Phobio
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2010
- HeadquartersAtlanta, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingSoftware
Phobio firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Phobio
- Legal name
- Phobio, LLC
- Website
- https://phobio.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2010
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Phobio industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Device Trade-In and IT Asset Buyback Platform
- NAICS
- Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (518), Electronics and Appliance Retailers (4492)
- SIC
- Refuse Systems (4953)
- akta.pro primary industry
- IT Asset Disposition (ITAD) & Secure Data Erasure (BPAEAOAK)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Mobile Device (Smartphone/Tablet) Trade-in & Recycling (BPALAIAG), ITAD, Electronics Recycling & Parts Harvesting Retail (CRACAJAF)
Keywords
Where Phobio is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Atlanta
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Phobio business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Trade-in Transaction Fees / Commissions: Phobio earns commissions on every trade processed through partner portals. The platform provides competitive trade values to customers while Phobio and its retail/channel partners share in the margin between acquisition cost and secondary market resale value.
- B2B Enterprise IT Asset Buyback: Phobio for Business charges businesses for IT asset recovery services, generating revenue from the spread between trade-in valuation and resale proceeds, with services including onsite white-glove collections, data erasure, and ESG reporting.
- Consumer Direct Trade-In: Phobio Direct enables consumers to sell used devices, with Phobio capturing value through the secondary market remarketing of devices after inspection and data erasure.
- Assembly Auction Platform: Third-party sellers access the Assembly auction platform to sell used devices through competitive auctions, with Phobio likely earning fees or commissions on transactions.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Consumer direct trade-in via trade.phobio.com |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Phobio for Business — IT Asset Buyback |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Phobio Flex for eCommerce / Retail Portal |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels7 records
Marketing channels7 records
Phobio product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Phobio operates an end-to-end device trade-in platform that powers white-label trade-in and buyback programs for retailers, enterprise IT departments, nonprofits, and individual consumers. The platform handles device valuation, logistics, inspection, certified data erasure, payment processing, and secondary-market disposition, with a proprietary Smart Valuation Engine and Global Remarketing Network underpinning pricing and resale across 3,000+ supported device models.
Product overview
Phobio is a modular device trade-in and lifecycle management platform structured around four core offerings: Phobio Direct (consumer trade-in), Phobio for Business (corporate IT asset buyback), Phobio for Retail (in-store and e-commerce trade-in solutions), and Phobio Flex/Trade Portal (white-label portal for eCommerce, nonprofits, and remote workforces). Supporting these are Phobio for Good (nonprofit fundraising), Phobio for Fitness (wearable trade-in), and Assembly (third-party auction marketplace). The platform centers on a proprietary Smart Valuation Engine that delivers real-time trade-in pricing across all channels, with add-on modules for ESG reporting, onsite Gold Glove service, and an omni-channel capability connecting online preparation to in-store transactions.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Phobio Direct
Quantifiable outcome
- $960M returned to customer budgets through trade-in programs
- +9 more outcomes
Companies that use Phobio
Customer profileNamed customers23 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Phobio technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
AI capability3 records
Feature7 records
Phobio partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and flagship / core.
- Atlanta VibeminorAtlanta Vibe, Atlanta's premier professional women's volleyball team, partnered with Phobio to launch the 'Pass It On' device donation campaign, enabling fans to donate old technology to raise funds for the North Gwinnett Schools Foundation. The campaign is part of Phobio's 'Phobio for Good' service.
- CARS (Charitable Adult Rides & Services)coreCARS partnered with Phobio for Good to launch a program enabling nonprofits to raise funds through electronics donations. The program leverages CARS's network of over 10,000 nonprofits and aims to access the $64 billion used electronics market.
- Costcoflagship / coreSince 2019, Costco has partnered with Phobio to operate an online trade-in program allowing Costco members to exchange electronics for Costco Shop Cards. Phobio handles valuation, logistics, inspection, data-secure processing, and payment delivery. The program is marketed through Costco's membership base of 135 million global cardholders and in-store kiosks.
- Georgia AquariumminorGeorgia Aquarium is listed as a prior Phobio for Good partner, having collaborated on fundraising campaigns involving device donations.
- WABEminorWABE (Atlanta's public media station) is listed as a prior Phobio for Good partner for community-driven fundraising campaigns.
- JamfcorePhobio integrates with Jamf, the Apple device management platform used by enterprises. The integration allows companies using Jamf Pro to export device inventories directly to Phobio for IT asset buyback quotes, streamlining the corporate device refresh process.
- ApplecoreApple partnered with Phobio to launch trade-in programs including Mac trade-in (2017), eCommerce integration (2019), and the Trade-In Program for Apple Business clients (2018). Phobio built Apple's original Trade-In for Business program in 2018.
- StaplescoreStaples is listed as a global retail leader that trusts Phobio to power its trade-in programs, enabling Staples customers to trade in devices for Staples gift cards or credit.
- AmazoncoreAmazon is listed as a trusted brand partner for Phobio's trade-in platform, with Phobio powering Amazon's device trade-in program.
- VerizoncoreVerizon is listed as a partner whose trade-in program is powered by Phobio's platform, leveraging Phobio's consumer-facing trade portal capabilities.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Phobio competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Gazelle: Gazelle is a direct competitor in consumer device trade-in (smartphones, tablets, laptops) with instant-quote online portals matching Phobio Direct. Gazelle was acquired by ecoATM, expanding its distribution into kiosk-based trade-in but operating a similar take-rate model on used consumer electronics remarketing.
- ecoATM: ecoATM operates the largest kiosk-based device trade-in network in the U.S., directly competing with Phobio's consumer trade-in motion. ecoATM's parent company (ReCellular) acquired Gazelle, creating a large incumbent in the same consumer device trade-in category Phobio serves via Costco, Staples, and trade.phobio.com.
- CompuCycle: CompuCycle is a direct competitor providing IT asset disposition (ITAD), e-waste recycling, and certified data destruction services. Both target enterprise IT departments with asset recovery value and sustainability/ESG reporting, similar to Phobio for Business.
- Clover Wireless: Clover Wireless is a direct competitor in mobile device trade-in, asset recovery, and aftermarket refurbishment for carriers, retailers, and OEMs. Both companies serve the same core enterprise customers (carriers, big-box retailers) with similar trade-in platform offerings and secondary-market disposition networks.
- Itsavvy: Itsavvy is a direct competitor in corporate IT asset disposition (ITAD) and refurbished IT hardware resale, competing head-to-head with Phobio for Business. Both offer enterprise device buyback with certified data erasure, refurbishment, and sustainability/ESG reporting for IT refresh cycles.
- HYLA Mobile: HYLA Mobile is a direct competitor in mobile device trade-in and lifecycle management, offering carrier and retailer trade-in programs similar to Phobio for Retail. Both companies operate proprietary valuation engines and offer white-label/embedded trade portals for large wireless carriers and retailers.
- Decluttr: Decluttr is a direct competitor in consumer electronics trade-in (phones, tablets, games, books, tech) with instant-quote portals and free shipping, mirroring Phobio Direct's model. Both operate B2C trade-in transactions with comparable take-rate economics on used devices remarketed through secondary channels.
Broad incumbents
- Sims Lifecycle Services: Sims Lifecycle Services is a broad incumbent in global IT asset disposition and electronics recycling, operating data centers and refurbishment facilities at a larger scale than Phobio. Comparable as an enterprise ITAD competitor with secure data erasure and circular economy positioning similar to Phobio's NIST-compliant asset buyback.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Phobio social profiles
Digital presencePhobio compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
Phobio financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Phobio leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Phobio subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Phobio funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Phobio 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 Phobio
What does Phobio do?
Phobio operates an end-to-end device trade-in platform that powers white-label trade-in and buyback programs for retailers, enterprise IT departments, nonprofits, and individual consumers. The platform handles device valuation, logistics, inspection, certified data erasure, payment processing, and secondary-market disposition, with a proprietary Smart Valuation Engine and Global Remarketing Network underpinning pricing and resale across 3,000+ supported device models.
Is Phobio a public or private company?
Phobio is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Phobio founded?
Phobio was founded in 2010. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Phobio based?
Phobio is headquartered in Atlanta, United States, in the North America region.
How does Phobio make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Trade-in Transaction Fees / Commissions are the primary driver. The others are B2B Enterprise IT Asset Buyback, consumer Direct Trade-In and assembly Auction Platform.
Who are Phobio's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Gazelle, ecoATM, CompuCycle, Clover Wireless, Itsavvy, HYLA Mobile and Decluttr. Sims Lifecycle Services is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Phobio have an API?
No public API is recorded for Phobio.
What industry is Phobio in?
Phobio's product category is Device Trade-In and IT Asset Buyback Platform. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAEAOAK, IT Asset Disposition (ITAD) & Secure Data Erasure, with a secondary code of BPALAIAG, Mobile Device (Smartphone/Tablet) Trade-in & Recycling. Its NAICS code is 518 and its SIC code is 4953.