18Birdies

What 18Birdies does

18Birdies, LLC is a San Francisco/Oakland-based mobile golf technology platform founded in 2014 that serves recreational and amateur golfers globally. The company's core product is a freemium mobile application available on iOS, Android, Apple Watch, and Android Wear that combines a GPS rangefinder, digital scorecard, shot and stat tracking, automated handicap calculation, social competition features, and a directory of 46,000+ golf courses worldwide. The company claims 9 million global users, 120 million rounds scored on the platform, and a 4.9-star average across 290,000+ App Store ratings, positioning itself as the "#1 rated golf GPS app."

The product portfolio is built around a mobile-first, GPS-driven platform with a computer vision-based AI Swing Analyzer that processes user video to provide coaching feedback. Other modules include a Premium subscription tier with personalized insights, a tournament hosting platform with registration and live scoring, a Golf School instructional content section, and an expanding presence on emerging platforms such as Meta's Ray-Ban Display smart glasses. The 120M+ rounds dataset represents a potentially valuable training and personalization asset, though the company has not disclosed specifics on how it is used.

The business operates on a product-led, freemium go-to-market with self-serve downloads via app stores and direct links; distribution is global with no stated geographic restrictions. Monetization is primarily through Premium subscription, with a third-party GolfPass benchmark placing annual pricing in the free-to-$119.99 range. In September 2022, the company secured undisclosed growth funding from Decathlon Capital Partners via a non-dilutive, revenue-based structure to support product development, customer support, and partnerships. The company is privately held with 11–50 employees, and revenue figures have not been publicly disclosed.

Name

18Birdies

Legal name

18Birdies, LLC

Website

https://18Birdies.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

18Birdies is a mobile golf technology platform offering a freemium GPS rangefinder, scorecard, AI swing analyzer, and social competition app serving 9M+ recreational and amateur golfers worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Golf Technology / Sports Mobile App

NAICS

Golf Courses and Country Clubs (71391)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Golf Rangefinders, GPS & Wearable Tech Retail (CRAMAGAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Golf Training Aids & Swing Analytics Retail (CRAMAGAG)

Keywords

• Golf GPS app
• Digital scorecard software
• AI swing analyzer
• Golf tournament platform
• Handicap tracker

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Premium Membership Subscription: Freemium model with free tier providing core GPS and scoring features, and paid Premium tier offering enhanced analytics, insights, and personalized tools for shooting lower scores.
2. Premium Membership Subscription: Subscription-based premium membership offering personalized insights and powerful tools for improving golf game.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

18Birdies operates a freemium mobile golf application that provides GPS-based rangefinder and course navigation for 40,000+ courses, a digital scorecard with multi-format game tracking, an AI-powered swing analyzer, automated handicap calculation, and social/community features for competing with friends. It also offers a Premium subscription tier with personalized insights, a tournament hosting platform with registration and live scoring, and golf instruction content through Golf School. The platform is distributed globally via iOS, Android, Apple Watch, Android Wear, and emerging wearable platforms such as Meta Ray-Ban Display smart glasses.

Product overview

18Birdies is a golf-focused social and gaming platform built around its core mobile application. The platform operates on a freemium model with a free GPS/rangefinder/scorecard app and a Premium subscription tier offering enhanced analytics. The product portfolio centers on the 18Birdies Golf App (iOS, Android, Apple Watch) augmented by the AI Swing Analyzer for computer vision-based swing coaching, the Golf School for instruction content, and Tournaments for event management. Social features including Community, Leaderboards, and Golf Games (Skins, Wolf, Match Play, etc.) enable competitive play among friends. A Golf Courses Database with 40,000+ courses and a Handicap Calculator round out the core functionality. The company has recently expanded to wearable platforms through a partnership with Meta for Ray-Ban Display smart glasses.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 18Birdies Golf App The flagship 18Birdies mobile application providing GPS rangefinder, digital scorecard, shot tracking, handicap calculation, multi-format game tracking, tournament hosting, and social/community features for individual golfers. Available on iOS, Android, and Apple Watch, covering 40,000+ golf courses worldwide.
• AI Swing Analyzer / AI Coach AI-powered swing analysis feature using computer vision to deliver real-time coaching feedback and personalized recommendations to help golfers analyze and improve their swing mechanics through video-based analysis.
• Golf Tournaments Tournament hosting module within the 18Birdies app that allows users to organize and run golf tournaments with player registration management, live scoring capabilities, and result tracking, marketed as making it easier than ever to run a tournament.
• Golf School Golf instruction and training content platform providing educational resources, tips, and lessons to help golfers improve their skills and on-course performance, accessed through the 18Birdies app.
• Meta Ray-Ban Display Smart Glasses App Golf-specific application under development for Meta's Ray-Ban Display smart glasses platform, utilizing the device's 20-degree field of view and Neural Band gesture controls to deliver a wearable golf experience.

Quantifiable outcome

• 290k ratings with 4.9 star average on app stores
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

AI capability2 records

Feature6 records

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• TheGrint: Golf handicap tracker, scorecard, and social app with a freemium model and community/league features. Direct overlap with 18Birdies in handicap calculation, scoring, and friend/leaderboard competition.
• Arccos Golf: Direct competitor offering a golf performance platform combining GPS, AI-powered shot tracking, and swing analytics. Both serve serious amateur golfers with sensor/computer-vision-based game improvement, and compete directly for the same premium subscription wallet.
• SwingU: Golf GPS rangefinder and scorecard app with handicap tracking and stat analysis, using a freemium model similar to 18Birdies. The two products are direct substitutes for amateur golfers seeking free GPS and scorecard functionality with optional paid upgrades.
• Golfshot (now part of Apple): Former direct competitor in golf GPS and scorecard apps; now owned by Apple. Offers the same core product set (GPS, scoring, stats) and is now bundled with Apple Watch, representing a platform-bundled threat to 18Birdies' standalone offering.

Emerging players

• Decade Golf: Golf training aid and instruction app focused on short-game and full-swing improvement. Comparable as a golf-improvement technology product targeting amateur golfers, with overlap on the swing analysis / training value proposition.
• Hole19: Golf GPS rangefinder and scorecard app with course data across international markets. Comparable product set (GPS, scoring, stats) with a more international footprint, positioning it as an emerging peer with overlapping target users.
• Skillest: Online golf coaching platform connecting golfers with instructors for video-based swing analysis. Overlaps with 18Birdies' AI Swing Analyzer positioning on golf instruction and swing improvement, but with a human-coach marketplace model.
• Golf Genius: Tournament management platform for golf leagues, clubs, and outings. Overlaps with 18Birdies' tournament hosting product, but focuses more on the organizer/club side of the market while 18Birdies is consumer-led.
• StrackaLine: Golf green-reading and putt-breaking tool with detailed course-specific data. Adjacent to 18Birdies' swing analysis and course database offerings, particularly the data/analytics layer of the golf improvement stack.

Broad incumbents

• GolfNow: Broad golf industry platform owned by NBC Sports offering tee-time booking, course reviews, and golf instruction. Operates in the same golf consumer market as 18Birdies with a much wider portfolio of services, representing an incumbent that could expand into 18Birdies' GPS/scoring territory.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/18birdiesapp
• Facebookfacebook.com/18birdies
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/18birdies

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors1 record

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 18Birdies