in the syndicate · 1

Singh Capital

Company profile

researched Aug 2026

theCut operates a mobile and web platform that connects clients with individual barbers and barbershops and provides the barbers with back-end business tools. On the client side, users search for barbers by location, service type, price, availability and specialty (fades, beard trims, kids cuts, braids, locs and retwists, razor shaves, natural hair services, mobile services), review portfolio photos, star ratings and client reviews, message the barber in-app, and book, pay and tip digitally. On the barber side, the platform manages scheduling and appointments, client lists with notes and photos of past styles, visit and spend tracking, pricing and service menus, pre-booking, client reminders, reviews, mobile payments and shop management [0][3][5][7].

At the time of its 2021 seed round the company described a roadmap that included a digital store and a card reader to process more in-person payments, plus features to deepen barber-client relationships and product recommendations [7]. theCut also runs a separate direct-to-consumer apparel and barber-supplies store at shop.thecut.co, selling t-shirts, shorts, hoodies and jackets, hats and barber supplies at price points around $25-$45 [4]. The app is distributed on iOS, Android and the web [0][3].

Compiled by commissioned research from 8 cited public sources — announcements, filings, and press listed under research sources below.

Key figures

latest reported
App store ratingJan 20264.7 out of 5
Average booking timeJan 202630 seconds
Barbers on platformJul 202625,000 barbers
Cumulative cuts bookedJan 2026100,000,000 bookings
Cumulative revenue generated for barbers since launchSep 2021$500M
Google Play downloadsJul 20261,000,000 downloads
HeadcountAug 202642
Monthly appointment bookingsSep 20211,500,000 bookings/month
New users added per monthSep 2021100,000 users/month
Total funding raised since foundingSep 2021$5.3M
US states coveredJan 202650 states
UsersJan 202610,000,000 users
Users (Google Play listing)Jul 202610,000,000 users

Company-reported or press-reported figures, each dated to when it was claimed — not independently audited.

Competitors · 8

by search overlap
Booksy50655 shared keywordsBooksy is a free mobile app for discovering and booking appointments with beauty and wellness service providers such as barbers, hairdressers, massage therapists, and manicurists. The platform eliminates the need for phone calls by enabling instant online booking and appointment management available 24/7.
Fresha’s Website39188 shared keywordsFresha is a booking platform and business management software for salons, barbershops, medspas, and wellness studios, letting consumers discover and book beauty and self-care appointments while providing businesses with online booking, payments, reminders, and consultation forms. It operates as a marketplace connecting clients with self-care providers across 120+ countries.
Squire Technologies34122 shared keywordsSquire operates a two-sided platform where customers can book appointments with barbers while shop owners gain access to integrated booking, payment processing, inventory, and payroll tools to manage their operations.
Styleseat23710 shared keywordsStyleSeat operates a US online marketplace for independent beauty and grooming professionals. Consumers use it to search for stylists and book appointments, while the professionals get scheduling and business management tools for handling clients and bookings.
GlossGenius14677 shared keywordsGlossGenius provides employee management software designed for beauty, wellness, and health businesses. The platform handles staff scheduling, payroll, commission tracking, and performance analytics through a single integrated system.
Atly14222 shared keywordsAtly is a location discovery app that helps people find restaurants, bars, and places to visit through personalized recommendations and user-generated tips. The consumer platform has been described as combining social community content with map-based navigation.
BirdEye12050 shared keywordsBirdeye offers an AI-powered platform with multi-agent "AI Coworkers" that handle marketing, operations, and customer experience tasks such as search optimization, review generation, listings management, social posting, and front-desk coordination. It serves multi-location businesses, providing a unified view of customers, locations, and interactions.
Greatclips11718 shared keywordsGreat Clips operates a chain of hair salons offering walk-in haircut services, with an online check-in feature that lets customers reserve a spot in line remotely.

Companies competing with theCut for the same Google search keywords, organic and paid, via search-intersection analysis.

Timeline · 3

launches, deals, and filings
Jan 2026
Service available in all 50 US states

theCut's website states the platform is live in all 50 US states.

source ↗

Sep 2021
theCut raises $4.5M seed round led by Nextgen Venture Partners

theCut announced $4.5 million in new funding led by Nextgen Venture Partners, with participation from Elevate Ventures, Singh Capital and Leadout Capital, bringing total funding to $5.35 million. Proceeds were earmarked for hiring, marketing and nationwide growth.

$4.5M source ↗

Sep 2021
Leadout Capital founder Ali Rosenthal joins board of directors

As part of the seed investment, Leadout Capital founder and managing partner Ali Rosenthal joined theCut's board of directors.

source ↗

Dated company events from announcements, filings, and press; legal rows summarize public dockets and regulator releases.

Research sources · 8

primary sources listed

8 public sources were cited for this profile; the first-party ones are listed here.

Frequently asked questions

What does theCut do?
theCut is a mobile marketplace and back-office platform for barbers, handling discovery, booking and payments.
Who founded theCut?
theCut was founded by Obi Omile Jr in 2016.
Who are theCut's investors?
theCut's investors include Leadout Capital, NextGen Venture Partners, Prototype Capital, Techstars, Elevate Capital.
Where is theCut headquartered?
theCut is headquartered in Fairfax, US.