Early 2026
The Core Platform
End-to-end booking marketplace: find a vendor, pick a slot, pay securely, track them live. Built and tested before a single vendor was recruited.
2026
Payments in Escrow
Customer pays upfront. Money sits in escrow. Vendor gets paid automatically once the service is done. Powered by Paystack — no manual release, no admin intervention.
2026
Identity Verification for Every Vendor
Every vendor on VARS completes a full identity check before going live. Integrated with Youverify — a clean pass activates them instantly. No verified ID, no profile.
2026
A Platform Built for Trust
The features that make both sides feel safe:
- Phone numbers only shared 15 minutes before the appointment
- Tiered cancellation fees — vendor-initiated cancellations are always a full refund
- Dispute system: payment freezes immediately, VARS resolves
- Vendor portfolio photos require customer approval before publishing
May 2026
VARS Pioneers — 50 Vendors, Lagos
The founding cohort. Fifty barbers, hair stylists, and makeup artists recruited personally across Lagos. Pioneers carry a permanent badge and kept 100% of revenue on their first three bookings. The cohort is complete and closed.
Target: June 2026
400 Vendors in the Pipeline
Now75 professionals have already registered their interest. The target is 400 by end of June — verified and ready to go live when the app launches.
July 2026
App Store Launch
VARS goes live on iOS App Store and Google Play. The first month is supply-only: the onboarding funnel converts interested vendors into fully verified, active professionals. No customer marketing yet — this month is about making sure the supply is exceptional before demand arrives.
August 2026
Both Sides Open
Customer-facing marketing activates. For the first time, both sides of the marketplace are live simultaneously: customers book, vendors deliver. VARS is fully open.
Q3 2026
Platform Health Review
A structured audit of booking quality, vendor performance, and platform health — before the year-end push. The goal is to know exactly what's working before scaling it.
November — December 2026
Year-End
Lagos at its best. VARS positioned and ready.
End 2026
1,000 Completed Bookings
The Year 1 milestone. Not installs. Not sign-ups. Completed sessions — paid out, rated, done. One thousand.
2027
VARS Points
Every booking earns points. Customers earn from what they spend. Vendors earn from what they deliver. More on what they unlock: coming.