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Moonlighting develops a mobile-first, on-demand platform that serves as a dynamic marketplace. It connects individuals seeking to earn income or find specialized help with those requiring temporary or freelance services, facilitating job postings and providing tools to manage these opportunities within the gig economy. The platform prioritizes ease of use and speed for both service providers and seekers, underpinning its technical approach with a focus on immediate, localized connections.
Jeff Tennery, Roy Slater, and Ritesh Johar co-founded Moonlighting in 2014. The founders recognized the growing need for flexible work arrangements and immediate access to specialized talent, leading to the creation of a mobile solution for the burgeoning on-demand economy. Jeff Tennery, serving as CEO, brought significant executive leadership experience from his tenure at major telecommunications companies, contributing to the strategic direction of the company.
Moonlighting caters to a diverse user base, including freelance professionals and individuals seeking flexible income, as well as businesses and consumers looking to quickly engage talent for specific tasks. The company envisions an accessible ecosystem where temporary employment opportunities are easily discoverable, and skilled professionals can efficiently monetize their expertise through a seamless, mobile-first experience, continually expanding the scope of on-demand work.
Moonlighting has raised $3.0M across 2 funding rounds.
Moonlighting has raised $3.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Moonlighting has raised $3.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Moonlighting's investors include Grit Capital Partners, Impact VC, Jaffray Woodriff, Genoa Ventures.
Moonlighting is a Charlottesville, Virginia-based technology company that operates a mobile, on-demand platform connecting freelancers and small businesses for quick hiring and gig work.[1][2][4] It builds a virtual marketplace removing middlemen, with features like SaaS tools for communication and accounting, blockchain integration for portable worker profiles (including reviews and credentials), and its own token to empower independent workers globally.[1][2] The platform serves freelancers seeking extra income and small businesses needing talent fast, solving gig economy pain points like inefficient hiring and fragmented profiles by enabling direct mobile connections and monetization through services like Boost memberships and Blast job postings, which generated over $750K in revenue by 2017.[2]
Growth momentum includes early partnerships, such as with Recruitology in 2017 for recruitment advertising and Digital Turbine in a later announcement to expand app users amid COVID-19 economic impacts, alongside ongoing blockchain enhancements to decentralize the gig ecosystem.[1][2]
Moonlighting was founded by Jeff Tennery (CEO) and Roy Slater (COO), with Tennery bringing over 25 years in telecom and mobile advertising from roles at Verizon, AT&T Wireless, nTelos, and Millennial Media, where he drove global monetization and the company's 2012 IPO.[2] Slater contributes 20+ years in operations, UI design, and mobile tech from stints at Capital One, Lendingtree, and GMAC/Ditech.[2] The idea emerged to disrupt the gig economy by creating a mobile-first marketplace for direct freelancer-employer connections, launching as a privately held company built for on-demand work.[1][2]
Early traction came in April 2016 with monetization of freelancer ads, SaaS tools via Boost, and enterprise job postings via Blast, followed by the July 2017 Recruitology partnership boosting ad revenue—culminating in over $750K total revenue and positioning for blockchain upgrades.[2]
Moonlighting rides the gig economy boom, fueled by demand for flexible work post-COVID, where millions seek side income amid economic uncertainty—its Digital Turbine tie-up directly targeted affected workers.[1] Timing aligns with blockchain's rise for decentralized identity, solving profile lock-in on platforms like Upwork, while mobile tech lowers barriers for global freelancers.[2] Market forces like remote work normalization and Web3 adoption favor it, as does the push for creator economies; Moonlighting influences by pioneering portable credentials, potentially standardizing trust in fragmented marketplaces and boosting independent worker mobility.[1][2][6]
Moonlighting is poised to capitalize on gig economy expansion and blockchain maturity, with next steps likely including full token launch and profile portability to capture Web3 freelancers. Trends like AI-driven matching and regulatory shifts toward worker protections will shape it, potentially evolving its influence from niche mobile app to ecosystem enabler for decentralized labor markets. This builds on its marketplace foundation, empowering direct connections in a world of rising on-demand work.[1][2]
Moonlighting has raised $3.0M across 2 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $2.0M Series U in September 2016.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 1, 2016 | $2M Series U | — | Grit Capital Partners, Impact VC, Jaffray Woodriff, Genoa Ventures | Announced |
| Jun 1, 2015 | $1M Seed | — | Grit Capital Partners, Impact VC, Jaffray Woodriff | Announced |
