Datasym
Datasym is a UK-based, privately held software vendor founded in 1979 that provides proprietary POS, back-office, and catering management software (DPOS SQL, Stockade, Menumark, Menumate, KDS, Kiosk) to retail, hospitality, and healthcare enterprises across the United Kingdom through direct sales and an accredited reseller channel.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1979
- HeadquartersFareham, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Datasym does
Datasym (UK) Ltd is a privately held UK software vendor founded in 1979 and headquartered in Fareham, Hampshire, providing end-to-end point-of-sale, back-office, and catering management solutions for the retail, hospitality, and healthcare sectors. The company develops and maintains its software entirely in-house, centered on the DPOS SQL transaction engine and the Stockade SQL back-office module, extended by a portfolio of vertical- and workflow-specific modules: Menumark for hospital catering production and menu planning, Menumate for electronic patient/resident meal ordering, Orderpad for mobile table-side ordering, a self-service Kiosk, a web-based Kitchen Display System (KDS), a Delivery & Collection module with third-party aggregator integration via Deliverect, and a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) solution powered by WiFi SPARK for NHS patient meal ordering. The platform architecture is a core-plus-modules model that allows deployment in retail, hospitality, healthcare, prisons, education, retirement living, and franchise environments.
The business operates a hybrid revenue model combining licensed software with ongoing support, monthly SAAS pricing for newer offerings like KDS, hardware passthrough (partnerships with Toshiba, Flytech, Aures, Verifone), professional services (consultancy, project management, training, bespoke development), and managed data hosting. Go-to-market is dual-pronged: direct enterprise sales for larger accounts such as Costa Coffee (2,500+ franchise locations via partner WRS Systems), Heron Foods (250+ stores, 850+ terminals), 3Arena, Jersey General Hospital, and McCarthy & Stone (130 sites); plus a channel of accredited resellers and vertical technology partners covering payment processing, loyalty, reservations, kitchen video, and delivery aggregation. Pricing is bespoke and quote-based, with SAAS options available to lower upfront cost for mid-market and franchise buyers. Public sector positioning has been strengthened by G-Cloud 13 framework supplier status and Cyber Essentials certification.
Datasym firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Datasym
- Legal name
- Datasym (UK) Ltd
- Website
- https://datasym.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1979
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Datasym is a UK-based, privately held software vendor founded in 1979 that provides proprietary POS, back-office, and catering management software (DPOS SQL, Stockade, Menumark, Menumate, KDS, Kiosk) to retail, hospitality, and healthcare enterprises across the United Kingdom through direct sales and an accredited reseller channel.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Datasym industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Point of Sale and Catering Software
- NAICS
- Software Publishers (5132)
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Integrated POS Payments (ISVs & Vertical POS Platforms) (FSAMADAD)
Keywords
Where Datasym is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Fareham
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Datasym business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Software Licenses and Subscriptions: Proprietary POS software (DPOS SQL), back office (Stockade), and catering solutions (Menumark, Menumate) sold as licenses with ongoing support and upgrades. Solution available on monthly SAAS option for KDS.
- Hardware Sales: Branded POS hardware including terminals, kiosks, kitchen displays, and peripherals sold alongside software solutions.
- Professional Services: Consultancy, project management, training, data management, and bespoke development services. Full installation, onsite or remote training, and project management included.
- Data Hosting: Full hosting for customer data in secure, encrypted environment, eliminating need for customer servers or IT expertise.
- Solution as a Service (SAAS): Monthly payment options spreading financial burden for clients, particularly for kiosk solutions and KDS deployments.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | KDS monthly SAAS option |
| Hybrid | Monthly | Solution As A Service (SAAS) |
| Subscription | Annual | Enterprise software licenses |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Datasym product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Datasym develops, sells and supports proprietary point-of-sale and back-office software (DPOS SQL, Stockade) along with specialised modules for catering management (Menumark), electronic meal ordering (Menumate), mobile waiter ordering (Orderpad), self-service kiosks, kitchen display (KDS), delivery/collection and BYOD patient ordering. The software is developed and maintained in-house in the UK, is sold as licensed/subscription deployments with optional Solution-as-a-Service monthly pricing, and is complemented by branded POS hardware, payment integration, consultancy, training, data hosting and bespoke development services for retail, hospitality, healthcare, prisons, retirement living, education and franchise operators.
Product overview
Datasym provides a comprehensive POS ecosystem centered on DPOS SQL (their core point-of-sale software platform) and Stockade SQL (back office management solution). The product portfolio spans multiple specialized modules: Menumark for catering management, Menumate for electronic meal ordering, Orderpad for mobile waiter ordering, Datasym Kiosk for self-service, Datasym KDS for kitchen display, Delivery & Collection module, and BYOD solutions. The offering operates as a platform-plus-modules architecture where DPOS SQL serves as the central transaction engine with specialized add-ons extending functionality for specific industry verticals (hospitality, retail, catering) and use cases. Additional services include consultancy, project management, training, data hosting, and bespoke development.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Quantifiable outcome
- Zero EPoS system failures reported by Heron Foods over 5+ years
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Datasym
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments7 records
Ideal customer profiles7 records
Datasym technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration26 records
Feature9 records
Datasym partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- ToshibacoreLong-standing hardware partnership. Toshiba manufactures EPOS hardware and supplemental equipment. Partnered on Heron Foods 850+ terminal deployment and 3Arena venue solution.
- WiFi SPARKcoreWiFi SPARK provides the innovative SPARK Platform for guest-access WiFi, powering Datasym's Bring Your Own Device patient meal ordering solution installed within the NHS.
- VerifonecoreDatasym's longest standing EFT partner providing debit/credit card payments and Apple/Android Pay via DPOS SQL. Accredited for Verifone's Engage platform (P400, E285, V240m PEDs).
- DeliverectcoreFood delivery aggregator integration allowing multiple third-party delivery services (Deliveroo, Uber Eats, Just Eat) to be fed into the Datasym delivery collection module simultaneously.
- WRS SystemscoreSupplying and maintaining EPOS systems across UK and Europe with tailored solutions to hospitality sector including Costa Coffee. Committed to innovative, reliable and secure systems.
- Retail & Sports SystemsminorFounded 2009, first live system at Sheffield United 2010. Systems in 30+ sites including 19 Football Clubs and 3 Rugby Clubs. Also serves Fast Food and Charities channels.
- Definitive EPOS Solutionsminor30+ years experience supplying cash register and EPoS equipment to hospitality and retail sectors across UK.
- Evoke CreativecoreReseller installing Datasym POS, Kiosk, and KDS at venues including Jaqks and TGI Fridays locations.
Scale indicators13 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Datasym competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Tevalis: UK-based EPOS and kitchen display provider focused on hospitality and licensed trade. Highly comparable technology stack (POS + KDS) and UK mid-market customer base to Datasym's hospitality offering.
- Epos Now: UK-headquartered POS software vendor serving retail, hospitality, and catering SMEs. Direct overlap with Datasym's core DPOS/SQL product set and target verticals, competing head-to-head on multi-site features and UK channel.
- Kamarin: UK-based POS supplier to hospitality and leisure venues (pubs, clubs, restaurants). Direct competitor in the same verticals and similar deployment model via resellers and direct sales.
- TouchBistro: iPad-based restaurant POS with integrated payments, KDS, and delivery modules. Closely comparable feature set to Datasym's Orderpad + Kiosk + KDS combination for hospitality customers.
Broad incumbents
- Toast: US-listed restaurant POS and payments platform expanding into the UK. Competes in hospitality with an integrated cloud POS+KDS+delivery+payments stack analogous to Datasym's hospitality modules.
- Lightspeed Commerce: Cloud POS and commerce platform serving retail and hospitality globally. Overlaps with Datasym's retail and hospitality segments, with broader portfolio (e-commerce, payments, analytics) at larger scale.
- Oracle Micros (Oracle Food and Beverage): Enterprise hospitality POS used by hotels, stadiums, and large venue operators. Directly comparable to Datasym's 3Arena deployment and large multi-site hospitality customers.
- NCR Voyix: Enterprise POS and back-office platform with strong retail and hospitality footprint. Comparable in the retail and multi-site segments where Datasym serves Heron Foods and similar chains.
- Block (Square): SMB-focused POS and payments platform with hardware, software, and integrated commerce. Comparable in target segments (cafes, small retailers) and integrated payments strategy that Datasym mirrors via Verifone/Worldpay/Adyen.
Emerging players
- PayPal Zettle: Mobile-first POS and card reader offering targeting small hospitality and retail merchants. Comparable for kiosk/mobile ordering use cases and an alternative to Datasym's lower-end deployments.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Datasym social profiles
Digital presenceDatasym compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Datasym financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Datasym leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Datasym funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Datasym 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 Datasym
What does Datasym do?
Datasym develops, sells and supports proprietary point-of-sale and back-office software (DPOS SQL, Stockade) along with specialised modules for catering management (Menumark), electronic meal ordering (Menumate), mobile waiter ordering (Orderpad), self-service kiosks, kitchen display (KDS), delivery/collection and BYOD patient ordering. The software is developed and maintained in-house in the UK, is sold as licensed/subscription deployments with optional Solution-as-a-Service monthly pricing, and is complemented by branded POS hardware, payment integration, consultancy, training, data hosting and bespoke development services for retail, hospitality, healthcare, prisons, retirement living, education and franchise operators.
Is Datasym a public or private company?
Datasym is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Datasym founded?
Datasym was founded in 1979. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Datasym based?
Datasym is headquartered in Fareham, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Datasym make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Software Licenses and Subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are hardware Sales, professional Services, data Hosting and solution as a Service (SAAS).
Who are Datasym's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Tevalis, Epos Now, Kamarin and TouchBistro. Broad incumbents are Toast, Lightspeed Commerce, Oracle Micros (Oracle Food and Beverage), NCR Voyix and Block (Square). PayPal Zettle is listed as an emerging player.
Does Datasym have an API?
No public API is recorded for Datasym.
What industry is Datasym in?
Datasym's product category is Point of Sale and Catering Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAMADAD, Integrated POS Payments (ISVs & Vertical POS Platforms). Its NAICS code is 5132 and its SIC code is 7372.