SpotHopper

What SpotHopper does

SpotHopper is a Milwaukee-based SaaS company that operates an AI-powered marketing platform built exclusively for independent restaurants. Founded in 2015 by Niko Ivanovic, the company has positioned itself as AI-first from inception, with the platform combining website design and hosting, local SEO and Google Business Profile synchronization, automated review management, AI-generated social media posting (Facebook and Instagram), personalized email and SMS marketing, catering and event inquiry handling, and an AI-driven phone and reservation system into a single integrated product intended to replace ten or more separate vendor tools. The platform is delivered as a subscription with flexible monthly pricing and serves more than 18,000 restaurant partners across the United States, with a reported 99% year-over-year customer retention rate.

The company monetizes primarily through subscription SaaS contracts, segmented between independent restaurant operators (the core primary segment) and multi-location restaurant groups (a secondary upmarket segment). Go-to-market is sales-led, combining inside sales with a Business Development Representative team booking free demos, a field sales force of Account Executives organized across 16+ US metropolitan territories, and a referral partner program paying $1,000 per signed restaurant. The platform integrates with Google Business Profile, OpenTable, Yelp, and UberEats, and supports Google SSO for authentication. Backend AI capabilities span generative content creation, autonomous agentic workflows, recommendation-based personalized guest outreach, and conversational reservation handling.

SpotHopper has raised $26 million in total funding across two known rounds, most recently a $12 million Series B in June 2023 led by San Diego-based growth equity firm TVC Capital. The company employs 800+ people and is led by founder and CEO Niko Ivanovic, with co-founder Aleksandar Ivanovic serving as Executive Chairman and Ivan Šišović as CTO. The company is privately held, incorporated in Wisconsin as SpotHopper Inc., and currently operates only in the United States.

Name

SpotHopper

Legal name

SpotHopper Inc.

Website

https://spothopperapp.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

SpotHopper is an AI-powered marketing SaaS platform built exclusively for restaurants, consolidating website design, SEO, reviews, social media, email/SMS marketing, catering, and AI-driven reservations into one subscription product serving 18,000+ independent restaurant operators across the United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Restaurant Marketing Software

NAICS

Indoor and Outdoor Display Advertising (54185)

SIC

Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)

akta.pro primary industry

Restaurant Reservations & Dining Booking Platforms (BPAMAIAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Restaurant/Table Reservation & Booking Engines (THALADAH)

Keywords

• Restaurant marketing software
• AI marketing automation
• Local SEO platform
• Restaurant website builder
• Catering booking software

Headquarters

HQ city

Milwaukee

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Subscription-based SaaS Platform: Flexible subscription pricing designed for independent restaurant owners and multi-location groups alike. Plans scale with the restaurant's needs. The platform is positioned as an all-in-one solution replacing multiple vendors.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

SpotHopper is an all-in-one AI-powered marketing platform built specifically for independent restaurants. It combines website design, local SEO optimization, review management, automated social media posting, email/text marketing, catering and event booking, and an AI-driven reservation and phone system into a single integrated SaaS subscription, replacing the need for multiple point marketing vendors.

Product overview

SpotHopper is a single unified AI-powered marketing platform built specifically for the restaurant industry, combining website design, local SEO, review management, social media automation, email/SMS marketing, catering and events tools, and an AI reservation system into one integrated system. The platform replaces 10+ separate vendor tools, with AI acting as an autonomous marketing and operations team that works 24/7. The core AI Marketing Platform serves as the foundation, with specialized modules for customer acquisition (Website Builder, Local SEO, Review Management), customer retention (Social Media Automation, Email & Text Marketing), revenue optimization (Catering & Events, AI Reservation System), and performance measurement (Analytics Dashboard). Founded in 2015, the platform serves 18,000+ restaurants with a 99% retention rate.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SpotHopper AI Marketing Platform

Quantifiable outcome

• 85% increase in website visits within six months
• +8 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

AI capability8 records

Feature6 records

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Popmenu (Owner.com): Popmenu (now part of Owner.com) is one of the closest direct competitors to SpotHopper, offering an all-in-one restaurant marketing platform with websites, online ordering, AI-powered content, and guest engagement tools targeting independent restaurants. Highly comparable GTM, customer segment, and product surface area.
• ChowNow: ChowNow is a direct competitor providing commission-free online ordering, restaurant websites, and marketing tools built specifically for independent restaurants. Comparable customer base (independent operators) and SaaS subscription model with overlapping features in websites, SEO, and customer engagement.
• BentoBox: BentoBox (acquired by Dine Brands) is a direct peer offering restaurant websites, online ordering, catering, and marketing tools for independent restaurants. Strong overlap with SpotHopper's website builder, SEO, and catering/event modules serving the same customer persona.
• Bloom Intelligence: Bloom Intelligence provides AI-driven restaurant marketing automation including WiFi guest data capture, automated marketing, reputation management, and websites — directly comparable to SpotHopper's review management, automated outreach, and website modules targeting independent restaurants.
• SevenRooms: SevenRooms is a restaurant CRM, marketing, and reservations platform serving restaurants, hotels, and nightlife operators. Strongly comparable on the reservations, guest data, and marketing automation side, with overlap in SpotHopper's catering/events and AI reservation system modules.
• Tock (by Squarespace): Tock is a reservation, ordering, and events platform for restaurants. Comparable to SpotHopper's catering/events booking and reservation system, with overlap in how restaurants capture demand and run promotions.
• Owner.com: Owner.com (formerly Bringg for Restaurants, now merged with Popmenu) provides an all-in-one restaurant growth platform spanning websites, online ordering, marketing, and AI-driven guest engagement. Highly comparable target customer and bundled product approach to SpotHopper.
• Thanx: Thanx is a digital loyalty, marketing, and CRM platform for restaurants. Overlaps with SpotHopper's automated email/SMS marketing, guest re-engagement, and customer retention features serving similar independent operator customers.

Broad incumbents

• Toast: Toast is the leading restaurant POS and operations platform, which now bundles marketing, loyalty, and online ordering into its broader restaurant-tech stack. Comparable customer base and increasingly overlapping marketing features, but is a broader incumbent rather than a marketing specialist.
• Square for Restaurants: Square (Block) provides a full restaurant POS plus built-in marketing tools, loyalty, online ordering, and website services. Comparable end customer (independent restaurants) and overlapping marketing capabilities, but competes from a broad SMB payments/POS incumbent position rather than as a marketing-specialist.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/spothopperapp
• Instagraminstagram.com/spothopperapp
• Xx.com/hopper_spot
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/spothopper

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SpotHopper