Dispense
Dispense (AIQ Ecommerce) is a B2B SaaS platform enabling cannabis dispensaries to sell online through SEO-optimized menus on their own domains, with multi-channel order management, POS integrations, and integrated payments across 18 U.S. states.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2021
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Dispense does
Dispense (now operating as AIQ Ecommerce following its early 2024 acquisition by Alpine IQ) is a B2B SaaS platform that enables cannabis dispensaries to sell products online through their own branded domains rather than via third-party marketplaces. Founded in 2020-2021 in New York as a pandemic-era pivot from Tablelist (a nightlife reservation platform) by co-founders Kyla Sirni and Tim Officer, the company serves multi-state operators (MSOs), single-state operators (SSOs), independent dispensaries, and delivery depots across 18 U.S. states. The platform's distinguishing technical asset is a native, SEO-optimized menu architecture with dedicated URLs, metadata, and sub-2-second page loads — documented to deliver 49–178% organic search traffic gains and 626% ROI on strain-related search for anchor customer Ascend Wellness Holdings. Supporting capabilities include a headless commerce API (Blueprint), bi-directional sync with 10+ POS systems (Flowhub, Meadow, POSaBIT, Treez, Dutchie POS, Cova, BLAZE, Alleaves, Revel), integrated cannabis-compliant payments (Aeropay, KindTap, Swifter ACH), multi-channel order management (pickup, delivery, kiosk, curbside, drive-thru), CRM, analytics, and a staff-facing mobile app.
The business model is recurring SaaS subscription pricing tiered by dispensary size and order volume — explicitly no transaction fees — with a sales-assisted "Book Demo" motion targeting MSO/enterprise accounts and POS-partner reseller channels for mid-market. As of August 2023, Dispense had powered $1B in cumulative online orders and 10M+ orders across its tenant base, and the company raised a $2M seed round led by NextView Ventures in September 2021. Following the Alpine IQ acquisition, Dispense is positioned as the ecommerce component of a broader connected retail suite that bundles marketing automation, loyalty, data ops, and white-label mobile apps — a strategic combination designed to deepen per-tenant wallet share across the cannabis retail technology stack.
Dispense firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Dispense
- Legal name
- Alpine IQ Inc
- Website
- https://dispenseapp.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2021
- Operating status
- Acquired
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Dispense (AIQ Ecommerce) is a B2B SaaS platform enabling cannabis dispensaries to sell online through SEO-optimized menus on their own domains, with multi-channel order management, POS integrations, and integrated payments across 18 U.S. states.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Dispense industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Cannabis Retail Software
- NAICS
- Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (5182), Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (51821)
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Third-Party White-Label Ordering & Delivery Platforms (SaaS + Logistics) (CRANAGAF)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Dispensary-Owned Online Ordering & Delivery (Direct-to-Consumer) (CRANAGAE)
Keywords
Where Dispense is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Dispense business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- SaaS Subscription for Dispensary Ecommerce: Dispense charges dispensaries a recurring subscription fee for access to its ecommerce platform, order management, CRM, analytics, and integrations. Pricing is subscription-based with tiers based on feature access and order volume. The company is not a marketplace and does not charge transaction fees on dispensary sales.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Custom subscription pricing based on dispensary size, order volume, and feature requirements. |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels9 records
Dispense product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Dispense (now AIQ Ecommerce) provides a B2B SaaS ecommerce and dispensary management platform that enables cannabis dispensaries to sell products online through SEO-optimized menus on their own domains, manage pickup, delivery, kiosk, and marketplace orders from a unified dashboard, integrate with 20+ POS, payment, loyalty, and analytics systems, and own their customer data without paying transaction fees. The platform is sold via recurring subscriptions and is part of the broader AIQ Suite of cannabis retail tools.
Product overview
AIQ Ecommerce (formerly Dispense) is a cannabis industry retail platform consisting of a core ecommerce and dispensary management product plus multiple integrated modules. The core AIQ Ecommerce platform provides online ordering, menu management, and order fulfillment. This core is complemented by the AIQ Suite modules including AIQ Marketing (multi-channel campaigns), AIQ Analytics (real-time reporting), AIQ Loyalty (rewards programs), AIQ Data Ops (data unification), and AIQ Mobile Apps (branded customer apps). Additional capabilities include Customer Chat (automated support), Deals Engine (promotions), Cannabis CRM, and integrated payment solutions. The AIQ Blueprint API enables headless commerce for custom front-end development.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- AIQ Ecommerce (formerly Dispense) Cannabis ecommerce and dispensary management platform enabling dispensaries to sell products online, manage operations, build customer relationships, and scale their businesses through a native SEO-optimized menu, multi-channel order management, real-time POS sync, and integrated payments.
- AIQ Marketing Marketing product within the AIQ Suite that enables dispensaries to run multi-channel campaigns through SMS text, email, and branded mobile apps.
- AIQ Analytics Real-time analytics dashboard product providing actionable insights to optimize cannabis retail operations, enhance customer engagement, and drive revenue growth.
- AIQ Loyalty Loyalty program product delivering personalized rewards and experiences to cannabis retail customers, with connected loyalty registration and redemption integrated into the ecommerce checkout flow.
- AIQ Data Ops Data unification and cleaning product that consolidates customer data across platforms to power compliance, personalization, and business decision-making for cannabis retailers.
- AIQ Mobile Apps
Quantifiable outcome
- Powering $1 billion in online orders and 10 million+ orders as of August 2023
- +7 more outcomes
Companies that use Dispense
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Dispense technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration26 records
Feature9 records
Dispense partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
22 partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and primary.
- AeropaycoreAeropay is a compliant digital payments solution for the cannabis industry. The AIQ Ecommerce integration allows dispensaries to accept contactless QR code payments where customers link their bank account. Customers have a 75% returning customer rate and spend an average of 25%+ more per order when paying with Aeropay. Aeropay offers 24/7 client success support and custom marketing programs for user adoption.
- KindTapcoreKindTap is a digital payments platform for cannabis that enables Pay Now (bank account connection) and Pay Later (revolving line of credit) options. The integration allows AIQ Ecommerce customers to access digital credit and ACH payments. The average user takes just over 50 seconds to link their bank account, and returning customers can pay in under 5 seconds.
- Swifter ACH (Treez)coreSwifter ACH powered by Treez offers a suite of payments solutions for cannabis retailers. The integration allows AIQ Ecommerce checkout to include online pre-payments via ACH bank connections, with 1-click returning customer payments and 100% compliance with cannabis regulations.
- FlowhubcoreFlowhub is a leading cannabis retail software company providing POS, inventory tracking, compliance, and business intelligence. The bi-directional integration syncs products in real-time from Flowhub POS into AIQ Ecommerce and sends order data back to Flowhub for inventory management.
- MeadowcoreMeadow provides a complete suite of cannabis dispensary tools including POS, retail, delivery, ecommerce, payments, CRM, and marketing. The integration enables bi-directional real-time product and order sync between Meadow POS and AIQ Ecommerce.
- POSaBITcorePOSaBIT provides a complete payment solution and POS system for cannabis retailers. The bi-directional integration syncs products and inventory from POSaBIT POS into AIQ Ecommerce and sends order data back for inventory management.
- TreezcoreTreez provides POS, inventory management, omnichannel sales capabilities, and cashless payment options for cannabis retailers. The integration allows AIQ Ecommerce to sync with Treez for product data and order management.
- Dutchie POScoreDutchie POS is seed-to-sale software supporting vertically and horizontally integrated cannabis organizations. Dispense integrates with Dutchie POS for bi-directional product and order sync.
- CovacoreCova is an award-winning cannabis retail POS with automated compliance safeguards, mobile reporting dashboards, and express checkout. The bi-directional integration syncs products in real-time from Cova POS into AIQ Ecommerce and sends order data back to Cova.
- BLAZEcoreBLAZE provides cannabis cultivation, distribution, and retail POS services. The integration equips dispensaries with tools to increase sales, manage inventory, run promotions, and optimize the customer experience, with bi-directional product and order sync.
- AlleavescoreAlleaves is an ERP platform offering seed-to-sale tracking and a full POS with payments. The bi-directional integration syncs products and orders between Alleaves Sell POS and AIQ Ecommerce, with advanced route optimization and fleet tracking for delivery operations.
- OnFleetcoreOnFleet is a cloud-based logistics management platform powering millions of deliveries monthly across industries including cannabis. The bi-directional integration allows AIQ Ecommerce customers to select delivery at checkout and OnFleet handles delivery management, driver assignment, route optimization, and real-time SMS updates to customers.
- WeedmapscoreWeedmaps is a consumer-facing cannabis platform providing product information, online ordering, and local retailer listings. The integration allows AIQ Ecommerce dispensaries to automatically sync live menus and fulfill online Weedmaps orders directly through their POS, with SMS updates sent to customers for order status.
- LeaflycoreLeafly is the world's most trusted cannabis destination with over 100 million annual visitors. The one-way integration sends AIQ Ecommerce inventory updates to Leafly whenever a change is made in the POS, ensuring accurate available inventory is shown on the dispensary's Leafly profile.
- SpringbigsupportingSpringbig provides SMS marketing and loyalty solutions for cannabis retailers. The integration allows AIQ Ecommerce customers to offer loyalty program registration during checkout where they can view available points and select rewards.
- AIQ (Alpine IQ)primaryAIQ (Alpine IQ) is the leading data and marketing solutions provider for cannabis retailers and brands. AIQ Ecommerce (formerly Dispense) is now part of the AIQ connected retail platform. The integration pulls AIQ Ecommerce data to power AIQ Loyalty, analytics, marketing, and mobile app initiatives. AIQ Ecommerce customers can earn and redeem loyalty points within the ecommerce checkout flow.
- SquaresupportingSquare payment processing is integrated with AIQ Ecommerce to allow dispensaries to accept credit card payments quickly and securely.
- StripesupportingStripe payment processing is integrated with AIQ Ecommerce to allow dispensaries to accept credit card payments and enable Apple Pay and Google Pay options.
- Google AnalyticssupportingAIQ Ecommerce sends tracking and analytics data from the storefront to Google Analytics for SEO performance monitoring and ecommerce conversion tracking.
- SurfsidesupportingSurfside is a customer data and insights platform. The integration allows AIQ Ecommerce dispensaries to collect and understand all first-party data and consumer insights.
- EasyPostsupportingEasyPost provides a multi-carrier shipping API integrated with AIQ Ecommerce for order fulfillment and shipping label generation, particularly for delivery operations.
- TerplisupportingTerpli is an AI-powered budtender tool that helps cannabis customers find products matching their preferences. The integration enhances the AIQ Ecommerce product recommendation experience.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Dispense competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Cova: Cova is an award-winning cannabis retail POS with compliance, mobile dashboards, and an express checkout. Cova integrates with Dispense for ecommerce but also offers its own online ordering capabilities, making it a partial competitor and partner.
- Weedmaps: Weedmaps is the largest U.S. cannabis consumer marketplace with online ordering, retailer listings, and integrated menu/ordering — a core integration partner of Dispense and a structural competitor for dispensary customer acquisition spend and online ordering volume.
- BLAZE Software: BLAZE is a cannabis cultivation, distribution, and retail POS provider with integrated ecommerce and delivery tools. It is both an integration partner and a competitor to Dispense for dispensary ecommerce contracts.
- Treez: Treez is a cannabis retail POS, inventory, and omnichannel commerce platform with its own native ecommerce and payments (TreezPay) — a core integration partner of Dispense that also competes directly in the ecommerce layer. Its vertical bundling poses a structural threat to point-solution plays like Dispense.
- Flowhub: Flowhub is a leading cannabis POS, inventory tracking, and compliance platform with growing ecommerce functionality. It is both an integration partner and a competitor to Dispense, depending on whether dispensaries choose Flowhub's native ecommerce or a best-of-breed layer like Dispense.
Others
- Alpine IQ (AIQ): Alpine IQ is the parent company of Dispense/AIQ Ecommerce and the provider of AIQ Marketing, Loyalty, Data Ops, and Mobile Apps. Following the 2024 acquisition, Alpine IQ owns and distributes the Dispense product line, making it both parent and adjacent-suite peer rather than a direct external competitor.
Direct peers
- Jane Technologies (iHeartJane): iHeartJane is a cannabis ecommerce and marketplace platform serving dispensaries and consumers with online menus, ordering, and delivery. It competes directly with Dispense for dispensary ecommerce contracts and is a frequent comparison target in Dispense's own sales materials.
- Dutchie: Dutchie is the leading vertically integrated cannabis ecommerce and POS platform serving dispensaries in the U.S. It is a direct competitor to AIQ Ecommerce/Dispense, offering online ordering, menu management, payments, and POS in a single stack — and bundles POS + ecommerce natively, putting pricing pressure on Dispense's ecommerce-only model.
Emerging players
- Tymber: Tymber is a cannabis ecommerce platform offering online ordering, menus, and delivery tools for dispensaries. It targets a similar dispensary customer base as Dispense and competes on similar feature sets including SEO-friendly menus and POS integrations.
- Greenline POS: Greenline is a cannabis commerce platform providing POS, ecommerce, and delivery tools to dispensaries. It serves a similar SMB/MSO dispensary customer base and competes on overlapping feature sets including online menus and POS integrations.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Dispense social profiles
Digital presenceDispense financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Dispense leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Dispense funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors6 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Dispense 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 Dispense
What does Dispense do?
Dispense (now AIQ Ecommerce) provides a B2B SaaS ecommerce and dispensary management platform that enables cannabis dispensaries to sell products online through SEO-optimized menus on their own domains, manage pickup, delivery, kiosk, and marketplace orders from a unified dashboard, integrate with 20+ POS, payment, loyalty, and analytics systems, and own their customer data without paying transaction fees. The platform is sold via recurring subscriptions and is part of the broader AIQ Suite of cannabis retail tools.
Is Dispense a public or private company?
Dispense is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently acquired.
When was Dispense founded?
Dispense was founded in 2021. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Dispense based?
Dispense is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does Dispense make money?
One revenue line is on record: saaS Subscription for Dispensary Ecommerce.
Who are Dispense's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Cova, Weedmaps, BLAZE Software, Treez and Flowhub. Alpine IQ (AIQ) is listed as an others. Direct peers are Jane Technologies (iHeartJane) and Dutchie. Emerging players are Tymber and Greenline POS.
Does Dispense have an API?
Yes. AIQ Ecommerce Blueprint is a headless commerce API that allows developers to build fully customized cannabis e-commerce websites on top of the AIQ Ecommerce platform. It provides endpoints for managing products, orders, cart, checkout, user authentication, and venue information. The API supports custom storefronts built with React/Next.js or other technologies. Authentication is via x-dispense-api-key header. Sample application available at https://github.com/dispenseapp/dispense-sample-app built with React and NextJS. Developer documentation is at api-docs.dispenseapp.com.
What industry is Dispense in?
Dispense's product category is Cannabis Retail Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRANAGAF, Third-Party White-Label Ordering & Delivery Platforms (SaaS + Logistics), with a secondary code of CRANAGAE, Dispensary-Owned Online Ordering & Delivery (Direct-to-Consumer). Its NAICS code is 5182 and its SIC code is 7372.