Quail Digital

What Quail Digital does

Quail Digital is a UK-based designer and manufacturer of DECT-based wireless digital headset communication systems serving three verticals: Quick Service Restaurants (drive-thru), Healthcare (operating rooms and clinical environments), and Retail (team communication and staff safety). Founded in 1995 by Tom Downes, who remains CEO, the company offers four core product lines — Pro9 (QSR, including the world's first 4-lane drive-thru system), Pro11 (Healthcare, with encrypted digital audio for surgical environments), Pro12 (Retail, featuring speech recognition and multi-user groups), and Quail Connect/Pro10 (entry-level retail). Its systems operate on DECT frequency bands (1.88-1.90 GHz in EMEA/Asia; 1.91-1.93 GHz in North America) and are license-free compliant in 130+ countries, enabling global deployments through 65 specialist resellers across 38 countries, with regional offices and daily shipping in Reading (UK HQ), Düsseldorf (EMEA), and Dallas (North America).

Name

Quail Digital

Legal name

Quail Digital

Website

https://quaildigital.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Quail Digital designs and manufactures DECT wireless headset communication systems for Quick Service Restaurants, Healthcare, and Retail, serving global enterprises via 65 resellers across 38 countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wireless Headset Communication Systems

NAICS

Audio and Video Equipment Manufacturing (334310), Telephone Apparatus Manufacturing (33421)

SIC

Telephone & Telegraph Apparatus (3661)

akta.pro primary industry

Microphones, Headsets & Audio Input Devices (HDACAFAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Wireless/DECT Audio Intercom Systems (HSAHAIAB)

Keywords

• Wireless headset systems
• Drive-thru communication systems
• Healthcare team communication
• Retail team communication
• DECT wireless technology

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Hardware Sales (Wireless Headset Systems): Sale of professional wireless headset systems including Pro9 (Quick Service), Pro11 (Healthcare), Pro12 (Retail), and Quail Connect. Hardware includes headsets, base stations, chargers, speakers, microphones, and accessories.
2. Bundled Voice AI Hardware Platform: In partnership with Audivi, Quail Digital provides Voice AI hardware boxes at no cost to QSR operators as part of the bundled service. This creates recurring revenue through the partnership model where upfront infrastructure costs are removed to drive adoption of AI-powered ordering.
3. Support and Maintenance Services: Local resellers provide help desks, field support, repair facilities, and inventory in country, suggesting ongoing service and support revenue streams.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Quail Digital designs, manufactures, and sells DECT-based digital wireless headset communication systems that enable hands-free team coordination for Healthcare (Pro11), Retail (Pro12 / Quail Connect), and Quick Service Restaurant drive-thru (Pro9) operations. Its product portfolio includes headsets, base stations, chargers, speakers, microphones, and accessories, augmented by a P9AI audio interface that links Pro9 audio to AI voice-ordering platforms, with a Voice AI hardware platform co-bundled through its 2026 partnership with Audivi.

Product overview

Quail Digital is a Dallas-based designer and manufacturer of digital wireless headset systems serving Healthcare, Retail, and Quick Service Restaurant industries globally. The product portfolio includes the Pro9 (Quick Service/drive-thru), Pro11 (Healthcare), Pro12 (Retail), and Quail Connect (entry-level Retail). The Pro9 integrates with AI platforms via the P9AI interface for automated drive-thru order taking, while the Pro11 offers encrypted audio for surgical environments. The Pro12 includes speech recognition for retail team communication with MAX variant adding VOIP/SIP and enterprise integrations. Systems operate on DECT frequency bands (1.88-1.90GHz EMEA/Asia; 1.91-1.93GHz North America) and are available through 65 global resellers across 38 countries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Pro9 Quick Service Headset System Market-leading DECT wireless headset system for 1-, 2-, 3-, and 4-lane drive-thru operations, delivering crystal-clear audio in noisy environments with AI integration capability through the P9AI interface. Targeted at enterprise QSR operators including McDonald's, KFC, Burger King, Starbucks, Taco Bell, and Costa Coffee.
• Pro11 Healthcare Headset System Secure, stand-alone DECT wireless communication system for operating rooms, Cath Labs, EP Labs, and IR Labs, featuring military-grade encrypted digital audio and integration with medical/AV equipment. Used by NHS trusts and academic medical centers including Barts Health, Cromwell Hospital, Boston Children's Hospital, and University of Chicago Medicine.
• Pro12 Retail Headset System DECT wireless communication system for retail stores featuring speech recognition with the "Ok Quail" wake word, up to 4 user groups, integration with help buttons, checkout intercoms, alarm systems, door entry, and security tagging. Supports up to 250 users per system and coverage beyond 200,000 sq ft. Deployed across 158 SPAR stores (James Hall & Co.) and at SPAR, IKEA, Sainsbury's, Waitrose & Partners, One Stop, Warner's Supermarkets, and others.
• Pro12 MAX Enterprise-level variant of the Pro12 retail headset system adding VOIP/SIP telephone connectivity, above-store paging, AI connectivity, and centralised system state reporting for large-store deployments with 3–250 users.
• Quail Connect (Pro10) Retail System Entry-level single-channel DECT wireless communication system for small retail stores with typically 4–6 users, offering crystal-clear sound and a lightweight design with scalable coverage across up to three base stations.
• P9AI Audio Interface Hardware audio interface for Pro9 drive-thru systems that converts digital headset audio to IP voice for cloud connectivity, enabling automated AI-powered order taking at the speaker post and AI coaching/insights. Fully back-compatible with existing Pro9 installations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to $2,000 savings per site through backward-compatible P9AI hardware
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers34 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration12 records

AI capability4 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• AudiviflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 March 2026Quail Digital and Audivi formed a global partnership to launch a Voice AI hardware platform for quick service restaurants (QSR) and drive-thru operations. The integrated system combines Quail Digital's high-clarity audio hardware with Audivi's AI-powered voice ordering software. The Voice AI hardware box is provided at no charge to QSR operators deploying the integrated solution, removing the upfront infrastructure costs (typically five figures) that have hindered adoption. The partnership enables AI-powered ordering across 32 countries and positions both companies in the fastest-growing technology segment in the QSR industry. The technology addresses labor shortages and rising operational costs by reducing order errors and shortening service times.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• HME (HM Electronics): HME is the established market leader in drive-thru headset systems for QSR operators, directly competing with Quail's Pro9 in the same lane-coordination and order-taker communication category. Both target the same enterprise QSR customers with DECT-based wireless headset solutions.
• Spectralink: Spectralink specializes in wireless communication handsets and headsets for healthcare and enterprise environments, directly overlapping with Quail's Pro11 healthcare and Pro12 retail offerings. Both serve clinical and operational communication needs in mission-critical settings.
• Vocera (Stryker): Vocera, now part of Stryker, provides wearable voice communication devices for clinical teams in hospitals — directly comparable to Quail's Pro11 healthcare headset system. Both target hands-free communication in ORs, ICUs, and other clinical settings.

Broad incumbents

• 3M (Peltor / Drive-thru Systems): 3M has historically supplied drive-thru communication systems and industrial headsets (Peltor), making it a broad incumbent that overlaps with Quail's Pro9 QSR and Pro11 healthcare offerings. As a diversified conglomerate, it competes on enterprise contracts where bundled procurement is preferred.
• Ascom: Ascom delivers healthcare-grade communication and workflow solutions, including wireless handsets and intercom systems, positioning it as a broad incumbent in clinical communication. It overlaps with Quail's Pro11 in addressing hospital team communication and patient safety workflows.
• EPOS (Sennheiser): EPOS, the gaming and enterprise audio brand spun out of Sennheiser, supplies professional headsets for contact centers, offices, and unified communications — broadly competing in the same headset hardware category as Quail across retail and QSR use cases.
• Jabra (GN Audio): Jabra is a major manufacturer of professional and enterprise wireless headsets, competing with Quail in the broader professional headset category. While Jabra focuses more on UC/office use cases, its enterprise channel overlaps with Quail's retail and healthcare customers.

Emerging players

• Presto Automation: Presto Automation provides Voice AI ordering for drive-thru QSR operators — directly intersecting with the Quail/Audivi partnership value proposition. It represents an emerging competitor in the same QSR voice-AI segment Quail's Audivi partnership targets.
• SoundHound for Restaurants: SoundHound's restaurant voice-AI platform competes in the same QSR drive-thru ordering segment as the Quail/Audivi partnership. As a well-capitalized AI software specialist, it represents a competitive threat to Quail's AI-driven QSR growth thesis.

Regional players

• Bogen Communications: Bogen Communications provides commercial audio and intercom systems, with overlap to Quail's intercom and audio communication use cases in retail and QSR. It is more focused on paging and background music but competes for the same in-store audio communication budgets.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

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 Quail Digital