Private‑equity firm KKR has poured $80 million into London‑based beauty‑and‑wellness platform Fresha, lifting the startup’s valuation to over $1 billion and granting it unicorn status. Founded in 2015 by William Zeqiri and Nicholas Miller, the company sells appointment‑booking, payments and management software to salons, spas and other wellness operators. The deal marks KKR’s latest bet on vertical AI SaaS.

Fresha reports more than 130,000 businesses using its platform across hair, beauty, barbering, fitness and aesthetics, handling roughly 35 million appointments each month and processing over $15 billion in annual gross merchandise volume. The firm says it is already profitable and will channel the new capital into overseas expansion and deeper AI‑driven features, aiming to tighten its grip on the fragmented wellness tech market.

The infusion brings Fresha’s total funding to $285 million, underscoring investor appetite for niche SaaS that combine software, payments and marketplace functions. KKR partner Patrick Devine praised the “differentiated platform,” while Zeqiri highlighted the backing as validation of the company’s AI roadmap. The round positions Fresha to challenge larger ERP vendors in the global salon‑service segment and accelerate its product rollout.