Markk

What Markk does

Markk Inc. is a privately held, founder-operated mobile technology company headquartered in Downtown Los Angeles that operates a real-time, location-verified social platform for rating local businesses. The core product is the Markk app (iOS and Android), where users post photo and video ratings with an emoji-based score (Dope, Okay, Nope) that automatically expire after 24 hours. The platform integrates with Mapbox for mapping and Firebase for dynamic configuration, and includes community-curated features such as CuRated Challenges and the COVID-era Emergency Supply Finder, a real-time inventory map built in 36 hours that reached tens of thousands of users during the pandemic.

The business model is freemium consumer-facing with no disclosed monetization mechanism beyond speculative local business partnerships and advertising. User engagement is driven by a points-and-rewards system where contributions earn points redeemable for gift cards and experiences; the company has run giveaway campaigns (Daily $50, $2,500 in DTLA gift cards) as engagement incentives. Distribution is exclusively through Apple App Store and Google Play Store, with no enterprise sales motion, and the platform has stated plans to expand beyond Los Angeles to New York and Florida, though no expansion milestones have been documented.

The company was founded in August 2019 by three co-founders (Shachin Bharadwaj, Sheldon Dsouza, Santhosh Nagarajan) and operates with 11-50 employees. Only one capital event (Adept Ventures, 2021) is disclosed, and recent blog content (2025-2026) has shifted toward unrelated topics such as virtual data rooms, suggesting either limited product momentum or experimental content monetization outside the core ratings platform.

Name

Markk

Legal name

Markk Inc.

Website

https://getmarkk.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Markk Inc. operates a mobile-first social platform where users post real-time, location-verified photo and video ratings of local businesses, with content expiring after 24 hours. The freemium consumer app serves LA-based individuals and SMBs via a points-and-rewards engagement model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Local Business Review & Social Rating Platform

akta.pro primary industry

Generalist Short-Form Video Social Platforms (MPACAHAA)

Keywords

• Local business reviews
• Mobile rating app
• Social check-in platform
• Location-verified reviews
• Ephemeral content ratings

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

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, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Points and Rewards Redemption: The platform operates a points-based rewards system where users earn points through rating places, discovering new locations, and marking places as 'Going.' Points can be redeemed for rewards including gift cards, travel experiences, and other prizes. The platform monetizes through user engagement and potential advertising or partnership opportunities with local businesses.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Markk operates a mobile-first social platform where users capture photo and video reviews of nearby local businesses and rate them with an emoji-based system (Dope, Okay, Nope). Posts are time-limited to 24 hours, must be location-verified, and earn users points and rewards, positioning the app as a real-time, trust-oriented alternative to traditional star-rating review sites.

Product overview

Markk Inc. offers a mobile-first social networking platform centered on real-time visual ratings of local businesses. The core product is the Markk app (available on iOS and Android) where users share photo and video ratings with a custom emoji scale (Dope/Okay/Nope), with content expiring after 24 hours. The platform includes a points and rewards system for user engagement. Key features include Emergency Supply Finder (a real-time map tool for locating essential items, powered by Mapbox), CuRated Challenges (community-curated lists through gamified challenges), and location-verified ratings with social sharing capabilities. In-house design and development powers the mobile applications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Markk App Mobile-first social platform where users post photo and video reviews of nearby local businesses, rated via an emoji system (Dope / Okay / Nope), with 24-hour expiring content, location verification, and a points and rewards layer; targeted at individual smartphone users seeking fresh, trustworthy local business ratings.
• Emergency Supply Finder In-app capability that uses Markk's location and rating platform to help users identify nearby businesses stocking needed supplies during emergencies.
• CuRated Challenges Gamified challenges within the Markk app that reward users for posting location-verified ratings of local businesses, driving repeat engagement and content volume.

Quantifiable outcome

• All ratings expire in 24 hours, ensuring information freshness and reducing impact of outdated or irrelevant reviews
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

AI capability4 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Downtown Women's CenterminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 October 2020Markk donated $1 for every rating added by the community (up to $1000) during #StepOutForDTLA campaign to support the Downtown Women's Center, which helps women experiencing homelessness.
• DTLA Community CuratorsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 October 2020Partnership with local LA influencers (Mariana @visionsmariana, Lizette @dtlawanderer, Robert @30daysoftakeout, Black Owned Food LA @blackownedfoodl) to curate and promote the #StepOutForDTLA campaign featuring local businesses.
• Firebase (Google)coreTechnology or Integration · 22 April 2020Firebase Remote Config used for dynamic content updates on native Android and iOS apps, enabling rapid feature rollout without app updates. Combined with Webview to display ESF map view dynamically.
• MapboxcoreTechnology or Integration · 3 March 2020Mapbox provides mapping infrastructure for Markk's Emergency Supply Finder and other location-based features. Used Mapbox GL JS SDK for web app development, enabling custom marker icons, real-time filtering, and integration with VueJS PWA. Mapbox provided credits as part of their COVID-19 support efforts.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Yelp: The dominant local business review platform in the US, providing crowd-sourced reviews, photos, and ratings for restaurants, bars, and local services. Direct competitor to Markk's core use case of rating local venues, though Yelp's reviews are persistent rather than ephemeral.
• Tripadvisor: The largest travel and local venue review platform globally with 500M+ downloads. Markk's own blog explicitly compares itself to TripAdvisor, making it the most directly comparable competitor in the venue/local business discovery space.
• Foursquare: Pioneer of location-based check-ins, venue ratings, and city guides. Closely comparable to Markk in combining location verification with social/curated venue discovery, though Foursquare has evolved more toward enterprise location intelligence.
• Nextdoor: Hyperlocal community platform connecting neighbors and local businesses within geographic boundaries. Comparable to Markk in its community-driven, location-verified approach to local content, though focused on general neighborhood activity rather than venue ratings.
• Untappd: Social check-in app for rating beer, breweries, and venues with photos and location-based social features. Directly comparable in venue-rating, photo-based, community-curated local discovery model, though narrower (beer focus).
• The Infatuation: Restaurant and venue discovery and review platform with strong editorial curation and social/community components. Comparable to Markk's curated discovery approach via CuRated Challenges, focused primarily on food and dining.

Broad incumbents

• Google Maps: The dominant mapping and local business information platform with integrated reviews, photos, and real-time crowd information. A much larger competitor that could trivially add ephemeral/realtime features to displace Markk.
• Snapchat: Major social platform built around ephemeral visual content (Snaps, Stories) and location-based features (Snap Map, Geofilters). Comparable to Markk's ephemeral/visual content model at vastly greater scale.
• Instagram: Dominant visual social platform with location tagging, Stories (ephemeral content), and business discovery features. Comparable to Markk's photo/video venue rating model, with vastly greater scale and overlapping use case.

Emerging players

• Beli: Restaurant rating and discovery app with social features for tracking and sharing dining experiences. Similar visual-first, community-driven approach to venue ratings, positioned as a modern alternative to Yelp.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/getmarkk
• Instagraminstagram.com/getmarkk
• Facebookfacebook.com/getmarkk

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Markk