Treatwell

Treatwell operates a consumer marketplace for booking hair and beauty appointments, available via website and mobile app, together with management software sold to the salons listed on it. Consumers search by treatment category — hair, hair removal, massage, nails, face, body and men's grooming — browse venue menus, prices and starred customer reviews, and book 24/7, including last-minute and off-peak slots. Additional consumer products include gift cards, a Treatwell Rewards points scheme, editorial content (the Lookbook, Treatment Files and treatment guides) and annual "Top Rated" salon awards.

On the supply side the company positions itself as salon management software connected to a booking platform. Its partner-facing products are branded Treatwell Connect and Treatwell Pro, with salons able to request a demo through the partner site. Company materials state it works with over 75,000 salon partners across 15 countries and processes over 5 million bookings a month, with a team of around 700 people. The company frames its opportunity around the low digital penetration of the sector, stating that 80% of salons still manage their business on pen and paper and only 5% of bookings are made online. The UK entity is Treatwell Limited (company number 06457679), headquartered at 6 St Andrew Street, London EC4A 3AE.

Founding story

The company was founded as Wahanda. Its CEO Lopo Champalimaud has said the idea came from an unsuccessful late-night attempt to find a massage, when salons were closed, fully booked or unresponsive, and existing websites did not let him search a specific treatment, see availability or book. Champalimaud, who grew up in Montreal and moved to London in 2001, had worked at a private equity firm, founded an online market research startup and run the lifestyle business at Lastminute.com, where a small spa business built on ticketing technology suggested a larger opportunity across hair and beauty. He built Wahanda in 2009 with a group of developers and a co-founder who left shortly afterwards, positioning it as an "OpenTable for spas and salons". Secondary coverage instead dates the founding to 2008 in London, naming Salim Mitha among the co-founders and describing an initial positioning as a search directory and review site for holistic wellness and spa retreats, with early backing associated with Fidelity and Benchmark.

Business model

Two-sided model combining a consumer booking marketplace with subscription salon management software (Connect and Pro). Secondary coverage describes a commercial mix of software subscriptions plus a commission of around 20% on new marketplace bookings, and an earlier shift toward a SaaS-enabled marketplace intended to raise recurring revenue and partner retention.

Revenue is described in secondary coverage as coming from salon software subscriptions combined with commission on bookings generated through the marketplace; consumer-side products include gift cards and a rewards programme.

Traction

Company materials cite over 75,000 salon partners in 15 countries, more than 5 million bookings a month and around 700 staff. Earlier press reported 10 million users and projected sales of $108 million for 2016, roughly 500 employees in 2017 with 150 in London, and management statements that the platform delivered 15-20% incremental business to salons with 20% of a salon's bookings coming through it. Secondary coverage cites over 100 million annual bookings, 55,000+ salons across 13 countries, more than 30,000 salons digitized by the end of 2019 and user growth above 20% year-on-year after the 2016 rebrand.

Latest developments

The consumer site promotes Treatwell Rewards points, gift cards, smart last-minute and off-peak pricing and a five-year Top Rated salon award list, and directs salons to Treatwell Pro. Secondary coverage dated March 2026 describes recent emphasis on AI-driven dynamic pricing, the Treatwell Pro management suite and a commercial model weighted toward software subscriptions plus commission on new marketplace bookings.