US-based on-demand massage booking service Zeel has achieved a $10m first close of a $12m series A round led by Emil Capital Partners, the local corporate venturing arm of Germany-based retailer Tengelmann.
The round also featured wellness-focused marketing company Spafinder and venture capital firms Slow Ventures, Partech Ventures and New Atlantic Ventures.
Founded in 2010, Zeel operates a marketplace for on-demand massages. The company runs background checks on all listed therapists and requires users to prove their identity by providing their social security number or a copy of a government-issued ID.
Zeel currently operates in 20 US cities and is using the capital to expand into additional locations, having launched in Phoenix, Austin and Seattle this week.
The company has raised $15m in funding to date, though it has only disclosed details about a $1.5m angel round in 2012 backed by assorted private investors. VC firm Corigin Ventures has been an investor in Zeel since 2013 .