VenueNext

What VenueNext does

VenueNext is a cloud-based mobile commerce and point-of-sale platform purpose-built for live entertainment venues. Founded in 2014 by the San Francisco 49ers during the development of Levi's Stadium, the company delivers three integrated product lines: Point of Sale (a configurable, high-throughput system tolerant of poor network conditions supporting quick service, bar/lounge, catering/suites, self-service kiosk, and handheld POS form factors), Mobile Ordering (express pickup, in-seat and in-suite delivery, and a Mobile QuickPay feature that turns cash-only vendors into mobile-pay locations without new hardware), and Mobile Wallet (loyalty rewards, virtual currency, tiered VIP benefits, and peer-to-peer transfers). The platform exposes its capabilities via web, native SDK, brand app, and API, enabling flexible deployment across venue ecosystems.

The company serves a concentrated but logo-diversified base spanning every major U.S. professional sports league (NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, MLS), major NCAA programs (University of Florida, Ohio State, Alabama, Notre Dame), theme parks (Six Flags, Disney), and select airports and corporate campuses, totaling 200+ venue deployments. Revenue is generated through quote-based enterprise platform subscriptions (annual billing) plus transaction-based fees on mobile ordering, payment processing, and marketplace monetization. Distribution combines direct enterprise field sales with an extensive partner channel covering Ticketmaster, SeatGeek, Levy Restaurants, Sidearm Sports, FreedomPay, and Shift4 Payments, among others.

VenueNext's legal entity (VenueNext, Inc.) is domiciled in Pennsylvania with a European representative in place for GDPR compliance. In 2021 the company was acquired by Shift4 Payments, under whose ownership it continues to operate as the venue commerce arm of Shift4's integrated payments platform. Leadership includes CEO Anthony Perez, CPO Frank Conway, CTO Edan Rosenberg, and Chairman Jed York (CEO of the San Francisco 49ers), with board representation from Intel Capital and Causeway Media Partners.

Name

VenueNext

Legal name

VenueNext, Inc.

Website

https://venuenext.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

VenueNext provides cloud-based point-of-sale, mobile ordering, and mobile wallet solutions for sports venues, theme parks, and entertainment facilities. The platform serves 200+ venues across every major U.S. professional sports league, NCAA programs, and theme parks, operating as a subsidiary of Shift4 Payments.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Venue Commerce Software

NAICS

Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (71131), Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (711310), Spectator Sports (7112), Amusement Parks and Arcades (7131)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Venue Booking, Ticketing & Event-Day Services (Box Office, Guest Services) (MPAKAEAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Venue Food, Beverage & Hospitality Operations (Concessions, Catering, Premium Seating) (MPAGALAN), Venue Guest Services & Front-of-House Operations (Ushers, Box Office, Accessibility) (MPAGALAK)

Keywords

• Venue commerce platform
• Mobile point of sale
• Stadium mobile ordering
• Fan engagement software
• Contactless venue payments

Headquarters

HQ city

Palo Alto

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Point of Sale and Commerce Platform: VenueNext provides point-of-sale, mobile commerce, and loyalty solutions to venues, generating revenue through platform licensing and transaction processing fees. The platform serves every major professional sports league, colleges, and other business verticals.
2. Mobile Ordering and Delivery: Revenue generated from mobile ordering capabilities including express pickup, in-seat delivery, and suite delivery services for food, beverages, merchandise, and experiences.
3. Mobile Wallet and Loyalty: Virtual currency and loyalty program management services, including tiered VIP benefits, discounts, and rewards programs that drive mobile adoption and customer engagement.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

VenueNext provides a cloud-based unified commerce platform purpose-built for live-event venues, comprising three core products: Point of Sale (high-throughput, network-tolerant POS for concessions, bars, suites, and kiosks), Mobile Ordering (order-ahead, QuickPay, in-seat and in-suite delivery accessible via web, SDK, brand app, or API), and Mobile Wallet (loyalty, rewards, virtual currency, and VIP entitlements). The platform is sold to enterprise venue operators including professional sports teams, colleges, theme parks, concert amphitheaters, corporate campuses, and airports to enable contactless payments and fan engagement.

Product overview

VenueNext is a unified commerce platform for venues offering three core integrated products: Point of Sale (a configurable POS system for high-demand environments), Mobile Ordering (order-ahead, QuickPay, and delivery solutions), and Mobile Wallet (loyalty, rewards, and virtual currency). These products work together to enable contactless payments, mobile commerce, and fan engagement across sports stadiums, concert venues, theme parks, and other entertainment venues. The platform supports multiple deployment options including web, native SDK, brand app, and API integration.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Point of Sale A flexible point-of-sale system optimized for high-demand throughput and tolerant of poor network conditions. Supports quick service, bar/lounge, and catering/suites modes; accepts contactless cards and mobile payments (Apple Pay, Google Pay); and supports self-service kiosk and handheld POS form factors. Sold to enterprise venue operators across sports, entertainment, theme parks, and corporate campuses.
• Mobile Ordering Mobile order-ahead solution enabling express pickup, Mobile QuickPay for cash-only vendors, and in-seat or in-suite delivery of food, beverages, merchandise, and experiences. Accessible via web, native SDK, brand app, or API; designed to minimize lines and crowds and to enable contactless commerce at concessions and retail shops. Sold to enterprise venue operators.
• Mobile Wallet Digital wallet enabling fans to redeem benefits, rewards, discounts, and virtual currency at venues. Includes tiered VIP entitlements, cash-back and attendance loyalty rewards, and virtual currency usable across food, beverages, merchandise, and experiences. Sold to enterprise venue operators and integrated with ticketing partners (Ticketmaster, AXS, SeatGeek) for entitlement redemption.

Quantifiable outcome

• Minimizes concession lines and crowds through mobile ordering with designated pickup areas
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers20 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration14 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• Sacramento Republic FCcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 April 2021VenueNext partnered with Sacramento Republic FC to provide mobile experience solutions for the soccer team's return to play.
• Minnesota TimberwolvescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 March 2021VenueNext debuted new mobile experience for fans' return, integrating ordering, payments, and fan engagement.
• TicketmastercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 January 2021VenueNext and Ticketmaster expanded technology partnership allowing fans to manage contactless payment, mobile ordering, and in-venue experiences from their smartphones. Integration enables seamless connection between ticketing and commerce platforms.
• Freedom PaycoreTechnology or Integration · 8 January 2021Partnership to transform payment experience. Freedom Pay provides payment technology integration for VenueNext's commerce platform.
• LivelisecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 January 2021VenueNext and Liveli partnered to build apps for APAC (Asia-Pacific) facilities, expanding international presence.
• Six FlagscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 June 2020Six Flags announced new mobile food ordering powered by VenueNext across their theme park locations.
• Levy RestaurantscoreTechnology or IntegrationEnterprise partnership with Levy Restaurants, a major food service provider for sports venues and entertainment venues. VenueNext integrates with Levy's food and beverage operations at venues like Amway Center.
• SeatGeekcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnterprise partnership with SeatGeek, a major ticketing platform. Integration allows seamless ticketing and commerce experience for fans.
• Sidearm SportscoreTechnology or IntegrationEnterprise partnership with Sidearm Sports, a sports digital media and technology company. Collaboration enables mobile commerce solutions for college sports venues.
• FanReachsecondaryTechnology or IntegrationIntegration partner providing mobile ordering capabilities as part of the VenueNext ecosystem.
• FanThreeSixtysecondaryTechnology or IntegrationIntegration partner for fan engagement and mobile commerce solutions.
• YinzcamsecondaryTechnology or IntegrationIntegration partner specializing in mobile applications for sports and entertainment venues.
• Land Air LabssecondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorResale partner providing mobile ordering and commerce solutions for North American travel industries including airports.
• Shared AccesssecondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorResale partner for mobile ordering solutions at airports and transit venues.
• Shift4 PaymentscoreTechnology or IntegrationShift4 Payments provides integrated payment processing for VenueNext's point-of-sale solutions. Shift4 acquired VenueNext in 2021.
• Freedom PaycoreTechnology or IntegrationPayment technology integration partner for VenueNext's point-of-sale platform.
• ELOsecondaryTechnology or IntegrationHardware integration partner for point-of-sale terminals and displays.
• SpreedlysecondaryTechnology or IntegrationPayment orchestration integration partner for VenueNext's commerce platform.
• Loop InsightssecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerLoop Insights partnered with VenueNext to deliver seamless, integrated mobile commerce solutions for professional and college sports venues throughout North America.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• SpotOn: SpotOn is a payments, POS, and marketing software company that expanded into venue commerce through its acquisition of Appetize. It serves similar end customers as VenueNext but with a much broader SMB and enterprise commerce portfolio.
• Toast: Toast is a large restaurant POS and commerce platform with growing penetration in stadiums, arenas, and entertainment venues. While primarily restaurant-focused, its scale, integrated payments, and online ordering capabilities overlap with VenueNext's product surface.
• Square for Restaurants (Block): Square for Restaurants offers POS, mobile ordering, and integrated payments for food and beverage operations, including concessionaire deployments at venues. While broader than venue-specific, it competes for concession and food service deals at smaller venues that VenueNext also targets.

Emerging players

• Yinzcam: Yinzcam builds official mobile apps for professional sports teams and venues, integrating ticketing, content, and commerce. It is both a VenueNext integration partner and a partial competitor on the mobile fan engagement and in-app commerce surface.

Direct peers

• Tevalis: Tevalis is a POS and mobile ordering platform purpose-built for stadia, arenas, and hospitality venues. It competes with VenueNext in the sports and entertainment POS market, particularly in the UK and European markets.
• Appetize (now part of SpotOn): Appetize was a direct venue POS and mobile ordering competitor serving sports stadiums, concert venues, theme parks, and corporate campuses before being acquired by SpotOn. Both Appetize and VenueNext target the same enterprise venue operator customer with comparable POS, mobile ordering, and payment workflows.
• Bypass Mobile (now part of Fiserv): Bypass Mobile provided point-of-sale and mobile commerce solutions for sports, entertainment, and hospitality venues and was acquired by Fiserv. It competed head-to-head with VenueNext for stadium and arena contracts, particularly in college and professional sports.
• Givex: Givex provides gift card, loyalty, stored value, and POS solutions for restaurants, retail, and entertainment venues including sports and entertainment operators. It overlaps with VenueNext's mobile wallet, loyalty, and POS offerings in the venue space.
• Venuelynx: Venuelynx is a venue technology company providing POS, mobile ordering, and fan engagement solutions for sports and entertainment venues. It is a direct competitor to VenueNext in the North American professional and college sports market.

Others

• Centerplate (Sodexo Live!): Centerplate / Sodexo Live! is a major food service and hospitality provider for sports stadiums, arenas, and convention centers. It is a VenueNext integration and channel partner (alongside Levy Restaurants) and an adjacent ecosystem participant in the venue commerce stack.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/VenueNext
• Facebookfacebook.com/358040034362084
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/venuenext

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors7 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about VenueNext