Vibes
Vibes is a mobile-first engagement platform serving enterprise and mid-market brands, primarily in retail and restaurants, offering SMS, MMS, RCS, Mobile Wallet, and Push via direct carrier connections (Tier 1 aggregation) with AI-powered optimization and a bundled annual subscription plus usage-based pricing model.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2000
- HeadquartersChicago, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Vibes does
Vibes is a mobile-first engagement platform serving primarily enterprise and mid-market brands in retail and restaurants, with additional reach into hospitality, financial services, automotive, and entertainment. The company operates two integrated product lines: the Vibes Platform, which manages SMS, MMS, RCS, Mobile Wallet, Push, and App Inbox channels through unified audience, experience, and analytics capabilities; and Vibes Connect, a Tier 1 SMS/RCS aggregation service with direct connections to Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, and 65+ regional carriers. Vibes also offers RCS Studio as an end-to-end provisioning and compliance module, and the Nexus AI engine, trained on 25+ years of proprietary messaging data, powers predictive send-time optimization and content recommendations.
The business model combines an annual bundled subscription (Professional tier from $20,000; Enterprise tier by size/volume) with usage-based per-message pricing for Vibes Connect, in which carrier fees are passed through without markup. The company employs a sales-led go-to-market with enterprise field sales, inside sales for mid-market, self-serve for SMB, and a full API suite for technical buyers. Named customers include Chipotle, Topgolf, Hibbett, Ashley Stewart, KBP Brands, Mattress Firm, Progressive Leasing, Festival Foods, Kohl's, Ralph Lauren, and The Container Store, with multiple decade-plus customer relationships. Vibes is incorporated as Vibes, LLC in the United States, headquartered in Chicago, with 101-250 employees and founder ownership under Jack Philbin (Co-Founder, President & CEO) and Alex Campbell (Co-Founder, CIO).
Vibes firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Vibes
- Legal name
- Vibes, LLC
- Website
- https://vibes.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2000
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Vibes is a mobile-first engagement platform serving enterprise and mid-market brands, primarily in retail and restaurants, offering SMS, MMS, RCS, Mobile Wallet, and Push via direct carrier connections (Tier 1 aggregation) with AI-powered optimization and a bundled annual subscription plus usage-based pricing model.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Vibes industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Mobile Marketing Software
- NAICS
- Wired and Wireless Telecommunications (except Satellite) (5171), Advertising Agencies (54181)
- SIC
- Telegraph & Other Message Communications (4822), Services-Advertising (7310)
- akta.pro primary industry
- SMS/MMS & Messaging Marketing Services (Text, RCS, WhatsApp/OTT) (MPAAAIAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- SMS/RCS Messaging Platforms (BPAMACAF), SMS & Mobile Direct Marketing Services (BPAFAKAI), Direct Marketing, CRM & Lifecycle (Email, SMS, Loyalty) (BPAFAAAJ)
Keywords
Where Vibes is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chicago
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Vibes business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Vibes Platform - Bundled License: All-you-can-eat bundled license providing access to SMS, MMS, RCS, Mobile Wallet, and Push channels. Two tiers: Professional (starting at $20,000) and Enterprise. No per-message markup beyond carrier charges. Customers choose to activate the parts that make sense for their business.
- Vibes Connect - Tier 1 Aggregation: Per-message pricing for SMS and RCS connectivity services. Direct carrier connections with transparent pass-through costs for carrier fees. This is typical for SMS and CPaaS providers.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Professional tier for mid-market brands starting at $20,000 annually with all-inclusive access to SMS, MMS, RCS, Mobile Wallet, and Push channels. |
| Subscription | Annual | Enterprise tier for large organizations with higher volume and additional support requirements. |
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | Per-message pricing for direct carrier connectivity services through Vibes Connect. |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
Vibes product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Vibes operates a mobile engagement platform that enables brands to deliver personalized marketing across SMS, MMS, RCS, Mobile Wallet, and Push channels through direct Tier 1 carrier connections. The bundled software platform combines audience management, experience management, analytics, and AI-driven optimization, supplemented by Vibes Connect for direct carrier aggregation and RCS Studio for RCS agent provisioning.
Product overview
Vibes is a mobile engagement platform that combines a unified platform architecture with specialized channels and capabilities. The core offering consists of the Vibes Platform for managing SMS, MMS, RCS, Mobile Wallet, and Push channels, paired with Vibes Connect as the underlying Tier 1 aggregation infrastructure providing direct carrier connections. RCS Studio serves as an add-on module for RCS agent creation and management. The platform also includes AI-powered capabilities through the Nexus engine for send-time optimization and content recommendations. Additional modules cover Audience Management, Experience Management, Analytics & Insights, and Data & Ecosystem for comprehensive mobile marketing operations.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Vibes Platform: Mobile-first engagement platform for delivering personalized consumer experiences at scale
- Vibes Connect
- RCS Studio
- Vibes Nexus
Products and services
- Vibes Platform
- Vibes Connect
- RCS Studio
Quantifiable outcome
- 90x average ROI on SMS messaging programs
- +9 more outcomes
Companies that use Vibes
Customer profileNamed customers18 records
Segments8 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Vibes technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration8 records
AI capability6 records
Feature6 records
Vibes partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
15 partnerships are on record, tiered core, key and supporting.
- GooglecoreEarly access partner with Google at the initial launch of RCS messaging in North America. Partnered closely with Apple on bringing RCS to the US market. These relationships provide distinct advantages for brands launching RCS campaigns through Vibes.
- ApplecoreClose partnership with Apple on bringing RCS messaging to the US. Combined with Google partnership, provides brands with RCS access across both iOS and Android ecosystems.
- VerizoncoreDirect carrier connection as a Tier 1 aggregator. Longtime relationship ensures messages take the absolute fastest, most compliant path from businesses to consumers.
- AT&TcoreDirect carrier connection as a Tier 1 aggregator. Longtime relationship ensures messages take the absolute fastest, most compliant path from businesses to consumers.
- T-MobilecoreDirect carrier connection as a Tier 1 aggregator. Longtime relationship ensures messages take the absolute fastest, most compliant path from businesses to consumers.
- U.S. CellularcoreDirect carrier connection as a Tier 1 aggregator. Longtime relationship ensures messages take the absolute fastest, most compliant path from businesses to consumers.
- 65+ Regional CarrierscoreDirect relationships with 65+ regional carriers in addition to major carriers, ensuring comprehensive coverage and compliance across all US carrier networks.
- Adobe Marketo EngagekeySeamless, direct integration into Adobe Marketo Engage for coordinated marketing automation and campaign orchestration.
- Salesforce Marketing CloudkeyDirect integration with Salesforce Marketing Cloud enabling coordinated customer engagement and journey orchestration.
- ShopifykeyDirect integration with Shopify for e-commerce connected mobile marketing and customer engagement.
- Adobe Journey OptimizerkeyIntegration with Adobe Journey Optimizer for coordinated customer journey management across channels.
- SnowflakekeyIntegration with Snowflake for data warehousing and analytics connected to mobile marketing insights.
- Oracle CrowdTwistkeyIntegration with Oracle CrowdTwist loyalty platform for coordinated loyalty program management.
- NarvarsupportingIntegration with Narvar for post-purchase customer engagement and tracking.
- BrevokeyIntegration with Brevo (CDP) enabling Ashley Stewart to capture customer information in real time, pushing email addresses over due to the integration. Used for 'omnipresent orchestration' combining SMS, email, and other channels.
Scale indicators16 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Vibes competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Attentive: SMS-first marketing platform targeting retail and ecommerce brands. Competes directly with Vibes' SMS/MMS and RCS offering for the same enterprise retail and restaurant customer base.
- Twilio: Public CPaaS leader offering programmable SMS, MMS, RCS and mobile marketing APIs to enterprise developers. Closest direct competitor in Tier 1 aggregation, SMS marketing, and RCS enablement, though Twilio operates at much broader scope (voice, email, video).
- Klaviyo: Marketing automation platform with native SMS alongside email. Targets DTC and retail brands with integrated messaging, analytics, and Shopify-native workflows, overlapping Vibes' retail and ecommerce customer set.
- Sinch: Global CPaaS provider with direct carrier connections worldwide and growing enterprise messaging/marketing software stack. Comparable in Tier 1 aggregation and SMS marketing at global scale, though with broader international footprint.
- Postscript: SMS marketing platform purpose-built for Shopify ecommerce brands. Directly competes for retail/DTC SMS budgets with a SaaS-led GTM and conversational messaging features.
- Bird (MessageBird): Omnichannel communications platform offering SMS, WhatsApp, email and marketing automation. Direct peer in CPaaS messaging with overlapping SMS and omnichannel marketing capabilities.
- Iterable: Cross-channel marketing platform with native SMS, push and in-app messaging. Competes for enterprise B2C mobile engagement budgets alongside Vibes' Experience Management and Push capabilities.
- OneSignal: Customer engagement platform specializing in push notifications, in-app messaging and SMS. Comparable to Vibes' Push channel and developer-first API distribution model.
- Airship: Mobile experience platform offering push, in-app, SMS and wallet messaging to enterprise brands. Direct peer in mobile-first customer engagement and Mobile Wallet channel.
Broad incumbents
- Salesforce Marketing Cloud: Enterprise marketing suite (part of Salesforce) including MobileConnect for SMS and MobilePush. Vibes integrates with Salesforce Marketing Cloud as a partner but Salesforce represents a broader-suite incumbent in the same enterprise buyer relationships.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Vibes social profiles
Digital presenceVibes financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Vibes leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Vibes funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors2 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Vibes M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A3 records
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Vibes
What does Vibes do?
Vibes operates a mobile engagement platform that enables brands to deliver personalized marketing across SMS, MMS, RCS, Mobile Wallet, and Push channels through direct Tier 1 carrier connections. The bundled software platform combines audience management, experience management, analytics, and AI-driven optimization, supplemented by Vibes Connect for direct carrier aggregation and RCS Studio for RCS agent provisioning.
Is Vibes a public or private company?
Vibes is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Vibes founded?
Vibes was founded in 2000. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Vibes based?
Vibes is headquartered in Chicago, United States, in the North America region.
How does Vibes make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Vibes Platform - Bundled License is the primary driver. The others are vibes Connect - Tier 1 Aggregation.
Who are Vibes's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Attentive, Twilio, Klaviyo, Sinch, Postscript, Bird (MessageBird), Iterable, OneSignal and Airship. Salesforce Marketing Cloud is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Vibes have an API?
Yes. Vibes offers a full API suite that enables enterprise-grade SMS, MMS, RCS, Mobile Wallet, and advanced analytics integration. The APIs allow campaign customization that meets unique objectives rather than templated experiences, enabling marketers to create thousands of different event triggers and bring messaging capabilities into their existing tech stacks. Developer documentation is at developer.vibes.com.
What industry is Vibes in?
Vibes's product category is Mobile Marketing Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAAAIAB, SMS/MMS & Messaging Marketing Services (Text, RCS, WhatsApp/OTT), with a secondary code of BPAMACAF, SMS/RCS Messaging Platforms. Its NAICS code is 5171 and its SIC code is 4822.