The Bunch, the rapidly expanding Bristol firm set up in 2016 by students fed up with being taken advantage of by utility companies, is taking its innovative bills payment system to the US in a move to harness the country’s vast market potential.
The business, which consolidates all household bills into one monthly payment, is sending a team to Boston to build relationships, garner venture capital interest and set up initial operations. 
It follows a highly successful year for The Bunch during which it grew by 350% and closed its latest funding round in just eight days, raising £400,000.
It now operates across 30 UK cities, employs 22 people and services more than 10,000 customers.
With a majority student customer base, the firm sees an opportunity to take hold of a market-grabbing opportunity in the US – there are more students in Boston and New York alone than in the entire UK. Beyond this lies expansion into the wider rental and homeowner markets.
There is also potential for large-scale B2B partnerships with American property managers and landlords – particularly as there is a monopoly of several property owners across the country. 
The Bunch’s offering helps ease the stress around bills for those at university as well as granting individual liability for tenants – which means if one housemate doesn’t pay, the others aren’t responsible.
The Bunch CEO Elliott Herrod-Taylor, pictured, who launched the business in 2017 with fellow students, is seeking partners and investors to accelerate his mission.
Existing investors include Pario Ventures, Haatch, SFC Capital and Bristol Private Equity Club.
Elliott, who was named Young Entrepreneur of the Year at the Growing Business Awards 2021, said: “With a market over 10 times the size of that in the UK, the US boasts a significant opportunity that we cannot ignore.
“We’ve proven after five years of exponential growth in the UK that our model works. I’m keen to speak with VCs and partners who are as excited as we are about the untapped potential on US soil as we head out to Boston.”
The Bunch was launched in Leeds as Easy Student Living and later rebranded and relocated to Bristol.
