FlaveApp

What FlaveApp does

FlaveApp operates a dual-sided restaurant discovery and rewards platform, branded as "Flave" and legally domiciled as Flave App, Inc. in Maryland. On the consumer side, Flave offers iOS and Android applications in which users earn an in-app currency ("Flave Cash" / points) by photographing food at participating restaurants and providing non-publicized feedback; users redeem points for restaurant specials, including happy hour deals and discovery filters for Black, Woman, Veteran-owned, and LGBTQIA-friendly establishments. The consumer app is free, with revenue generated exclusively on the restaurant side.

On the supply side, Flave provides a cloud-based Restaurant Partner Portal (partner.flave.app) that enables SMB operators to capture real-time customer feedback while diners are still on premises — explicitly positioned to intercept issues before they surface as public Google or Yelp reviews — alongside promotion deployment ("reach thousands of users in two minutes"), promotion performance metrics, and a dining analytics dashboard covering both on- and off-premise behavior. Restaurant partners access the portal via a "Request Demo" flow and choose between two pricing structures: a flat monthly subscription or a zero-risk pay-per-visitor model. Photo submissions are reviewed and verified within 24 hours.

Flave is presently operating in the Baltimore and Washington D.C. metros with approximately 13 publicly named SMB restaurant partners, has secured ecosystem partnerships with Visit Baltimore, Baltimore Main Streets, RAMW, UPSURGE, Mixolo, and ARTECHOUSE, and is led by co-founders Jal Irani and Derek Battle with a team of roughly nine contributors. The company has only one disclosed funding event — a $5,000 Comcast RISE award in August 2023 — and no reported revenue.

Name

FlaveApp

Legal name

Flave App, Inc.

Website

https://flave.app

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

FlaveApp operates a dual-sided restaurant discovery platform in Baltimore and DC, letting diners earn in-app rewards for photographing food and providing real-time feedback, while SMB restaurants access a cloud partner portal for feedback capture, promotions, and dining analytics on a subscription or pay-per-visitor basis.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Restaurant Marketing & Engagement Software

akta.pro primary industry

Price Comparison, Deals, Cashback & Loyalty Shopping Platforms (BPAMAGAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Direct Response & Database Marketing (Mailing Lists, Data Hygiene) (MPAAAIAK)

Keywords

• Restaurant rewards app
• Diner engagement platform
• User-generated content
• Restaurant feedback software
• Restaurant marketing analytics

Headquarters

HQ city

Baltimore

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Restaurant Subscription Plans: Two pricing models for restaurant partners: a flat monthly fee and a pay-per-visitor model. Restaurants can choose whichever fits their business needs. Cloud portal access provided for managing promotions and viewing analytics.
2. User Engagement (Flave Cash): In-app currency earned by users for taking food photos and providing feedback. Flave Cash is redeemed for restaurant deals and gift cards - not convertible to USD.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

FlaveApp operates a dual-sided dining rewards and feedback platform consisting of a free consumer mobile app (iOS and Android) and a cloud-based Restaurant Partner Portal. Diners earn in-app "Flave Cash" rewards by photographing food at participating restaurants and providing non-publicized feedback, while restaurant partners pay a flat monthly fee or a zero-risk pay-per-visitor fee to capture real-time feedback before public reviews, push promotional specials, and access dining analytics. The platform currently serves restaurants in Baltimore and Washington, D.C.

Product overview

FlaveApp operates as a dual-sided platform consisting of a consumer mobile application (Flave App) and a restaurant partner portal. The Flave App enables users in Baltimore and DC to earn rewards by photographing food at participating restaurants, leave feedback, and discover special deals including happy hour specials and LGBTQIA-friendly, Black/Woman/Veteran owned establishments. The companion Restaurant Partner Portal provides restaurants with real-time feedback capture, promotion tools, and dining analytics. The two products work together in a marketplace model where consumer engagement through photo rewards drives traffic to restaurant partners.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Flave App

Quantifiable outcome

• Restaurants can reach thousands of users in 2 minutes with promotions
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Visit BaltimorecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal tourism organization partnership. Visit Baltimore promotes Baltimore as a destination and likely features Flave as a dining rewards option or includes Flave restaurant partners in their promotional materials.
• Baltimore Main StreetscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEconomic development organization focused on revitalizing Baltimore commercial districts. Partnership helps Flave connect with local restaurants in participating Main Street corridors.
• RAMW (Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerRestaurant trade association for the DC/Maryland/Virginia metro area. Partnership provides access to restaurant members and industry credibility for Flave's restaurant acquisition efforts.
• UPSURGEminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBaltimore-based startup/tech ecosystem organization. Partnership likely focuses on connecting Flave with the local tech and startup community for both restaurant partnerships and potential team hiring.
• MixolominorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity platform for food enthusiasts. Partnership may help drive user acquisition by connecting Flave with food-focused community members.
• ARTECHOUSEminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWashington DC-based innovative arts venue. Cross-promotional partnership introducing Flave to ARTECHOUSE visitors who may also be food enthusiasts.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Belly (MARS Group): Restaurant loyalty program (now part of MARS). Historical direct competitor to Flave on SMB loyalty cards and digital rewards; useful comp for unit economics and churn dynamics.
• The Infatuation: Restaurant discovery and review brand with a city-focused editorial approach. Comparable to Flave's curated, city-by-city discovery angle for diners.

Broad incumbents

• Yelp: Dominant restaurant reviews and discovery platform. Competes with Flave on the diner-side discovery and feedback loop, with massive scale, established network effects, and a restaurant advertising business.
• Resy: Restaurant reservations, discovery, and guest-engagement platform owned by American Express. Competes for the same diner-discovery attention and restaurant-marketing wallet as Flave.
• OpenTable: Restaurant reservations and discovery platform with diner reviews. Overlaps with Flave on discovery and restaurant-merchant relationships, though its wedge is reservations rather than rewards.
• Groupon: Deals and cashback marketplace with a large restaurant vertical. Comparable on the deals/discount mechanic that drives Flave's restaurant traffic.

Direct peers

• Punchh: Restaurant loyalty and CRM SaaS used by multi-unit chains. Directly comparable to Flave's restaurant-side offering (promotions, rewards, analytics), but at the chain/enterprise tier rather than independent restaurants.
• Thanx: Restaurant loyalty and digital engagement platform combining CRM, rewards, and online ordering. Closest direct competitor to Flave's pay-per-visitor restaurant engagement model.
• Restaurant.com: Restaurant deals and gift-card marketplace connecting diners to local restaurants. Closest comparable on the SMB-deals mechanic that underpins Flave's value proposition.
• HappyHour.com / Happy Hour app: Happy-hour and restaurant-deals discovery app. Directly comparable to Flave's happy-hour filtering feature for diners and SMB restaurant acquisition model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/flaveapp
• Facebookfacebook.com/FlaveApp
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/flaveapp

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

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 FlaveApp