18Birdies
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.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingSoftware
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.
18Birdies firmographics
Firmographics- 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
18Birdies industry classification
Industry- 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
Where 18Birdies is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
18Birdies business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- 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.
- Premium Membership Subscription: Subscription-based premium membership offering personalized insights and powerful tools for improving golf game.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Others | Free Tier - Core GPS, scoring, and basic features |
| Subscription | Monthly | Premium Membership - Full feature access |
| Subscription | Annual | Competitive pricing benchmark |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
18Birdies product offering
Product offeringCore 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
Companies that use 18Birdies
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
18Birdies technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
AI capability2 records
Feature6 records
18Birdies partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
18Birdies competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect 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
18Birdies social profiles
Digital presence18Birdies financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
18Birdies leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
18Birdies funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds3 records
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
18Birdies 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 18Birdies
What does 18Birdies do?
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.
Is 18Birdies a public or private company?
18Birdies is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was 18Birdies founded?
18Birdies was founded in 2014. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is 18Birdies based?
18Birdies is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
How does 18Birdies make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Premium Membership Subscription is the primary driver. The others are premium Membership Subscription.
Who are 18Birdies's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are TheGrint, Arccos Golf, SwingU and Golfshot (now part of Apple). Emerging players are Decade Golf, Hole19, Skillest, Golf Genius and StrackaLine. GolfNow is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does 18Birdies have an API?
No public API is recorded for 18Birdies.
What industry is 18Birdies in?
18Birdies's product category is Golf Technology / Sports Mobile App. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAMAGAH, Golf Rangefinders, GPS & Wearable Tech Retail, with a secondary code of CRAMAGAG, Golf Training Aids & Swing Analytics Retail. Its NAICS code is 71391 and its SIC code is 7900.