*By Jacqueline Corba* The massage on-demand app Soothe recently raised $31 million in a Series C round of funding, the company's new CEO Simon Heyrick announced Wednesday in an interview with Cheddar. The new funding comes even as the company has faced scrutiny after a [Kentucky woman told police last month](http://www.wdrb.com/story/38048901/woman-says-massage-appointment-in-louisville-hotel-room-turned-into-sexual-assault) that she was sexually assaulted by a licensed massage therapist she booked with Soothe's on-demand service. Heyrick said the company has recently introduced additional trust and safety features. "Soothe has a zero-tolerance policy for any kind of harassment," said Heyrick. "Trust and safety we take very seriously, and we will continue to invest in that going forward." Heyrick said Soothe's process of screening therapists differs from competitors. It conducts background checks and in-person interviews and administers practical exams. Soothe rejects 30 percent of applicants because they do not pass its screening process, Heyrick said. Soothe therapists can earn up to three times what they'd make at traditional spas, and Heyrick said some therapists in the network earn $100,000 a year through the app. Soothe is currently available in 60 cities in the U.S., Britain, and Australia. On which country is the most stressed out across the globe, Heyrick says it is definitely the United States. For full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/soothe-ceo-on-restoring-consumer-trust).

Share:
More In Technology
Taproot Bitcoin Update Signals Change for Crypto
Bitcoin received its first update in four years called Taproot. Unlike the previous bitcoin update in 2017, Taproot has widespread support — in part because these changes involve fairly incremental improvements to the code. Christie Harkin, tech managing editor at CoinDesk, explained what the move could mean for the future of cryptocurrencies as a whole.
Snapchat Reaches Licensing Deal With Sony Music
Snap has announced a licensing deal with Sony Music, giving its social media platform Snapchat access to the label's entire catalog. The deal now gives the company agreements with all of the major industry labels.
Kyndryl Announces First Partnership With Microsoft
Kyndryl isn't wasting any time as an independent company. Just over a week after spinning off from IBM, the IT infrastructure services provider has announced its first global strategic partner in Microsoft. The two tech giants are coming together to form a new kind of power duo, creating multi-billion dollar revenue opportunities between the companies. Stephen Leonard, global alliances & partnerships leader for Kyndryl, told Cheddar more about the partnership and what it aims to achieve.
Bitcoin Launches Taproot, Its Biggest Upgrade Since 2017
Bitcoin has successfully activated Taproot, the cryptocurrency's first major upgrade since 2017 and a highly anticipated change to the blockchain. Taproot will introduce what's known as Schnorr signatures, which will help transactions become more private, efficient and perhaps even less expensive. Robert Hackett, a cryptocurrency expert and journalist, breaks down the new upgrade and what it means for bitcoin users.
Load More