Cova
Cova Software provides a cloud-based cannabis retail platform combining point-of-sale, payment processing, ecommerce, inventory management, and compliance reporting. It serves more than 2,000 dispensaries and CBD retailers across the US and Canada through SaaS subscriptions and transaction-based payment fees.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersDenver, United States
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Cova does
Cova Software, legally Retail Innovation Labs LLC (US) and Retail Innovation Labs Inc. (Canada), is a private cannabis retail technology company founded in 2016 and headquartered in Cornelius, North Carolina, with a Canadian head office in Vancouver, British Columbia. The company builds a cloud-based point-of-sale platform purpose-built for licensed cannabis dispensaries and CBD retailers, currently powering more than 2,000 stores across 18+ US states and 6 Canadian provinces. Its core product, Cova POS, is delivered as a SaaS subscription and is augmented by an integrated module suite covering payments (Cova Pay in the US and Canada plus a CBD-specific offering), ecommerce (Cova eComm), inventory management, reporting and analytics, compliance, an enterprise tier for multi-location operators, and a bundled Canadian retail suite; the platform is SOC 2 Type 2 and HIPAA Type 2 attested and integrates with state traceability systems including Metrc, BioTrackTHC, Leaf Data Systems, and Ontario's POS Data Reporting Platform, as well as a broad partner ecosystem (Breadstack, Mosaic, Springbig, Weedmaps, Leafly, Carrot, KayaPush, Solink, Webjoint, Shiftlab).
The underlying technology is a single-API architecture shared by the POS and ecommerce modules, enabling real-time inventory, pricing, and promotion synchronization across channels, and the company emphasizes reliability with a claimed 99.9999% uptime guarantee and 100% uptime on 4/20 peak events. Go-to-market is sales-led and segmented by retailer size: direct field sales for multi-location enterprise operators, inside sales for single-location SMBs, and channel/reseller partnerships with ecommerce platforms such as Breadstack and Mosaic for smaller accounts. Marketing relies on content (cannabis retail blog, regulatory guides, case studies), SEO, email, industry events including MJBizCon and O'Cannabiz, webinars via Demio, and partnerships with state and provincial industry associations (NCIA, NJ CannaBusiness, RCCO, MICA, among others).
Cova's revenue model combines recurring SaaS subscriptions for the core platform with transaction-based fees from Cova Pay payment processing and an add-on gift card program. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed; the company markets bundle savings of $100-$600 per month relative to point solutions from Dutchie and Weedmaps, and CBD payment processing is offered free to retailers with competitive transaction rates. The company has raised approximately $9.4 million in disclosed outside capital since inception (an $8.0M round in 2018 led by Golden Opportunities Fund with Westcap, and a $1.43M TIMIA Capital tranche in 2020), operates with 251-500 employees, and reports 98% customer retention with consecutive EmJay Awards in 2024 and 2025.
Cova firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Cova
- Legal name
- Retail Innovation Labs LLC Trading as Cova Software
- Website
- https://covasoftware.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- Cova Software provides a cloud-based cannabis retail platform combining point-of-sale, payment processing, ecommerce, inventory management, and compliance reporting. It serves more than 2,000 dispensaries and CBD retailers across the US and Canada through SaaS subscriptions and transaction-based payment fees.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Cova industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Cannabis Retail POS Software
- akta.pro primary industry
- Dispensary-Owned Online Ordering & Delivery (Direct-to-Consumer) (CRANAGAE)
Keywords
Where Cova is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Denver
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Cova 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 (POS Software): Cova operates as a SaaS provider offering dispensary POS software on a subscription basis. The platform includes POS, inventory management, analytics, and compliance features. Pricing is quote-based with mentions of bundle savings compared to competitors.
- Payment Processing (Cova Pay): Cova Pay provides payment processing for cannabis retailers. CBD payment processing is free for retailers with competitive rates. The payment solution includes debit/credit card processing with fraud prevention.
- Ecommerce Integration: Cova eComm provides plug-and-play ecommerce capabilities that can function as standalone online menus or be integrated into existing websites, with real-time inventory sync from POS.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Enterprise cannabis retailers with multi-location operations |
| Subscription | Monthly | Standard dispensary POS with core features |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | CBD Payment Processing |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
Cova product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Cova provides a cloud-based cannabis retail platform centered on its Cova POS system, integrating point-of-sale, ecommerce, payment processing, inventory management, compliance reporting, and analytics for licensed cannabis dispensaries and CBD retailers across North America. The platform connects to state traceability systems (Metrc, BioTrackTHC, Leaf Data Systems, AGCO) and operates through an open API that enables integrations with loyalty, discovery, scheduling, and ecommerce partner solutions.
Product overview
Cova is a cannabis retail software company offering a platform-plus-modules architecture centered around the Cova POS system. The core Cova POS handles point-of-sale transactions, age verification, and seed-to-sale compliance tracking for cannabis and CBD dispensaries. Additional modules include Cova Pay (USA and Canada) for payment processing, Cova eComm for SEO-enabled ecommerce with real-time POS sync, Cova Inventory Management for stock tracking and purchase limit enforcement, Cova Reporting & Analytics for actionable business insights, Cova Compliance for regulatory adherence, Cova Enterprise for multi-location operations, and the Canadian Retail Suite bundling these tools for province-specific needs. The platform integrates with statewide traceability systems (Metrc, BioTrackTHC, Leaf Data Systems) and connects with partner solutions including loyalty (Springbig), discovery platforms (Weedmaps, Leafly), scheduling (KayaPush), video (Solink), delivery (Webjoint), and ecommerce platforms (Mosaic, Breadstack).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Cova POS Award-winning point-of-sale system designed specifically for cannabis and CBD dispensaries, featuring age verification, inventory management, compliance tracking, and integration with statewide traceability systems for licensed dispensary operators.
- Cova Pay (USA) Payment processing solution for US cannabis retailers offering debit and credit card processing with built-in compliance features, age verification, and fraud prevention.
- Cova Pay (Canada) Payment processing solution for Canadian cannabis retailers integrated into the Cova retail suite for province-specific compliance and card processing.
- CBD Payment Processing Payment processing tailored for CBD and hemp retailers offering competitive card processing rates with advanced fraud prevention and chargeback management; free for retailers with transparent rates.
- Cova eComm Plug-and-play ecommerce shop page for cannabis dispensaries that syncs directly with Cova POS for real-time inventory and pricing accuracy. SEO-enabled, mobile-optimized, and functions as standalone online menu or embedded shop page.
- Cova Enterprise Enterprise-grade POS and ERP software for high-volume and multi-location cannabis operations, providing coast-to-coast scalability and centralized management for dispensary chains.
- Cova Canada Retail Suite Complete retail suite tailored for Canadian cannabis dispensaries, bundling POS, eCommerce, and payment processing with province-specific compliance reporting for the Canadian regulatory environment.
Quantifiable outcome
- 99.9999% uptime with 100% reliability on 4/20 sales events
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Cova
Customer profileNamed customers14 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Cova technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration20 records
Feature6 records
Cova partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- CarrotcoreCarrot is an integration partner within Cova's ecosystem, providing additional functionality for cannabis retailers using the Cova platform.
- SpringbigcoreSpringbig loyalty integration partner for Cova POS, enabling dispensary customer loyalty and engagement programs.
- WeedmapscoreWeedmaps integration allows Cova users to sync menus and inventory with the Weedmaps marketplace platform.
- LeaflycoreLeafly integration provides Cova dispensary customers with product discovery and menu syndication capabilities.
- BreadstackcoreBreadstack provides advanced ecommerce platform integrated with Cova POS, enabling seamless inventory sync and order management for high-volume and delivery-focused dispensaries.
- MosaiccoreMosaic provides all-in-one ecommerce, mobile app, and loyalty capabilities integrated with Cova POS for dispensaries in US and Canada.
- AdyencoreAdyen provides secure payment processing and tokenization services for Cova's billing transactions, handling credit card processing and payment security.
- OrdwaycoreOrdway provides billing and account management platform services enabling invoice generation, customer statements, and account profiles for Cova.
- A-LIGNminorA-LIGN conducts Cova's annual SOC 2 compliance audit, providing independent verification of security controls.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Cova competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Dutchie: Dutchie is a cannabis POS, ecommerce, and payments platform serving dispensaries across North America. It directly competes with Cova on POS, online ordering, and integrated payments, and is referenced in Cova's own materials as a competitor.
- Weedmaps: Weedmaps operates a major cannabis marketplace and ecommerce platform for dispensaries. While also a Cova integration partner, it is one of the most direct competitive alternatives for dispensary online ordering and discovery.
- Treez: Treez is a cannabis retail ERP and POS platform serving dispensaries and multi-state operators. It competes head-on with Cova POS and Cova Enterprise across compliance, inventory, and reporting workflows.
- Flowhub: Flowhub (formerly Greenline POS) is a cannabis dispensary POS and inventory platform serving dispensaries across multiple US states. It competes directly with Cova on core POS, inventory, and compliance for single- and multi-location operators.
- Blaze Software: Blaze is a cannabis dispensary POS and ecommerce platform focused on retail and delivery operations. It competes with Cova across POS, online ordering, and loyalty for North American dispensaries.
- iHeartJane: iHeartJane is a cannabis ecommerce and online ordering platform serving dispensaries with menu, pickup, and delivery workflows. It directly competes with Cova eComm and is an alternative integrated commerce front-end on top of various POS systems.
- POSaBIT: POSaBIT provides cannabis POS and payment processing solutions for dispensaries, including cashless debit and integrated compliance. It overlaps with Cova on POS and particularly Cova Pay for embedded payments.
Broad incumbents
- Leafly: Leafly is a leading cannabis discovery and marketplace platform with dispensary menu and ecommerce integrations. It is both a Cova integration partner and a broader incumbent in cannabis retail marketing and discovery.
- Akerna (now MJ Holdings / Cubebooks): Akerna offered cannabis seed-to-sale and ERP compliance software (including the MJ Freeway platform) serving operators and regulators. It competes with Cova Compliance and trace reporting capabilities at the upper end of the cannabis software stack.
Emerging players
- Mosaic (by Springbig): Springbig/Mosaic is a cannabis loyalty, marketing, and ecommerce platform that integrates with Cova POS. It is adjacent rather than head-to-head, but competes for dispensary wallet share in customer engagement and online ordering.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Cova social profiles
Digital presenceCova compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Cova financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Cova leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Cova funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds3 records
Investors7 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Cova 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 Cova
What does Cova do?
Cova provides a cloud-based cannabis retail platform centered on its Cova POS system, integrating point-of-sale, ecommerce, payment processing, inventory management, compliance reporting, and analytics for licensed cannabis dispensaries and CBD retailers across North America. The platform connects to state traceability systems (Metrc, BioTrackTHC, Leaf Data Systems, AGCO) and operates through an open API that enables integrations with loyalty, discovery, scheduling, and ecommerce partner solutions.
Is Cova a public or private company?
Cova is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Cova founded?
Cova was founded in 2016. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Cova based?
Cova is headquartered in Denver, United States, in the North America region.
How does Cova make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. SaaS Subscription (POS Software) is the primary driver. The others are payment Processing (Cova Pay) and ecommerce Integration.
Who are Cova's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Dutchie, Weedmaps, Treez, Flowhub, Blaze Software, iHeartJane and POSaBIT. Broad incumbents are Leafly and Akerna (now MJ Holdings / Cubebooks). Mosaic (by Springbig) is listed as an emerging player.
Does Cova have an API?
Yes. Cova operates a flexible cannabis retail platform with an open API that supports seamless integration with best-in-class partner solutions, enabling retailers to build the optimal tech stack for their business. The POS and eComm share the same API, ensuring inventory, pricing, and promotions are always in sync in real time.
What industry is Cova in?
Cova's product category is Cannabis Retail POS Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRANAGAE, Dispensary-Owned Online Ordering & Delivery (Direct-to-Consumer).