Pongo
Hey Pongo is a French SaaS platform that combines CRM, omnichannel loyalty programs, and SMS marketing for SMB restaurateurs and retailers. It serves 3,000+ merchants and 3M+ end consumers across 10+ countries with a self-serve onboarding model.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersParis, France
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Pongo does
Hey Pongo SAS (operating as Pongo or Hey Pongo) is a French SaaS marketing and customer-loyalty platform headquartered in Saint-Mandé, Île-de-France, founded in 2017–2018. The platform serves small and mid-sized restaurateurs and retailers, providing an integrated stack that combines a centralized CRM (Base Client), an omnichannel loyalty program (Programme de Fidélité), SMS marketing, a gamified Roue Cadeaux prize wheel for ghost-traffic data capture, missed-call recovery, QR-code and Instagram follower conversion tools, review boosting on Google and Trustpilot, and a subscription management module for merchant-built recurring revenue. Underlying infrastructure is hosted in Tier 3, PCI-DSS-certified data centers and is GDPR-compliant, with an available developer API and direct integrations with point-of-sale systems, payment terminals (TPE), and major social/review platforms.
The company operates a hybrid GTM model: a self-serve, product-led growth motion with approximately 3-minute onboarding targets the SMB long tail (3,000+ merchants, 3M+ end consumers), while a direct enterprise sales channel addresses franchise networks and multi-location retail. Revenue is generated primarily through SaaS subscriptions (monthly through annual billing cadences with 1–12 month commitments), usage-based SMS packs and pay-as-you-go messaging credits, hardware sales of POS tablets and accessories, and a merchant referral (parrainage) program. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is quote-based for enterprise deals.
Hey Pongo is an independent, venture-backed private company. As of February 2023 it had raised approximately €7 million cumulatively across three rounds (2019 pre-seed, 2021 seed led by Frst, 2023 seed of €5M led by Techmind with Frst, Evolem, and Altavia Adventures). Geographic footprint spans 10+ countries across Europe (France, Belgium, Switzerland, UK, Spain, Portugal), North America (Canada), and Africa (Senegal, Morocco), with the stated strategic intent to scale further across Europe. Leadership consists of co-founders Ludwig Jamet (Président/CEO) and Nicolas Samir (Co-founder, Directeur de la publication).
Pongo firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Pongo
- Legal name
- Hey Pongo SAS
- Website
- https://heypongo.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Hey Pongo is a French SaaS platform that combines CRM, omnichannel loyalty programs, and SMS marketing for SMB restaurateurs and retailers. It serves 3,000+ merchants and 3M+ end consumers across 10+ countries with a self-serve onboarding model.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Pongo industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Customer Loyalty & Marketing Automation Software
- NAICS
- Advertising Agencies (541810)
- SIC
- Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Loyalty, Rewards & Retention Platforms (BPAFAFAH)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Point-of-Sale (POS) & In-Store Promotion Services (BPAFAMAF)
Keywords
Where Pongo is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Paris
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Pongo business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Operations
Revenue model
- SaaS Subscription: Monthly, quarterly, semi-annual, or annual subscription plans providing access to the full marketing platform including CRM, loyalty programs, SMS marketing, review boosting, and analytics dashboard. Commitment periods vary from 1 to 12 months depending on billing cadence.
- SMS Packs and Pay-as-you-go: SMS credits sold as included packs within subscriptions or as pay-as-you-go consumption. Quotas renew with each billing period; unused SMS do not carry over. Custom quotes available for enterprise accounts.
- Hardware Sales: Sale of digital tablets and accessories (stands, anti-theft devices, chargers) for point-of-sale use of the loyalty platform
- Referral Program: Parrainage (referral) program rewarding merchants who recommend Hey Pongo to other businesses with monetary incentives
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Custom Enterprise |
| Subscription | Monthly | Standard Subscription |
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | SMS Packs |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
Pongo product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Pongo (Hey Pongo) operates a SaaS customer loyalty and marketing automation platform for SMB restaurateurs and retailers. The platform combines a customer CRM, an omnichannel loyalty program, SMS marketing, gamified data capture (gift wheel), missed call recovery, review boosting on Google and Trustpilot, QR code capture, Instagram follower conversion, and subscription management into a single integrated suite. Merchants capture customer contact data across in-store, online, social media, phone, and payment terminals, then activate that database through SMS campaigns and loyalty rewards to drive repeat visits.
Product overview
Hey Pongo is a unified SaaS marketing platform for restaurateurs and retailers that combines customer loyalty, CRM, and marketing automation tools. The core platform consists of a CRM/Base Client for customer data management, a Programme de Fidélité for omnichannel loyalty programs, and SMS Marketing for customer communication. Additional modules include the Roue Cadeaux gamification wheel, Appels Manqués missed call recovery, Avis Client review management, QR Code data capture, Abonnés en Clients Instagram conversion, Abonnement recurring revenue, and Followers Instagram growth tools. The platform is offered via subscription with optional hardware (tablets) for point-of-sale deployment.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- CRM / Base Client Customer relationship management module that centralizes customer data, enables analysis via dashboard, and allows merchants to segment and activate their customer base. Targeted at SMB restaurateurs and retailers who need a single source of truth for customer contact information collected across channels.
- Programme de Fidélité (Loyalty Program) Omnichannel loyalty program that rewards customers across all of a merchant's channels (in-store, online, social media, phone, payment terminals), integrated with the rest of the Hey Pongo platform and supporting euro-based rewards.
- SMS Marketing SMS marketing module that enables businesses to send marketing communications to customers with real-time result tracking and pre-built SMS templates. Targeted at SMB restaurateurs and retailers running promotional campaigns and re-engagement flows.
- Roue Cadeaux (Gift Wheel) Gamified marketing prize wheel that captures ghost traffic data, enriches customer databases, and is used for review boosting and customer engagement. Designed to convert anonymous visitors into identifiable contacts for SMB merchants.
- Appels Manqués (Missed Call Recovery) Missed call management module with customizable voicemail messaging and automatic SMS responses that recover leads from calls the merchant could not answer, with real-time performance tracking.
- Avis Client (Customer Reviews) Review management module that automates the collection of customer reviews on Google and Trustpilot to increase online visibility and reputation for SMB merchants.
- QR Code Data Capture QR code tool that captures customer data and converts anonymous web and in-person traffic into actionable customer contact information for the merchant's database.
- Abonnés en Clients (Instagram Followers to Customers) Instagram follower conversion module that transforms the merchant's social media followers into paying customers, bridging social audience to direct revenue.
- Followers Instagram (Instagram Growth) Instagram growth module that increases a merchant's Instagram followers and engagement, supporting brand visibility and downstream conversion.
- Tablettes POS (POS Tablets and Accessories) Physical hardware product line of digital tablets and accessories (stands, anti-theft devices, chargers) sold for in-store deployment of the Hey Pongo loyalty platform at point of sale.
Quantifiable outcome
- 70% of visitors typically missed without proper capture tools
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Pongo
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments7 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Pongo technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature8 records
Pongo partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Pongo competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Kangaroo Rewards: Kangaroo Rewards is a customer loyalty and engagement platform for SMB retailers and restaurants, offering a mobile loyalty app, digital punch cards, and SMS marketing. Closely comparable product positioning and SMB vertical focus, with North American market emphasis.
- Como (Como Sense): Como is a customer engagement and loyalty platform for SMB and mid-market retailers and restaurants, offering loyalty programs, SMS/email marketing, and a CRM-like customer database. Closely comparable to Hey Pongo on product scope and target segment, with broader geographic reach.
- Square Loyalty (Block): Square Loyalty is a built-in loyalty module on Square's POS, serving SMB restaurateurs and retailers with points-based programs and integrated marketing. It directly overlaps Hey Pongo's SMB restaurant/retail loyalty and CRM use case, though tied to the Square payments ecosystem.
- LoyaltyLion: LoyaltyLion is a loyalty and referral platform for SMB e-commerce brands, offering points, tiers, and loyalty pages. Comparable in target segment (SMB merchants) and product mechanics, though predominantly e-commerce versus Hey Pongo's brick-and-mortar/POS orientation.
- Smile.io: Smile.io provides points, referral, and VIP loyalty programs primarily for SMB e-commerce merchants on Shopify, BigCommerce, and WooCommerce. Comparable on the SMB loyalty program product layer, though heavily e-commerce-centric versus Hey Pongo's offline/POS focus.
- Antavo: Antavo is a SaaS loyalty cloud for retail, hospitality, and fashion brands, with tiered loyalty programs, omnichannel engagement, and CRM integrations. Comparable to Hey Pongo in loyalty-first positioning but skewed toward mid-market brands rather than SMB restaurateurs.
- Punchh: Punchh operates a digital loyalty and engagement platform for restaurant and retail chains, with mobile-first loyalty, CRM, and AI-driven segmentation. Directly comparable on the restaurant loyalty/CRM use case, primarily serving multi-unit enterprise customers.
Emerging players
- Stamp Me: Stamp Me is a digital loyalty platform for SMB retailers and hospitality operators using mobile stamp cards and gamified engagement. Overlaps with Hey Pongo on SMB loyalty gamification (Roue Cadeaux) and CRM data capture use cases.
Broad incumbents
- Toast: Toast is a leading cloud POS and restaurant management platform increasingly adding loyalty, marketing, and guest engagement modules. A broad incumbent competing for the same restaurant operator wallet, with deeper POS functionality but a less SMB-focused loyalty product than Hey Pongo.
- Lightspeed Restaurant: Lightspeed Restaurant is a cloud POS for full-service restaurants, bars, and cafés with embedded customer management and reporting. Overlaps with Hey Pongo's restaurateur customer base, particularly in France/Europe where Lightspeed has a meaningful footprint.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Pongo social profiles
Digital presencePongo compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Pongo financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Pongo leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Pongo funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds3 records
Investors4 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Pongo 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 Pongo
What does Pongo do?
Pongo (Hey Pongo) operates a SaaS customer loyalty and marketing automation platform for SMB restaurateurs and retailers. The platform combines a customer CRM, an omnichannel loyalty program, SMS marketing, gamified data capture (gift wheel), missed call recovery, review boosting on Google and Trustpilot, QR code capture, Instagram follower conversion, and subscription management into a single integrated suite. Merchants capture customer contact data across in-store, online, social media, phone, and payment terminals, then activate that database through SMS campaigns and loyalty rewards to drive repeat visits.
Is Pongo a public or private company?
Pongo is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Pongo founded?
Pongo was founded in 2018. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Pongo based?
Pongo is headquartered in Paris, France, in the Europe region.
How does Pongo make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. SaaS Subscription is the primary driver. The others are SMS Packs and Pay-as-you-go, hardware Sales and referral Program.
Who are Pongo's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Kangaroo Rewards, Como (Como Sense), Square Loyalty (Block), LoyaltyLion, Smile.io, Antavo and Punchh. Stamp Me is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are Toast and Lightspeed Restaurant.
Does Pongo have an API?
Yes. Hey Pongo offers an API for developers labeled 'Pongo for developers' with API documentation available at /api. The platform provides integration capabilities for partners and developers to connect with the Hey Pongo marketing platform. Specific API type (REST, GraphQL), authentication methods, rate limits, and SDK availability are not detailed in the provided content. Developer documentation is at www.heypongo.com/api.
What industry is Pongo in?
Pongo's product category is Customer Loyalty & Marketing Automation Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAFAFAH, Loyalty, Rewards & Retention Platforms, with a secondary code of BPAFAMAF, Point-of-Sale (POS) & In-Store Promotion Services. Its NAICS code is 541810 and its SIC code is 7311.