Alba

Alba emerged from a personal need, evolving into a marketplace designed to connect parents with reliable childcare. The Chilean startup was founded in 2017 by Dan Stern (CEO), María Teresa del Sante (COO), and Mauricio Giadach (CTO). The founding idea originated from del Sante, a mother of two, who experienced the common parental challenge of finding trustworthy nannies. Stern, an MIT MBA graduate, contributed his technical and management expertise, while del Sante leveraged her marketing background and understanding of the local caregiving ecosystem.

The company operates as a marketplace for household services, with its initial and primary focus on babysitting. It serves families in Latin America, starting with Chile, by providing a platform to find and hire caregivers. The business model centers on creating a secure and streamlined process for this connection. For parents, the platform offers access to a pool of vetted babysitters, complete with user reviews and the ability to see which caregivers their friends have hired. The app includes features like real-time location tracking, notifications, and photo sharing to give parents peace of mind while they are away. For caregivers, Alba provides a channel to find employment opportunities quickly.

A significant aspect of Alba's service is its rigorous screening process for babysitters, which includes background checks and the verification of government documents to ensure a high-quality pool of candidates. By 2019, the platform had registered 15,000 babysitters and was used by over 25,000 families in Chile. The company's growth attracted the attention of TheVentureCity, which inducted Alba into its Growth Accelerator program. On January 1, 2021, Alba was acquired by ZeBrands, a Mexican retail group that creates and manages a portfolio of direct-to-consumer brands.

Keywords: childcare marketplace, babysitting platform, caregiver search, verified babysitters, parent support network, household services app, Latin America childcare, nanny booking, trusted caregivers, child safety features, family services, on-demand childcare, peer-reviewed caregivers, Dan Stern, María Teresa del Sante, ZeBrands acquisition, TheVentureCity, Chilean startup, caregiver screening, real-time child monitoring