Upgraded
Upgraded operates a subscription-based Apple device upgrade program offering 36-month payment plans with biennial upgrade options, AppleCare+ included, and Affirm financing. It serves US consumers directly and, since 2025, business teams through managed device leasing and fleet tools.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Upgraded does
Upgraded operates a subscription-based device upgrade program for Apple products, primarily targeting US consumers and, more recently, business customers. Founded in 2016 with European retail upgrade programs and relaunched in the US market in 2023, the company offers 36-month payment plans for MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and iPad Pro through its website (getupgraded.com). Each program bundles the device with AppleCare+ coverage, rates as low as 0% APR via Affirm, and includes an option to upgrade to a newer model after 24 monthly payments. Returned devices are refurbished and resold, supporting a circular-economy positioning.
The underlying platform is not described as proprietary technology; rather, Upgraded is a financial and operational orchestrator that integrates with Affirm for consumer credit underwriting (0–36% APR, soft-pull pre-qualification) and GatorTec, an Apple Premier Partner, for device fulfillment. For the 2025-launched B2B product, Upgraded has integrated with Apple Business Manager for zero-touch deployment and with multiple MDM providers (Kandji, Jamf, Mosyle) for fleet management. The company monetizes primarily through the spread between total monthly payments collected and device cost, plus facilitation economics on Affirm-financed loans; the B2B tier adds 12–48 month lease structures with traditional or $1 buyout financial-lease options.
Upgraded has approximately 6–7 named team members led by co-founder and CEO John Erik Metcalf, with a disclosed total headcount band of 11–50. The company has raised roughly $3.95M in disclosed funding across three rounds, most recently $750K in September 2021, with investors including Y Combinator, Liquid 2 Ventures, GRIL Ventures, Oyster Ventures, and Greg Brockman. Since 2016, Upgraded reports 100,000+ devices sold and refurbished across its European and US operations and maintains a 4.9/5 Trustpilot rating.
Upgraded firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Upgraded
- Legal name
- Upgraded Technologies, Inc.
- Website
- https://getupgraded.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Upgraded operates a subscription-based Apple device upgrade program offering 36-month payment plans with biennial upgrade options, AppleCare+ included, and Affirm financing. It serves US consumers directly and, since 2025, business teams through managed device leasing and fleet tools.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Upgraded industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Consumer Electronics Leasing
- NAICS
- Consumer Electronics and Appliances Rental (532210), Sales Financing (52222)
- SIC
- Services-Computer Rental & Leasing (7377)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Consumer Electronics & Mobile Device Leasing (FSAKANAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Electronics Refurbishment, Repair & Reuse (Remarketing/Resale) (BPALAIAD), BNPL for High-Ticket / Longer-Term Installments (FSAKACAN)
Keywords
Where Upgraded is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Upgraded business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Device Financing Spread: Upgraded bundles MacBook or iPad pricing with AppleCare+ and spreads the total cost over 36 monthly payments. Revenue is generated from the spread between total payments collected and the cost of goods sold to the partner retailer.
- Interest/Financing Revenue: Affirm handles the actual lending; Upgraded facilitates the program. Rates range from 0-36% APR. Upgraded earns revenue as program facilitator.
- Business Leasing: Upgraded for Business offers 12-48 month lease terms for teams. Traditional lease allows upgrade, return, or buy at fair market value. Financial lease offers $1 buyout after 36 months. Revenue from monthly lease payments.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | MacBook Air with AppleCare+ from $33.28/mo for 36 months |
| Subscription | Monthly | MacBook Pro with AppleCare+ from $52.17/mo for 36 months |
| Subscription | Monthly | iPad Pro with AppleCare+ from $31.89/mo for 36 months |
| Subscription | Monthly | Business MacBook Air from $25.52/mo |
| Subscription | Monthly | Business MacBook Pro from $40.69/mo |
| Subscription | Monthly | Business ThinkPad X1 Carbon from $54.08/mo |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Upgraded product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Upgraded operates a MacBook and iPad upgrade program that bundles the device with AppleCare+ and spreads total cost over 36 monthly payments with the option to upgrade to a new device after 24 months. Financing is facilitated through Affirm (0-36% APR) and device fulfillment is handled by Apple Premier Partner GatorTec. The company also offers Upgraded for Business, a B2B leasing program with 12-48 month terms, fleet management dashboard, MDM integration, and direct-to-employee shipping.
Product overview
Upgraded is a device upgrade program operator offering subscription-based access to Apple products. The core offering consists of the MacBook Upgrade Program (covering both MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models), the iPad Upgrade Program, and the business-focused Upgraded for Business. All programs provide 36-month payment plans with the option to upgrade after 24 months, AppleCare+ coverage included, and 0% APR financing through Affirm partner. The Upgraded for Business tier extends these capabilities to enterprise customers with fleet management, MDM integration, and 12-48 month lease terms.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- MacBook Upgrade Program (MacBook Air) Monthly payment program for MacBook Air with 36-month financing, option to upgrade after 24 payments, and AppleCare+ coverage included. Priced from $33.28/mo for 36 months ($1,198 total). Targeted at individual consumers wanting the latest MacBook without large upfront cost.
- MacBook Upgrade Program (MacBook Pro) Monthly payment program for MacBook Pro with 36-month financing, option to upgrade after 24 payments, and AppleCare+ coverage included. Priced from $52.17/mo for 36 months ($1,878 total). Targeted at individual consumers wanting the latest MacBook Pro without large upfront cost.
- iPad Upgrade Program Monthly payment program for iPad Pro with 36-month financing, option to upgrade after 24 payments, and AppleCare+ coverage included. Priced from $31.89/mo for 36 months ($1,148 total). Targeted at individual consumers wanting the latest iPad Pro without large upfront cost.
- Upgraded for Business B2B device leasing program allowing companies to lease Macs, iPads, and other tech with 12-48 month terms. Includes fleet management dashboard, MDM setup assistance, device collection services, and direct shipping to employees. Offers Traditional lease (upgrade, return, or buy at fair market value) and Financial lease ($1 buyout after 36 months).
Quantifiable outcome
- 100,000+ devices sold and refurbished since 2016
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Upgraded
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Upgraded technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration5 records
Upgraded partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- GatorTeccoreApple Premier Partner that fulfills all device orders for Upgraded. Customers shop through GatorTec's storefront via Upgraded links. Handles shipping and device delivery to customers.
- Apple Premier PartnerscoreUpgraded collaborates with Apple Premier Partners to create affordable upgrade programs. GatorTec is one such partner.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Upgraded competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Affirm: Affirm is Upgraded's designated lending partner but also a broad BNPL incumbent that could disintermediate Upgraded by offering the same 0-36% APR installment product directly to Apple customers through its own merchant integrations.
- Klarna: Klarna offers Pay-in-4 and Pay-in-Long-Term installment options at major electronics retailers, directly competing with the financing leg of Upgraded's proposition and having significantly larger brand awareness and merchant distribution.
- Apple (Apple Card Monthly Installments / iPhone Upgrade Program): Apple's first-party financing and upgrade programs (iPhone Upgrade Program, Apple Card Monthly Installments) are the ultimate incumbent benchmark; Upgraded explicitly positions against the absence of a Mac equivalent, making Apple the most relevant broader-market player to track for competitive risk.
Direct peers
- Grover: Grover is a Berlin-based consumer tech rental subscription company offering monthly access to smartphones, laptops, tablets, and consumer electronics — the closest direct competitor to Upgraded's core subscription/upgrade mechanic, originally European and now expanding globally.
Emerging players
- Wisetack: Wisetack provides consumer financing for big-ticket purchases (often electronics and home services) embedded at point-of-sale with no hard credit check, closely mirroring Upgraded's pre-qualification flow via Affirm but as a horizontal platform across many merchants.
- Perpay: Perpay offers a buy-now-pay-later model tied to earned-wage access for consumer purchases including electronics, providing an alternative financing path that overlaps with Upgraded's affordability narrative for cash-constrained Apple buyers.
- HOBI International: HOBI is an IT asset disposition (ITAD) and electronics refurbishment provider servicing enterprise fleets, comparable on the refurbishment/remarketing leg of Upgraded's circular-economy model and a potential B2B partner or competitor in the corporate refresh channel.
- PayJoy: PayJoy provides smartphone and consumer electronics financing/leasing primarily in emerging markets, with a similar lock-and-leased-device model and credit-underwriting-light flow that overlaps with Upgraded's consumer electronics lease mechanic.
- Cortado / Hofy: Hofy (formerly Cortado) is a UK-based device-as-a-service platform for businesses that handles procurement, setup, management, and retrieval of employee laptops and phones — directly comparable to the Upgraded for Business proposition and a relevant benchmark for European B2B expansion.
Regional players
- CompuCycle: CompuCycle is a Texas-based ITAD and certified electronics refurbisher serving enterprise customers, comparable on the device lifecycle/refurbishment side of Upgraded's business and a regional benchmark for B2B circular-economy economics.
Market position
Strengths1 record
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Upgraded social profiles
Digital presenceUpgraded financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Upgraded leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Upgraded funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds3 records
Investors8 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Upgraded M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Upgraded
What does Upgraded do?
Upgraded operates a MacBook and iPad upgrade program that bundles the device with AppleCare+ and spreads total cost over 36 monthly payments with the option to upgrade to a new device after 24 months. Financing is facilitated through Affirm (0-36% APR) and device fulfillment is handled by Apple Premier Partner GatorTec. The company also offers Upgraded for Business, a B2B leasing program with 12-48 month terms, fleet management dashboard, MDM integration, and direct-to-employee shipping.
Is Upgraded a public or private company?
Upgraded is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Upgraded founded?
Upgraded was founded in 2016. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Upgraded based?
Upgraded is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
How does Upgraded make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Device Financing Spread is the primary driver. The others are interest/Financing Revenue and business Leasing.
Who are Upgraded's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Affirm, Klarna and Apple (Apple Card Monthly Installments / iPhone Upgrade Program). Grover is listed as a direct peer. Emerging players are Wisetack, Perpay, HOBI International, PayJoy and Cortado / Hofy. CompuCycle is listed as a regional player.
Does Upgraded have an API?
No public API is recorded for Upgraded.
What industry is Upgraded in?
Upgraded's product category is Consumer Electronics Leasing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAKANAB, Consumer Electronics & Mobile Device Leasing, with a secondary code of BPALAIAD, Electronics Refurbishment, Repair & Reuse (Remarketing/Resale). Its NAICS code is 532210 and its SIC code is 7377.