Applova
Applova is a cloud-based restaurant technology platform offering self-ordering kiosks, POS, online ordering, branded mobile apps, and AI-powered upselling and analytics, primarily serving SMB fast-casual restaurants across North America.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersPalo Alto, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Applova does
Applova is a private U.S. restaurant-technology company founded in 2016 (originally as Apptizer Inc., rebranded in August 2019) and incorporated in New Jersey, with operational offices in Secaucus (NJ), Irving/Dallas (TX), and an engineering and QA development center in Sri Lanka. The company builds an all-in-one cloud platform combining self-ordering kiosks, a fast-casual POS, online ordering, branded mobile apps, and a kitchen display system, with a unified menu that auto-syncs across every channel. Core technical differentiators include a specialized modifier engine built for bowls, boba, ramen, and burritos; an always-on offline POS that operates without internet; and a suite of AI features (AI Merchant Assistant, Smart Cross-Sell & Upsell, Smart Recommendations, AI Content Writer, AI Promo Poster, AI Push Notifications, AI Menu Engineer) included in all plans. Integrations span Clover, Square, GoDaddy POS, DoorDash Drive, Mailchimp, Fivestars, 7shifts, Stripe, TSYS, Apriva, Verifone, Elo Touch, WorldPay, and NMI.
The platform is sold primarily to SMB fast-casual restaurants across more than a dozen verticals (boba shops, pizzerias, coffee shops, Mexican, Indian, Vietnamese/Chinese, BBQ, bakeries, dessert shops, juice and smoothie bars, delis, and American fast casual), with one named enterprise reference in healthcare food service (Morrison Healthcare). Revenue is generated through modular SaaS subscriptions (flat monthly or annual platform fees), hardware sales (kiosks, mounting equipment, payment readers), and professional services (onboarding, installation, menu configuration, and staff training), with zero commission charged on orders processed through the merchant's own channels. Go-to-market is hybrid: sales-led via demo requests with custom quotes, product-led through free tools (digital menu, ROI calculators, AI Menu Engineer), and channel-led via a reseller partner program. The company claims 1,200+ restaurants, 50M+ orders, and $480M+ in merchant revenue processed through the platform, and is recognized with the NEAA Catapult 2018 Innovation Award and the ETA Top 10 Payments ISVs Award 2024.
Applova firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Applova
- Legal name
- Applova Inc.
- Website
- https://applova.io
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Applova is a cloud-based restaurant technology platform offering self-ordering kiosks, POS, online ordering, branded mobile apps, and AI-powered upselling and analytics, primarily serving SMB fast-casual restaurants across North America.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Applova industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Restaurant Technology Software
- NAICS
- Software Publishers (513210)
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Wholesale-Computers & Peripheral Equipment & Software (5045)
- akta.pro primary industry
- POS Terminals & All-in-One Retail Computers (HDACAKAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Restaurant Technology Supplies (POS Hardware, Kiosks) Wholesale (AFAIALAM)
Keywords
Where Applova is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Palo Alto
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices4 records
Markets served
Applova business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- SaaS Platform Subscription: Modular subscription model where restaurants pay only for the products they use. Includes monthly or annual flat platform fees. Zero commission on orders placed through online store or mobile app - restaurants keep 100% of every order.
- Hardware Sales: Kiosk hardware, mounting equipment, and payment readers sold to restaurants as part of kiosk and POS deployment.
- Professional Services: Onboarding, installation, menu configuration, and staff training services included with product deployment. Online ordering setup is handled within 72 hours, kiosk/POS/KDS typically within a week.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Custom modular pricing based on restaurant needs |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
Applova product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Applova sells a unified SaaS platform built exclusively for restaurants, combining an AI-powered POS, self-ordering kiosks, online ordering websites, branded mobile apps, and a kitchen display system, all sharing one menu that auto-syncs across channels. The platform is sold to restaurant operators on a modular subscription basis, with optional hardware (kiosks, payment readers) and onboarding services, and is targeted primarily at fast-casual restaurants with complex menus and modifiers.
Product overview
Applova is an all-in-one restaurant technology platform built exclusively for modern restaurants. The platform consists of a unified portfolio of products including: Applova POS (AI-powered point-of-sale system), Self-Ordering Kiosk, Online Ordering + Website, Branded Mobile App, Kitchen Display System (KDS), and Order Status Display. These core products are supplemented by add-on modules including Loyalty & Rewards, Advanced Analytics, Applova Invoices, On-the-Go POS, Contactless Digital Menu, Curbside Pickup Services, Push Notifications, Text/Email Marketing, and Applova AI (a suite of AI-powered features including AI Merchant Assistant, Smart Cross-Sell & Upsell, and Smart Recommendations). All products share a single menu that auto-syncs across POS, kiosk, online, and app channels. The platform integrates with Clover, Square, GoDaddy POS, Mailchimp, DoorDash, Fivestars, 7shifts, TSYS, and Stripe.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Applova POS AI-powered point-of-sale system built specifically for fast-casual restaurants, handling modifiers, combos, and high-volume ordering, with always-on offline capability and AI-powered upsells.
- Self-Ordering Kiosk Self-serve ordering kiosk for customers to build, customize, and pay for orders without staff assistance, with AI-powered upselling, multi-language support (English, Spanish, French), and real-time order routing to POS and kitchen.
- Online Ordering + Website Commission-free online ordering system and branded restaurant website that automates orders directly to the kitchen and is accessible on all devices with self-checkout.
- Branded Mobile App Custom branded mobile ordering app for restaurants on iOS and Android that enables mobile order-ahead, push notifications, and loyalty engagement.
- Kitchen Display System (KDS) Digital kitchen display system that receives orders from kiosk, online and POS channels in real time, replacing paper tickets and streamlining order flow.
- Order Status Display Digital display that shows customers their order status, estimated wait times, and pickup notifications.
- Contactless Digital Menu QR-code touch-free digital menu for dine-in guests that lets them view the menu, place orders, and pay from their smartphone without downloading an app.
- On-the-Go POS Handheld POS device for table-side ordering and payment processing that lets staff take orders anywhere in the restaurant.
- Loyalty & Rewards Point-based loyalty program that lets customers earn and redeem rewards automatically across kiosk, mobile app, online ordering, and POS channels.
- Advanced Analytics Analytics module providing deep insights into sales trends, customer behavior, peak hours, and top-selling items for data-driven restaurant decisions.
- Applova Invoices Invoicing solution for catering and large orders that lets customers pay online instantly.
- Curbside Pickup Services Curbside ordering and pickup capabilities that let customers order ahead and retrieve orders without entering the restaurant.
- Applova AI Assistant Built-in AI assistant in the Applova Merchant Portal that answers plain-English questions about sales, customer behavior, top-performing items, and marketing recommendations, and proposes timely promotions.
- DIY Online Ordering Builder Self-serve online ordering builder tool that lets restaurants quickly set up their own commission-free online ordering, with migration tooling from GloriaFood.
Quantifiable outcome
- 22% Average Order Value Increase at kiosks
- +6 more outcomes
Companies that use Applova
Customer profileNamed customers13 records
Segments13 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Applova technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration14 records
AI capability5 records
Feature8 records
Applova partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- ClovercoreClover POS integration allowing Applova's self-ordering kiosk and online ordering to work seamlessly with Clover point-of-sale systems. Certified on First Data Clover platform.
- SquarecoreSquare POS integration enabling Applova's kiosk and online ordering solutions to function alongside Square payment processing.
- GoDaddy POScoreGoDaddy POS integration certified for use with Applova's ordering solutions.
- DoorDashcoreDoorDash Drive integration powering on-demand delivery directly from restaurants' own ordering channels. Eliminates third-party marketplace fees by enabling delivery through restaurant's branded ordering platforms.
- MailchimpcoreMailchimp marketing integration that automatically syncs order and customer data from Applova to Mailchimp for targeted email campaigns.
- StripecoreStripe payment processing integration for handling transactions across kiosk, online ordering, and mobile app channels.
- TSYScoreTSYS payment processing integration for secure payment handling.
- AprivacoreApriva payment gateway integration for secure transaction processing.
- Verifone CarboncoreVerifone Carbon hardware certification for use with Applova kiosk and POS solutions.
- Elo TouchcoreElo Touch hardware integration for self-ordering kiosks and kitchen display systems. Applova launched self-ordering kiosk with Kitchen Display System for Elo Touchscreen Displays in 2019.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Applova competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Olo: Public restaurant commerce platform focused on direct digital ordering (online, mobile, kiosk) for chain restaurants — comparable online ordering and kiosk stack without the full POS bundle.
- ChowNow: Commission-free direct online ordering platform for independent restaurants — competes with Applova's zero-commission online ordering and branded mobile app.
- Revel Systems: iPad-based POS with kitchen display, self-ordering kiosk, and online ordering capabilities targeted at quick-service and fast-casual restaurants.
- Toast: Leading cloud-based POS and restaurant management platform serving SMB and enterprise restaurants with POS, online ordering, kiosks, payroll, and marketing tools — directly overlapping Applova's core product surface.
- Square for Restaurants: Block-owned restaurant POS and payments platform with built-in online ordering, kiosks, and marketing — competing head-to-head with Applova in the SMB fast-casual segment.
- Lightspeed Restaurant: Cloud POS for full-service and quick-service restaurants with online ordering and self-service kiosk modules — direct competitor in multi-location restaurant technology.
- TouchBistro: iPad-based restaurant POS designed for full-service and quick-service operators with integrated online ordering and payments — comparable SMB fast-casual focus.
- SpotOn: Restaurant technology platform combining POS, online ordering, marketing, and payments — direct competitor in SMB restaurants with similar integrated value proposition.
Broad incumbents
- Clover: Fiserv/First Data SMB POS platform with a large app marketplace including third-party kiosk and online-ordering apps — Applova is certified on Clover, but Clover's marketplace also hosts competing solutions.
- PAR Technology (PAR POS): Public restaurant technology company offering enterprise POS, kitchen display, and back-office solutions to large chains — broader incumbent serving a higher tier than Applova's core SMB base.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Applova social profiles
Digital presenceApplova compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Applova financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Applova leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Applova funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Applova 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 Applova
What does Applova do?
Applova sells a unified SaaS platform built exclusively for restaurants, combining an AI-powered POS, self-ordering kiosks, online ordering websites, branded mobile apps, and a kitchen display system, all sharing one menu that auto-syncs across channels. The platform is sold to restaurant operators on a modular subscription basis, with optional hardware (kiosks, payment readers) and onboarding services, and is targeted primarily at fast-casual restaurants with complex menus and modifiers.
Is Applova a public or private company?
Applova is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Applova founded?
Applova was founded in 2016. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Applova based?
Applova is headquartered in Palo Alto, United States, in the North America region.
How does Applova make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. SaaS Platform Subscription is the primary driver. The others are hardware Sales and professional Services.
Who are Applova's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Olo, ChowNow, Revel Systems, Toast, Square for Restaurants, Lightspeed Restaurant, TouchBistro and SpotOn. Broad incumbents are Clover and PAR Technology (PAR POS).
Does Applova have an API?
No public API is recorded for Applova.
What industry is Applova in?
Applova's product category is Restaurant Technology Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDACAKAA, POS Terminals & All-in-One Retail Computers, with a secondary code of AFAIALAM, Restaurant Technology Supplies (POS Hardware, Kiosks) Wholesale. Its NAICS code is 513210 and its SIC code is 7372.