Saloniq

What Saloniq does

SalonIQ (legal entity Intelligent Salon Software Ltd, Tunbridge Wells, UK) is a vertical cloud-SaaS platform for hair and beauty salons, serving 2,500+ UK salons and 180+ multi-location groups under a subscription model starting at £47/month with no long-term contracts. The product combines online 24/7 booking, automated SMS/email marketing, client and consultation management (with face/body mapping, allergy screening via Colourstart and Vish colour-measuring integration), team performance dashboards, multi-location reporting, and integrated payments through IQ Pay. Distinctive add-ons include an AI Receptionist that autonomously handles missed calls and the Smart Tip solution co-developed with Revolut for same-day, cashless tipping.

The company was founded in 2012 by Andy Atherton and David Le Vine (who previously built Computill and iSalon from 1993), launched SalonIQ in 2013, and is independently owned with no external investors. Sales is hybrid: a named field/inside sales team (Sales Director, Senior Sales Consultant, Key Account Executive, multiple SDRs) targets enterprise groups while a self-serve digital funnel and a referral program (£150 incentive) address SMBs. Geographic expansion is distributor-led, with Digital Salon as exclusive Irish distributor (2024, 60 of 150 salons live in three weeks) and a UAE brand partnership.

Revenue mechanics rest on per-salon subscription tiers, enterprise pricing for groups, embedded payments through IQ Pay, and add-on modules (AI Receptionist, Smart Tip, branded salon app, eCommerce, memberships, finance reporting). The platform integrates with Stripe, Klarna, Reserve with Google, Mutu, SalonSpy, Flossie, Green Salon Collective, and Revolut, and exposes an IQapi for third-party developers. Operating scale cited by the company includes 20,000+ users, 10M+ annual bookings, 13.5M+ SMS/year, and 825,000+ payment transactions/year.

Name

Saloniq

Legal name

Intelligent Salon Software Ltd

Website

https://saloniq.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

SalonIQ is a UK-based vertical SaaS platform that provides cloud-based salon management software — combining online booking, automated marketing, AI-assisted reception, integrated payments and team analytics — to 2,500+ independent hair and beauty salons and 180+ multi-location groups.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Salon Management Software

SIC

Services-Management Services (8741)

akta.pro primary industry

Appointment Reservations (Spa, Salon, Wellness) (HSACALAK)

Keywords

• Salon management software
• Online booking system
• Salon payment processing
• Beauty salon technology
• Hairdressing business software

Headquarters

HQ city

Durham

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Subscription Software Licensing: Monthly subscription model for cloud-based salon management software with access to all core features including online booking, marketing automation, client management, team tools, and integrated payments. No long-term contracts required.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

SalonIQ is a UK-based cloud-based salon management software platform that combines online appointment booking, client management, automated marketing, team performance tools, and integrated payments in one system. It is designed and built by salon owners for hair and beauty salons, barbers, spas, and multi-location salon groups, available from £47 per month with no long-term contracts. The platform includes an AI Receptionist for 24/7 missed-call handling, IQ Pay for integrated payments, Tip Smart for cashless tipping, a branded mobile app, and multi-location enterprise management.

Product overview

SalonIQ is an all-in-one salon management software platform built by salon owners for salon owners, combining a core unified platform with multiple integrated modules. The core SalonIQ Platform serves as the central hub, complemented by specialized modules including: AI Receptionist (automated call handling), IQ Pay (integrated payments), Online Booking Portal (24/7 appointment booking), Salon Marketing (automated SMS/email campaigns), Team Engagement (performance tracking), Salon Management (dashboard and reconciliation), Client Experience (deposits and intake), Salon App (branded mobile app), Group & Enterprise (multi-location management), Salon eCommerce (retail sales), IQ Finance (financial reporting), Smart Consultation (forms with face/body mapping), Smart Tip/Tip Smart (cashless tipping via Revolut), and a free Stock App for multi-location inventory management. The platform integrates with payment processors (Stripe, Klarna), communication tools (Reserve with Google, Flossie), and industry-specific tools (SalonSpy, Vish, Colourstart, Green Salon Collective) to provide comprehensive salon management.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SalonIQ Platform All-in-one cloud-based salon management software combining online booking, automated marketing, client management, team performance tools, and integrated payments; designed for hair salons, beauty salons, barbers, spas and multi-location salon groups in the UK.
• AI Receptionist AI-powered autonomous receptionist that handles missed calls and enquiries 24/7, books appointments, answers common questions, and captures new clients when the team is busy.
• IQ Pay Integrated payment processing solution for salons that talks directly to card terminals, eliminates payment mistakes and saves admin time during cash-up.
• Smart Tip (Tip Smart) Integrated cashless tipping solution developed in partnership with Revolut that transfers tips directly from client to team members' Revolut accounts the same day, with 100% of tips going to staff and helping salons comply with UK tipping rules.

Quantifiable outcome

• 86% of bookings made online without staff involvement (SalonIQ customer data, 2025)
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers19 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration10 records

AI capability6 records

Feature10 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Digital SaloncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2024Appointed as exclusive Irish distributor for SalonIQ technology. 150 Irish salons in process of switching with 60 already live in first three weeks. Partner is website and digital marketing expert in beauty and wellness industry.
• StripecoreTechnology or IntegrationPayment processing integration enabling salons to take deposits and payments online. Technology-first approach to payments and finance.
• Green Salon CollectiveminorOthersRecycling partner for specialist hair salon waste across UK and Ireland. Diverts hair, foil, and colour tubes from landfill with over 10 different recycling methods.
• RevolutcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Tip Smart solution enabling cashless tipping. Tips transferred directly from client to team member's Revolut account same day. Developed to help salons comply with UK tipping rules.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• GlossGenius: US-originated salon and spa software for independent beauty professionals with strong brand-led marketing and integrated payments. Similar SMB-focused, payments-inclusive proposition aimed at independent salon owners; presence in the UK is limited but competes for the same customer mindshare.
• Booksy: Appointment booking and business management app targeted at barbers, hair and beauty salons with payments built in. Comparable online-booking-first proposition with overlap in the barbershop segment where SalonIQ also sells.
• Fresha: Global salon and beauty marketplace-plus-software platform with a strong freemium/marketplace motion. Competes for the same small-business salon customer as SalonIQ but with a different GTM emphasis (app marketplace and payments).

Broad incumbents

• Square Appointments: Block/Square's appointment booking and POS suite widely adopted by small salons and barbers because of its bundled payments hardware and software. Competes indirectly with SalonIQ's IQ Pay and online booking in the SMB salon segment.
• Mindbody: Large, broad wellness and beauty SaaS incumbent covering salons, spas and fitness studios with booking, payments and marketing at enterprise scale. Competes with SalonIQ for multi-location and enterprise salon groups but operates across a much wider vertical surface.

Direct peers

• Phorest Salon Software: Ireland-based salon software platform serving hair and beauty salons with online booking, marketing, client management and multi-location tools. Closest direct competitor to SalonIQ, particularly in the UK and Irish markets where it has a strong installed base.
• Shortcuts Software: UK-headquartered salon and spa management software for hair, beauty and barber businesses offering booking, CRM, marketing and stock control. Direct competitor; multiple ex-Shortcuts staff appear in SalonIQ's team, evidencing direct category overlap.
• SalonPartner Software: UK-based salon management software serving independent salons and groups. Direct competitor in the same vertical; cited as a prior employer of SalonIQ's Head of Support, indicating category and customer overlap.
• iSalon: UK salon software originally built by the same founders (Computill) as the heritage of SalonIQ. Operates as a continuing competitor in the UK hair and beauty market, with overlapping customer base and switching activity (e.g., Taylor Taylor London switched from iSalon to SalonIQ).
• SalonGenius: UK salon management software offering booking, CRM and marketing tools to hair and beauty businesses. Direct competitor; cited as the former employer of multiple SalonIQ team members.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/SalonIntelligence
• Instagraminstagram.com/salon_iq
• Xx.com/saloniqsoftware

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Saloniq