OtterText

What OtterText does

OtterText is a Boulder, Colorado-based software company that operates an AI-powered multi-channel messaging and marketing platform targeted at small and mid-sized businesses. The platform's core product is bulk SMS/MMS campaign delivery with claimed 99.5% deliverability, expanded through interconnecting modules covering email marketing, CRM, audience segmentation, loyalty/rewards, winback automation, review management, unified inbox, web chat, Text-to-Pay payments, and workflow automation. The company differentiates on specialized carrier-approved SHAFT (Sex, Hate, Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco) compliance for regulated industries, offering brand registration, age-gating, and compliant messaging templates where mainstream platforms decline to serve.

The underlying technology stack combines SMS/MMS/email/webchat delivery, AI features (AI Copy Assist, AI Reputation Specialist, natural-language audience segmentation, AI suggested replies), private-IP email infrastructure (one dedicated IP per 100,000 contacts), and a REST API alongside Zapier connectivity to 1,000+ apps. Native integrations span ecommerce (Shopify, BigCommerce, WooCommerce, Celerant), POS (Lightspeed, Square, Clover), shipping (ShipStation), payments (Stripe, Payroc), and reviews (Google My Business, Review Spot); a related product, OtterSign, captures waiver and opt-in consent.

Revenue is generated through a multi-stream model: tiered subscriptions (email Starter $12/month to Scale $89/month, plus SMS plan tiers), usage-based SMS ($0.006-$0.05/message) and MMS ($0.02-$0.09/message) billing, dedicated short-code licensing (from $1,000/month with a 6-month minimum), one-time 10DLC registration fees ($50-$100), contact-list scrubbing ($0.003/number), and pass-through payment processing. Go-to-market combines a self-serve product-led growth motion (free trial, sign-up at app.ottertext.com) with a 'Request a Demo' enterprise motion, supported by a tiered Certified/Platinum/Approved partner program (Oryx Outdoor Group, Point of Impact Group, Armanet) and content-led demand generation. The company reports more than 500 active users and is self-funded and profitable with a 6-person team (CEO/Founder Ben Nelson, CTO Victor, two full-stack developers, one sales role, and an advisor). Geographic focus is the United States and Canada.

Name

OtterText

Legal name

OtterText

Website

https://ottertext.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

OtterText operates an AI-powered multi-channel messaging and marketing platform combining SMS, MMS, email, CRM, payments, and automations, with specialized carrier-approved SHAFT (Sex, Hate, Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco) compliance serving primarily US small and mid-sized businesses across regulated and general verticals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

SMS and Email Marketing Software

NAICS

Wired and Wireless Telecommunications (except Satellite) (5171), Telecommunications (517)

SIC

Telegraph & Other Message Communications (4822), Services-Advertising (7310)

akta.pro primary industry

SMS/MMS & Messaging Marketing Services (Text, RCS, WhatsApp/OTT) (MPAAAIAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

SMS & Mobile Direct Marketing Services (BPAFAKAI)

Keywords

• SMS marketing software
• Email marketing software
• Marketing automation software
• Customer engagement platform
• Compliance messaging services

Headquarters

HQ city

Boulder

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. SMS Subscription Plans: Monthly subscription plans with contact limits and SMS message allowances. Plans include Lite and higher tiers. Overages charged per message. SMS pricing ranges from $0.05 to $0.006 per message depending on volume.
2. Email Marketing Subscriptions: Three-tier email pricing: Starter ($12/mo up to 500 contacts, 100 emails included), Growth ($34/mo up to 5,000 contacts, 5,000 emails included), Scale ($89/mo unlimited contacts, 25,000 emails included). Overage charges apply.
3. MMS Campaigns: MMS (multimedia) messaging with higher pricing than SMS. 10X higher ROI compared to SMS mentioned. MMS ranges from $0.09 to $0.02 per message.
4. Short Code Licensing: Dedicated short codes for mass communication starting at $1,000/month with 6-month minimum contract. Enterprise clients sending over 500,000 texts per month may qualify for discounted pricing.
5. Contact List Services: Contact list scrubbing at $0.003 per number to remove landlines. Age verification and compliance services for regulated industries.
6. Payment Processing: Text-to-Pay feature integrated with Stripe and Payroc. Transaction fees passed through from payment processors; no additional OtterText transaction fees.
7. Premium Features & Add-ons: Premium features including onboarding forms, custom number registration (10DLC $50-100), advanced automations, and AI tools. Support level varies by plan.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

OtterText is an AI-powered multi-channel marketing and communication platform delivering bulk SMS/MMS and email campaigns alongside loyalty rewards, review management, winback automation, unified inbox, text-to-pay, web chat, audience segmentation, and workflow automations. The platform specializes in carrier-approved compliant messaging for SHAFT-regulated industries (firearms, alcohol, tobacco, sex, hate) that mainstream SMS providers block, and serves ecommerce, retail, automotive, hospitality, and other SMB verticals. Distribution is via web app and iOS/Android mobile apps with self-serve onboarding, enterprise sales, and certified channel partners.

Product overview

OtterText is an all-in-one SMS marketing platform combining AI-powered bulk texting and email campaigns with built-in loyalty rewards, review management, winback automation, unified inbox messaging, Text-to-Pay payments, web chat, audience segmentation, and workflow automations. The platform provides specialized SHAFT (Sex, Hate, Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco) compliance for regulated industries alongside standard marketing automation. OtterText operates on a platform-plus-modules architecture where the core SMS campaign engine serves as the foundation, supplemented by interconnected modules for Email Marketing, Loyalty/Rewards, Reviews, Winback Campaigns, Inbox, Payments, Web Chat, Audience Segmentation, and Automations—all unified under a shared CRM with API and Zapier extensibility.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• OtterText Bulk SMS/MMS Campaigns AI-powered bulk SMS and MMS campaign platform enabling businesses to grow contact lists, send targeted messages, and track ROI with real-time analytics and 99.5% deliverability. Includes AI Copy Assist for sub-160-character message generation.
• OtterText Email Marketing Email campaign platform with 30+ customizable templates, drag-and-drop builder, automation journeys, A/B testing, and audience segmentation. Delivers 42% average open rate with 91% deliverability on private IP infrastructure.
• OtterText Loyalty/Rewards Automated rewards program with configurable cashback (1%-20%), automatic $5 reward coupons at thresholds, winback campaigns, birthday promotions, and Google review requests. Can run standalone or integrate with POS systems.
• OtterText Reviews Management Review management platform connecting to Google Reviews and Review Spot with AI Reputation Specialist for generating and personalizing review invitations and replies, automated review requests, and consolidated inbox.
• OtterText Winback Campaigns Automated re-engagement campaigns triggered by customer inactivity (30/60/90 days) with behavioral segmentation, multi-channel delivery (SMS and/or email), and ROI tracking by channel and segment.
• OtterText Inbox Unified messaging inbox for real-time conversations across text, social, email, and web chat with AI-powered suggested replies, automated responses, lead management, and mobile app for iOS and Android.
• OtterText Text-to-Pay SMS payment solution allowing businesses to send invoices via text with secure payment links, integrated with Stripe and Payroc for credit/debit card and digital wallet payments.
• OtterText Web Chat Website chat widget enabling real-time customer engagement, lead capture, and appointment booking with AI-powered suggestions and automations. Includes customizable branding and mobile notifications.
• OtterText Audience Segmentation AI-powered customer segmentation tool allowing businesses to build targeted audiences based on purchase history, behavior, membership status, location, lifetime value, and custom tags with AI-generated segments from natural-language prompts.
• OtterText Automations Workflow automation library with 40+ pre-built templates covering abandoned cart recovery, winback, loyalty, reviews, VIP alerts, event promotions, SHAFT-specific automations, and custom-triggered campaigns.
• OtterText CRM Customer relationship management capability unified with SMS and email for retention tracking. Includes customer profiles with purchase history, activity tracking, and custom tags.
• OtterText SHAFT Compliance Service Specialized compliance service for Sex, Hate, Alcohol, Firearms, and Tobacco (SHAFT) industries, including brand registration with carriers, age-gating, and compliant messaging templates.
• OtterText API REST API enabling developers to build apps and custom integrations with OtterText platform capabilities, documented at api.ottertext.com.
• Otter Inbox Mobile App iOS and Android mobile application for real-time customer messaging with templates, MMS, text-to-join, inbox tags, web chat, and user management on the go.
• OtterSign Related product for eSignatures and waivers that integrates with OtterText to capture opt-in consent and push data directly into the platform.

Quantifiable outcome

• 58x return on investment for large retail customer
• +13 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments15 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration17 records

AI capability11 records

Feature8 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered certified, platinum, approved, core and minor.

• Oryx Outdoor GroupcertifiedChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2025Certified Partner specializing in ecommerce for 2A and outdoor brands. Oryx Outdoor Group helps firearms and outdoor brands grow and connect with their audience using OtterText. Provides personalized training, account customization, team onboarding, and integrations.
• Point of Impact GroupplatinumChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2025Platinum Partner helping firearms retail and range businesses boost profitability, productivity, and value through expert planning, design, coaching, and management using OtterText.
• ArmanetapprovedChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2025Approved Partner and leading ad platform for firearms and freedom-first brands. Delivers scalable, targeted campaigns across the largest 2A-friendly network online.
• Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC)coreOthers · 1 January 2022OtterText supports Firearms Policy Coalition, an organization dedicated to defending Second Amendment rights. Partnership reflects company's commitment to supporting advocacy for regulated industries and freedom of speech.
• Gun Owners of AmericacoreOthers · 1 January 2022OtterText supports Gun Owners of America, a nonprofit organization defending Second Amendment rights. Partnership aligns with company's mission to support firearms industry access to communication tools.
• Turning Point USAminorOthers · 1 January 2022OtterText supports Turning Point USA, a student movement organization. Partnership supports organization's mission and aligns with company's values around freedom and advocacy.
• ShopifycoreTechnology or IntegrationNative integration with Shopify for ecommerce. Enables abandoned cart recovery, new order notifications, shipping updates, and customer data sync.
• BigCommercecoreTechnology or IntegrationNative integration with BigCommerce for ecommerce brands. Enables automated abandoned cart recovery and order notifications.
• WooCommercecoreTechnology or IntegrationNative integration with WooCommerce for WordPress ecommerce. Supports abandoned cart recovery and automated messaging.
• LightspeedcoreTechnology or IntegrationNative POS integration with Lightspeed. Enables customer data sync and automated messaging for retail operations.
• SquarecoreTechnology or IntegrationNative integration with Square for POS and payments. Enables customer tracking and automated messaging.
• StripecoreTechnology or IntegrationPayment integration for Text-to-Pay feature. Enables secure payment processing via credit/debit cards and digital wallets through SMS.
• PayroccoreTechnology or IntegrationPayment integration for Text-to-Pay feature. Alternative payment gateway for secure transaction processing.
• ZapiercoreTechnology or IntegrationIntegration with Zapier connecting OtterText to 1000+ apps. Enables workflow automation and data transfers between platforms.

Scale indicators17 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Yotpo: Ecommerce marketing platform offering reviews, SMS, loyalty, and email. Overlaps with OtterText's Reviews, Loyalty, and SMS modules for Shopify/BigCommerce/WooCommerce merchants.
• Podium: Messaging and payments platform serving local businesses with text-based customer communication, reviews, and payments. Closely comparable to OtterText's local business segments (auto, home services, hospitality).
• Birdeye: Reviews, messaging, and customer experience platform for multi-location and local businesses. Comparable on the Reviews management and unified messaging inbox features OtterText offers to local/regulated SMBs.

Direct peers

• Sendlane: Email and SMS marketing automation platform focused on ecommerce with behavior-based automation and segmentation. Comparable mid-market alternative to OtterText for SMB ecommerce marketers.
• ActiveCampaign: Customer experience automation platform combining email, CRM, and messaging automations. Overlaps with OtterText's email, CRM, and automation modules for SMB customers.
• Postscript: SMS marketing platform purpose-built for ecommerce brands. Direct competitor to OtterText on bulk SMS, abandoned cart recovery, two-way conversations, and Shopify/BigCommerce integrations — competing for the same ecommerce customer base.
• Klaviyo: Email and SMS marketing platform for ecommerce and DTC brands with strong segmentation, automation, and Shopify/WooCommerce integrations. Direct overlap with OtterText's email, SMS, segmentation, and automation modules.
• Attentive: Enterprise-grade SMS marketing platform with a unified inbox, segmentation, and AI-driven personalization. Competes head-to-head with OtterText in SMS-first marketing for retail and ecommerce.

Broad incumbents

• Iterable: Cross-channel marketing platform spanning email, SMS, push, and in-app messaging with enterprise-grade segmentation. Competes for the larger end of OtterText's mid-market and ecommerce segments.
• Twilio: Communications platform offering Programmable Messaging, Segment, and Engage. Sits upstream/adjacent to OtterText — both ride on Twilio's underlying carrier relationships, and Twilio's marketing products compete with OtterText's full platform.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/100086593921571
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/otter-waiver

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 OtterText