Seatfrog
Seatfrog is a London-based mobile rail platform that lets passengers buy tickets, bid on First Class upgrades via auction, and swap train times. It serves 1.5M+ consumers and 16 European rail operators covering approximately 3 billion annual journeys.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Seatfrog does
Seatfrog is a London-based mobile rail platform founded in 2016 that enables passengers to purchase train tickets, bid on First Class upgrades through real-time auctions, swap train times, and access discounted fares. The company serves both end consumers — over 1.5 million customers have used the platform, collectively saving more than £110 million — and European rail operators seeking to monetize unsold First Class inventory. Seatfrog operates dual-sided: a consumer-facing mobile app (iOS and Android, rated 4.8 from 25,000 reviews) and a B2B platform embedded with rail operator digital channels, covering 16 operators across the UK and continental Europe including LNER, Avanti West Coast, GWR, TransPennine Express, CrossCountry, East Midlands Railway, Greater Anglia, Grand Central, Northern, Transport for Wales, and Trenitalia, spanning more than 3,400 destinations and approximately 3 billion annual journeys.
The platform is built on a proprietary real-time auction engine that processes over 8 million data points per second to dynamically price First Class upgrade auctions. Core products include First Class Upgrade Auctions (bidding starts from £5, with Instant Win and Instant Upgrade options), Train Swap (same-day ticket changes from £2.50), Secret Fare (up to 50% off standard tickets with operator-assigned trains), and standard ticket booking without booking fees. The technology stack integrates with the three major global distribution systems — Amadeus, Sabre, and Navitaire — for ticketing and reservation, and processes payments through Braintree and Adyen.
Seatfrog generates revenue primarily through transaction-based fees and commissions on upgrade auctions, instant upgrades, ticket sales, and Train Swap transactions. The go-to-market combines a product-led consumer strategy (self-serve app distribution via iOS and Google Play, no booking fees, referral incentives) with enterprise B2B sales targeting rail operators with documented outcomes of over 300% upsell revenue growth and 10x ROI. In April 2023, the company secured £6 million in growth funding from Pembroke, Praetura, and Octopus Ventures to accelerate pan-European expansion and team buildout.
Seatfrog firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Seatfrog
- Legal name
- Seatfrog Ops Ltd
- Website
- https://seatfrog.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Seatfrog is a London-based mobile rail platform that lets passengers buy tickets, bid on First Class upgrades via auction, and swap train times. It serves 1.5M+ consumers and 16 European rail operators covering approximately 3 billion annual journeys.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Seatfrog industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Rail Travel Technology
- NAICS
- Taxi and Ridesharing Services (48531)
- SIC
- Transportation Services (4700)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Ground Transportation Booking Platforms (Rail/Bus/Ferry) (BPAMAIAD)
Keywords
Where Seatfrog is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Seatfrog business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Upgrade Commission: Commission earned from train operators when a passenger wins an upgrade auction or purchases an instant upgrade through the Seatfrog platform
- Ticket Sales: Revenue from selling standard rail tickets across partner operators without booking fees, generating transaction revenue
- Train Swap Fees: Small transaction fee charged when passengers swap their train time to a different service (from £2.50)
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | First Class Upgrades via Auction |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Train Swap Service |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Secret Fare Tickets |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Standard Train Tickets |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Seatfrog product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Seatfrog is a mobile rail ticketing platform that allows train passengers to bid on First Class seat upgrades via a real-time auction, swap their existing train tickets to a different time, purchase discounted fares ("Secret Fare"), and book train tickets directly. The platform is delivered through consumer iOS and Android apps and is integrated with major UK and European rail operators including LNER, Avanti West Coast, CrossCountry, Great Northern, Trenitalia c2c, and Eurostar.
Product overview
Seatfrog is a rail ticketing platform offering a mobile app for iOS and Android that provides multiple interconnected services: users can purchase standard train tickets (Advance, Super Off Peak, Off Peak, Anytime fares) to over 3,400 destinations, bid on First Class upgrades through auction-based bidding (saving up to 60%), purchase instant upgrades at fixed prices, access Secret Fare discounted tickets (up to 50% off), and use Train Swap to change departure times on the same day from £2.50. The platform partners with major UK rail operators including Avanti West Coast, CrossCountry, East Midlands Railway, Grand Central, Greater Anglia, GWR, LNER, TransPennine Express, Northern, and Transport for Wales, covering over 3 billion journeys.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Train Swap: Service allowing users to swap their train time to one that suits them without the usual stress of changing tickets.
- Secret Fare
Products and services
- Seatfrog App
Quantifiable outcome
- Passengers save an average of 60% on First Class upgrades
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Seatfrog
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Seatfrog technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration6 records
Feature3 records
Seatfrog partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.
- TrenitaliaflagshipMajor European train operator partnership for pan-European expansion. Seatfrog aims to become the leading pan-European rail platform leveraging technology to improve operator profitability and passenger experience.
- LNER (London North Eastern Railway)flagshipExclusive partnership providing First Class upgrade auctions on LNER services. Suzanne Donnelly, Chief Commercial Officer at LNER, praised Seatfrog as 'supremely intuitive for our passengers and delivering excellent commercial performance'
- Avanti West CoastflagshipExclusive partnership for First Class upgrade auctions on Avanti West Coast routes
- GWR (Great Western Railway)coreExclusive partnership for First Class upgrade auctions on GWR services
- TransPennine ExpresscorePartnership for First Class upgrade auctions and Train Swap services on TransPennine Express network
- Northern TrainscoreExclusive Train Swap service partnership enabling flexible same-day train changes for Northern passengers
- CrossCountrycoreExclusive partnership for First Class upgrade auctions on CrossCountry services
- East Midlands RailwaycoreExclusive partnership for First Class upgrade auctions on East Midlands Railway services
- Transport for WalescoreExclusive partnership for First Class upgrade auctions on Transport for Wales services
- Greater AngliacoreExclusive partnership for First Class upgrade auctions on Greater Anglia services
- Grand CentralcoreExclusive partnership for First Class upgrade auctions on Grand Central services
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Seatfrog competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Trainline: The dominant UK and European rail booking platform, selling tickets across multiple operators and offering upgrades. Directly comparable to Seatfrog's core ticketing and upgrade business, with a much larger user base and broader geographic coverage.
- Omio (formerly GoEuro): Multi-modal European travel booking platform covering rail, bus, and air across 35+ countries. Comparable to Seatfrog as a pan-European rail technology platform targeting consumer and partner growth, though broader in modal coverage.
- Rail Europe: European rail ticketing distributor selling tickets across multiple European operators to international consumers. Comparable to Seatfrog on cross-border rail distribution and operator partnerships.
Emerging players
- TrainSplit: UK-focused rail app that helps passengers save money by splitting tickets into valid fare combinations. Comparable as a consumer-facing UK rail app competing for the same value-seeking traveller, though monetized via different mechanics.
- Loco2: European rail booking platform focused on cross-border train tickets across multiple operators. Comparable as a digital rail-only platform targeting European travellers, with similar operator-partnership dynamics to Seatfrog.
- Split My Fare: UK ticket-splitting service for rail passengers seeking cheaper fares. Comparable to Seatfrog as a consumer UK rail savings tool targeting the same price-sensitive traveller segment, though without the auction upgrade mechanic.
Broad incumbents
- Skyscanner: Global travel meta-search engine owned by Trip.com Group covering flights, hotels, and rail. Comparable to Seatfrog as a digital travel marketplace with a rail vertical, though Skyscanner is a much broader incumbent without Seatfrog's auction-led inventory model.
- Trip.com (CTRP): Large global online travel agency with rail booking capabilities across Europe and Asia. Comparable to Seatfrog as a multi-product travel platform serving European rail consumers, though vastly larger and broader in scope.
- Amadeus Rail: Major travel technology GDS provider that powers rail ticketing and reservation systems for many of the operators Seatfrog integrates with. Comparable as enterprise rail-technology infrastructure that could potentially compete with or complement Seatfrog's inventory optimization layer.
Others
- National Rail Enquiries (Rail Delivery Group): UK official rail journey planner and information service operated by the Rail Delivery Group on behalf of operators. Comparable to Seatfrog as a rail distribution channel used by UK passengers, serving as both a potential partner and a neutral alternative for upgrade discovery.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Seatfrog social profiles
Digital presenceSeatfrog financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Seatfrog leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Seatfrog funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds5 records
Investors6 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Seatfrog 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 Seatfrog
What does Seatfrog do?
Seatfrog is a mobile rail ticketing platform that allows train passengers to bid on First Class seat upgrades via a real-time auction, swap their existing train tickets to a different time, purchase discounted fares ("Secret Fare"), and book train tickets directly. The platform is delivered through consumer iOS and Android apps and is integrated with major UK and European rail operators including LNER, Avanti West Coast, CrossCountry, Great Northern, Trenitalia c2c, and Eurostar.
Is Seatfrog a public or private company?
Seatfrog is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Seatfrog founded?
Seatfrog was founded in 2016. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Seatfrog based?
Seatfrog is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Seatfrog make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Upgrade Commission is the primary driver. The others are ticket Sales and train Swap Fees.
Who are Seatfrog's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Trainline, Omio (formerly GoEuro) and Rail Europe. Emerging players are TrainSplit, Loco2 and Split My Fare. Broad incumbents are Skyscanner, Trip.com (CTRP) and Amadeus Rail. National Rail Enquiries (Rail Delivery Group) is listed as an others.
Does Seatfrog have an API?
No public API is recorded for Seatfrog.
What industry is Seatfrog in?
Seatfrog's product category is Rail Travel Technology. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAMAIAD, Ground Transportation Booking Platforms (Rail/Bus/Ferry). Its NAICS code is 48531 and its SIC code is 4700.