US-based key replacement service KeyMe has secured $7.8m in series A funding from investors including 7-Ventures, the corporate venturing arm of retail chain 7-Eleven.
7-Ventures was joined in the round by fellow new investors White Star Capital, Battery Ventures and Ravin Ghandi. KeyMe previously raised $2.6m in funding from Battery, Ghandi and angel investors Amol Sarva and Jeffrey Wald.
KeyMe aims to disrupt the locksmith industry by allowing users to scan their key using their smartphones and receive duplicates either in the mail or through one of the company’s vending kiosks, which are located in branches of retailers including 7-Eleven kiosk, Bed Bath & Beyond and RiteAid.
The company, currently operating only in Long Island, New York, will use the investment to fund a nationwide expansion that will involve it partnering with hundreds of other stores.
Raja Doddala, vice president of portfolio management at 7-Ventures, said: “Over the past nine months, we’ve seen KeyMe kiosks deliver an outstanding in-store service which customers have responded enthusiastically to. By becoming an investor, 7-Eleven will learn more about effectively engaging customers with innovative, automated retail solutions.”