City Hive
City Hive operates a unified commerce and data platform for the US three-tier alcohol industry, connecting 4,500+ independent retailers with 300+ suppliers and distributors through custom websites, mobile apps, POS integration, and the AI-powered Tipsy Bot shopping assistant.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What City Hive does
City Hive is a New York-based commerce and data platform purpose-built for the US three-tier alcohol distribution system. Founded in 2014, the company connects independent wine, beer, and spirits retailers with distributors and suppliers through a unified stack that includes custom e-commerce websites, branded mobile apps, universal POS integration (407+ POS systems), and ERP connectivity. The platform spans 44 states, serves 4,500+ active merchants, and connects 300+ suppliers including major brands such as Brown-Forman, Bacardi, Campari Group, and Gallo.
The platform is structured around three customer-facing solutions—Retailers, Distributors, and Suppliers—supplemented by a white-label Marketplaces product, an Affiliate Program, and the Tipsy Bot AI shopping assistant. Underlying technology includes a 4M+ product UPC database, real-time inventory synchronization, integrated payment processing (PCI DSS validated), and AI-powered recommendations. City Hive generates revenue through SaaS subscriptions ($99–$699/month tiers), a 2.5% transaction fee on processed payments (plus 2.9% + $0.30 credit card processing), supplier dashboard subscriptions ($1/SKU/month plus per-brand fees), advertising solutions, marketplace commissions, and affiliate revenue share.
The go-to-market combines direct enterprise sales, self-serve SMB onboarding, marketplace integrations (DoorDash, UberEats, Grubhub, Instacart, Google Shopping, Vivino, Wine Searcher, Flaviar), and a tiered affiliate/partner program. In March 2026 the company surpassed $1 billion in annual B2B payments processed, achieved 526 days after launching its embedded payment platform.
City Hive firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- City Hive
- Legal name
- City Hive Inc.
- Website
- https://cityhive.net
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- City Hive operates a unified commerce and data platform for the US three-tier alcohol industry, connecting 4,500+ independent retailers with 300+ suppliers and distributors through custom websites, mobile apps, POS integration, and the AI-powered Tipsy Bot shopping assistant.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
City Hive industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Alcohol Industry E-Commerce Software
- NAICS
- Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers (44532), Wine and Distilled Alcoholic Beverage Merchant Wholesalers (42482), Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers (445320)
- SIC
- Beverages (2080), Wholesale-Beer, Wine & Distilled Alcoholic Beverages (5180), Retail-Retail Stores, Nec (5990)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Liquor Stores (Off-Premise Spirits Retail) (CRANABAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Beer, Wine & Spirits Wholesale Distribution (CRAOAIAA), Beverage & Alcohol Distribution Centers (TLALAEAK)
Keywords
Where City Hive is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
City Hive business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Operations
Revenue model
- SaaS Subscription Revenue: Monthly subscription fees from retailers for platform access (Standard $99/mo, Pro $149/mo, Expert $699/mo), distributors, and suppliers. Includes base contacts with additional contact fees.
- Transaction Fees: 2.5% City Hive fee plus 2.9% + $0.30 credit card processing fee on each transaction processed through the platform.
- Supplier Dashboard Program: Per-SKU monthly fees ($1/SKU) plus per-brand monthly fees (Pro $100, Expert $200) for product content management and brand enhancement services.
- Advertising Solutions: Custom campaigns combining B2C consumer targeting and B2B retailer outreach. Revenue from suppliers/brands for ad placements across the network.
- Marketplace Platform Fees: White-label marketplace solution with commission management system, premium retailer placement options, and featured product positions for marketplace operators.
- Affiliate Partner Revenue Share: Revenue share from referred accounts (SaaS and advertising) paid to affiliate partners at various tiers (Bronze, Silver, Gold).
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Standard: $99/month - Basic e-commerce for new online retailers |
| Subscription | Monthly | Pro: $149/month - Growing retailers with marketing automation |
| Subscription | Monthly | Expert: $699/month - High-volume retailers with dedicated ad management |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Transaction Fee: 2.5% + 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction |
| Subscription | Monthly | Supplier Dashboard Standard: $1/SKU/month + $100 implementation |
| Subscription | Monthly | Supplier Dashboard Pro: $1/SKU/month + $100/brand/month |
| Subscription | Monthly | Supplier Dashboard Expert: $1/SKU/month + $200/brand/month |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Advertising Solutions: Custom pricing |
| Other | Monthly | Affiliate Partner Bronze: 25% of first 3 months SaaS fees |
| Other | Monthly | Affiliate Partner Silver: Bronze + 10% of next 9 months SaaS |
| Other | Monthly | Affiliate Partner Gold: Silver + 10% of first 12 months SaaS |
Go-to-market motion4 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels10 records
City Hive product offering
Product offeringCore offering
City Hive operates a unified SaaS commerce and marketing platform purpose-built for the US three-tier alcohol distribution system, connecting alcohol retailers, distributors, and suppliers. Its core offering includes custom e-commerce websites, branded mobile apps, real-time POS integration, marketing automation, SEO, advertising, and a proprietary AI shopping assistant called Tipsy Bot, with built-in compliance for age verification, shipping restrictions, and excise tax calculations.
Product overview
City Hive is a unified commerce and marketing platform specializing in the three-tiered beer, wine, and spirits industry. The platform operates as a platform-plus-modules architecture with three distinct customer-facing solutions: the Retailers Platform (custom websites, mobile apps, SEO, marketing tools, POS integration, and Order Hub), the Distributors Platform (custom websites, CRM, and ERP integration), and the Suppliers Platform (Dashboard Program, Advertising Solutions, and Direct-to-Consumer). Additional offerings include the white label Marketplaces product, the AI-powered Tipsy Bot shopping assistant, and the Affiliate Program for partners. The platform connects 4,500+ merchants, 300+ suppliers, and processes $1B+ in annual GMV across 44 states.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Retailers Platform All-in-one e-commerce SaaS platform for wine and spirits retailers providing custom websites, mobile apps, SEO optimization, integrated marketing tools, universal POS integration, and order management to capture online shoppers and operate digital storefronts.
- Distributors Platform Distributor commerce platform providing custom branded websites, CRM, ERP integration, and direct merchant integration to connect alcohol distributors with the City Hive network of retailers and suppliers.
- Supplier Dashboard Program Product data management solution enabling alcohol suppliers to control brand presence across thousands of retail stores with one content upload, real-time SKU-level analytics, Visual Score, SEO optimization, and brand pages. Available in Standard, Pro, and Expert tiers.
- Advertising Solutions B2C and B2B advertising platform combining consumer targeting and retailer outreach through targeted display ads, featured placements, sponsored search, and compliant coupon campaigns across the City Hive retailer network.
- Direct-to-Consumer (Compliant DTC) Patent-protected compliant DTC functionality that enables alcohol suppliers to add a 'Shop Now' button on their brand website with local store pickup integration, operating within US three-tier alcohol distribution regulations.
- Marketplaces (White-Label Platform) White-label marketplace platform powered by City Hive technology and connected to the City Hive retailer network, including full-featured CMS, API and SDK access, commission management, and integrations with DoorDash, Uber Eats, Grubhub, Instacart, Google Shopping, Vivino, Wine Searcher, and Flaviar.
- Tipsy Bot AI Assistant First AI shopping assistant designed specifically for the alcohol industry, providing expert-level conversational recommendations for wines, spirits, and cocktails with immediate local purchase options across 3,000+ independent retailers in 44 states.
Quantifiable outcome
- Surpassed $1 billion in annual B2B payments in 526 days after launching payment platform
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use City Hive
Customer profileNamed customers15 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
City Hive technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration13 records
AI capability7 records
Feature6 records
City Hive partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Monika FiguracoreMonika Figura promoted to Senior Director of Partnerships to lead ecosystem expansion and strengthen City Hive's position connecting retailers, distributors, and suppliers. Figura has been with City Hive since 2017.
- Tequila KomoscorePartnership enabling 25-minute delivery for ultra-premium spirits, reducing standard 3-day delivery time by 98%. Integrates real-time inventory and local fulfillment while maintaining brand control and regulatory compliance. Creates new benchmark in luxury spirits e-commerce and benefits local retailers through rapid compliant delivery.
- DoorDashcoreMarketplace integration allowing orders from DoorDash to appear directly in City Hive dashboard alongside website orders. Enables alcohol delivery through DoorDash platform.
- GrubhubcoreMarketplace integration for restaurant and alcohol delivery orders. Orders sync directly to City Hive dashboard for unified order management.
- UberEatscoreMarketplace integration enabling alcohol delivery orders through UberEats platform, appearing in unified City Hive dashboard.
- InstacartcoreIntegration for same-day grocery and alcohol delivery through Instacart marketplace.
- Lightspeed RetailcorePOS system integration for inventory sync and order management with Lightspeed Retail POS systems.
- mPowercorePOS system integration for inventory synchronization and real-time pricing updates.
- WinePOScorePOS system integration specifically designed for wine and spirits retailers.
- NCR CounterpointcorePOS integration with NCR Counterpoint enterprise retail management system.
Scale indicators22 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
City Hive competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Provi: Provi is a B2B alcohol marketplace connecting distributors, retailers, and suppliers with digital ordering, product data, and analytics. Like City Hive, it pursues the three-tier alcohol system with a digital layer focused on off-premise operators, making it a direct comparable for the B2B side.
- SevenFifty Daily (SevenFifty): SevenFifty operates a B2B platform for wine, beer, and spirits connecting distributors and retailers with product data and ordering workflows. Both companies focus on digitizing the alcohol three-tier system with product information management and ordering tools.
- ReserveBar: ReserveBar is an e-commerce platform for premium wines and spirits, working directly with brands and retailers for online alcohol sales. Both companies operate at the intersection of alcohol suppliers, retailers, and consumers, addressing the regulatory complexity of three-tier alcohol commerce.
Broad incumbents
- Drizly (Uber): Drizly, owned by Uber, is the largest US alcohol e-commerce marketplace connecting consumers to local retailers. Both companies operate in alcohol e-commerce, though Drizly focuses on B2C/marketplace while City Hive empowers retailers with their own digital channels.
- Shopify: Shopify is a broad commerce platform used by many alcohol retailers, offering websites, POS, and AI tooling. Both enable independent retailers to launch and grow e-commerce, though City Hive's alcohol-specific compliance, payments, and supplier integrations position it as a specialized alternative.
- BigCommerce: BigCommerce provides enterprise and mid-market commerce storefronts used by beverage alcohol brands. Both companies serve the alcohol retail/supplier ecosystem with scalable commerce infrastructure, though City Hive's three-tier compliance and Tipsy Bot are differentiating.
- Square (Block): Square provides POS, payments, and website solutions to small businesses including alcohol retailers. Both compete for the independent liquor store segment, though City Hive leads with purpose-built alcohol compliance and supplier integrations.
- Toast: Toast dominates restaurant POS and is expanding into alcohol retail/commerce. Both serve alcohol sellers with POS, payments, and digital channels; Toast is broad-line while City Hive is vertical-specialized for off-premise three-tier compliance.
Emerging players
- GoPuff: GoPuff is a quick-commerce delivery operator that has expanded into alcohol, partnering with retailers for fast delivery. Both operate in alcohol delivery/marketplace territories, but GoPuff focuses on consumer-facing delivery while City Hive powers retailer-owned channels.
Others
- Instacart: Instacart is a marketplace partner and potential competitor in alcohol delivery, integrated with City Hive's Order Hub. Both reach alcohol consumers via digital channels, though Instacart is a third-party marketplace while City Hive enables first-party retailer commerce.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights8 records
Customer concentration
City Hive social profiles
Digital presenceCity Hive compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
City Hive financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
City Hive leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
City Hive funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
City Hive 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 City Hive
What does City Hive do?
City Hive operates a unified SaaS commerce and marketing platform purpose-built for the US three-tier alcohol distribution system, connecting alcohol retailers, distributors, and suppliers. Its core offering includes custom e-commerce websites, branded mobile apps, real-time POS integration, marketing automation, SEO, advertising, and a proprietary AI shopping assistant called Tipsy Bot, with built-in compliance for age verification, shipping restrictions, and excise tax calculations.
Is City Hive a public or private company?
City Hive is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was City Hive founded?
City Hive was founded in 2014. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is City Hive based?
City Hive is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does City Hive make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. SaaS Subscription Revenue is the primary driver. The others are transaction Fees, supplier Dashboard Program, advertising Solutions, marketplace Platform Fees and affiliate Partner Revenue Share.
Who are City Hive's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Provi, SevenFifty Daily (SevenFifty) and ReserveBar. Broad incumbents are Drizly (Uber), Shopify, BigCommerce, Square (Block) and Toast. GoPuff is listed as an emerging player. Instacart is listed as an others.
Does City Hive have an API?
Yes. City Hive offers a RESTful API with comprehensive documentation for marketplace operators. The API includes native iOS and Android SDKs, webhooks for real-time events, custom authentication options, flexible data models, multi-tenant architecture, and an Ads Engine API for programmatic ad placement with custom targeting rules and bidding system integration. Available features include sandbox environment, API versioning, rate limiting controls, and error handling and logging. Developer documentation is at www.cityhive.net/pages/marketplaces.
What industry is City Hive in?
City Hive's product category is Alcohol Industry E-Commerce Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRANABAA, Liquor Stores (Off-Premise Spirits Retail), with a secondary code of CRAOAIAA, Beer, Wine & Spirits Wholesale Distribution. Its NAICS code is 44532 and its SIC code is 2080.