Presto

What Presto does

Presto (legal entity Presto Phoenix Inc.) is a private, U.S.-based AI automation company that builds Voice AI and adjacent restaurant technologies for the quick-service restaurant (QSR) industry, with a primary focus on drive-thru order automation. Founded in 2008 by Rajat Suri while at MIT, Presto developed a portfolio spanning Presto Voice (a proprietary drive-thru voice ordering assistant leveraging proprietary speech recognition, NLP, generative AI, and a recommendation engine for upselling), Presto Flex (an all-in-one tablet platform with voice-enabled AI for pay-at-table, kiosk, and drive-thru line-busting), Presto IQ (a vertical AI solutions division launched in 2025 with ex-Wendy's FreshAi founder Michael Chorey), Presto Computer Vision (real-time drive-thru operations analytics), Menu Unification (a product for deploying Voice AI across franchise menus), PrestoPrime EMV payment systems, and a Phone Ordering business unit.

The company's business model combines enterprise SaaS subscriptions for the Presto Voice platform with hardware sales (Flex tablets, PrestoPrime terminals) and professional services for POS and headset integration. Go-to-market is direct enterprise field sales to large QSR brands and franchise operators, with pilots leading to nationwide franchise-network expansion. Named customers include Carl's Jr., Hardee's, Fazoli's, Taco John's, Wienerschnitzel (Galardi Group), Yoshinoya, and Dairy Queen. Pricing is quote-based on number of locations and feature set, billed annually.

Presto went public via SPAC merger with Ventoux CCM Acquisition Corp (NASDAQ: VTAQ) in 2022–2023, raising approximately $100M, but subsequently sold its assets to a consortium led by Voice AI specialist Remus Capital in 2024, transitioning back to private ownership as Presto Phoenix Inc. Co-founder Krishna Gupta returned as CEO. Total disclosed funding across private rounds and the SPAC transaction is approximately $140M, with the most recent $10M round in January 2025 led by Remus Capital. The company holds SOC 2 Type II, PCI-P2PE, and EMV L3 certifications, and has been recognized on Y Combinator's Top Companies list in 2019.

Name

Presto

Legal name

Presto Phoenix Inc.

Website

https://presto.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Presto is a private AI automation company that builds Voice AI and adjacent technologies for drive-thru quick-service restaurants, automating order-taking, upselling, and operations across enterprise QSR brands like Dairy Queen, Carl's Jr., Taco John's, and Wienerschnitzel.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Philadelphia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Voice AI Platform Subscription: SaaS subscription model for Presto Voice drive-thru automation platform. Enterprise customers pay recurring subscription fees for access to Voice AI ordering, upsell automation, and analytics. Sold directly to QSR brands with franchise operations.
2. Hardware Sales: Sale of Presto Flex tablets, PrestoPrime EMV terminals, and related hardware equipment for restaurant technology deployment.
3. Professional Services: Implementation, integration, and training services for enterprise deployments including POS integration, headset provider integration, and staff training.
4. Upsell Revenue Impact: Indirect revenue generation through AI-powered upselling that drives 5-6% increase in revenue per store, resulting in $3,750-$4,500 additional monthly revenue for drive-thrus generating $75,000 in monthly receipts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Presto sells an AI-driven voice automation platform for quick-service restaurant (QSR) drive-thrus that automates order-taking, upselling, and customer interactions using proprietary speech recognition and generative AI. The company also sells hardware (Presto Flex tablets, PrestoPrime EMV terminals) and complementary products such as computer vision analytics, menu unification, contactless dining, digital menu boards, and a vertical AI solutions division (Presto IQ). Its core customers are large national QSR chains and franchise operators in the United States.

Product overview

Presto is an AI-driven automation company focused on drive-thru restaurants, offering a comprehensive product portfolio centered on Presto Voice (Voice AI for automated order-taking), Presto Flex (all-in-one hardware tablet platform), and Presto IQ (vertical AI solutions division). The product suite includes Computer Vision for operational analytics, Menu Unification for scalable AI deployment, PrestoPrime EMV payment systems, Contactless Dining Kit, Digital Menu Boards, Server Assistant, Pay-at-Table, and Drive-Thru Kiosks. The company provides end-to-end automation solutions for QSR brands, combining speech/audio AI, computer vision, and process automation to improve revenue, reduce labor costs, and enhance guest experience.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Presto Voice: AI-driven voice automation platform for drive-thru restaurants, featuring automated order-taking, upselling, and guest experience enhancement.
• Presto IQ

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 95% non-intervention rates - AI handles 95% of orders without human staff intervention
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability9 records

Feature9 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor, flagship and core.

• USA CaresminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 May 2026Memorial Day campaign partnership to support veterans and military families. Presto and USA Cares launched joint campaign for Memorial Day 2026.
• Dairy Queen (International Dairy Queen Inc.)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 April 2026Strategic partnership for Voice AI deployment in drive-thru operations. Dairy Queen tested technology in corporate stores and is expanding to select franchisees around the country. Partnership includes joint speaking at Restaurant Leadership Conference. Kevin Baartman, EVP of IT at Dairy Queen, stated initial results are promising.
• ElevenLabscoreTechnology or Integration · 1 September 2025Partnership to bring the most realistic Voice AI platform to restaurant drive-thrus. ElevenLabs provides voice synthesis technology for natural, realistic AI voices in Presto's Voice AI ordering system.
• Michael Chorey (Presto IQ)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2025Michael Chorey, founder of Wendy's FreshAi, joined as Co-Founder and President of Presto IQ. Brings deep expertise in restaurant Voice AI from Wendy's FreshAi development.
• Galardi Group (Wienerschnitzel)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2025Nationwide expansion partnership for Voice AI-powered drive-thru solutions at Wienerschnitzel locations. Presto's automation deployed across Galardi Group's Wienerschnitzel franchise network.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Olo: Olo is a leading enterprise restaurant ordering SaaS platform serving brands like Shake Shack and sweetgreen. While focused on digital ordering rather than voice AI, Olo serves the same enterprise QSR customer base and represents an adjacent platform competitor.
• Restaurant365: Restaurant365 is a cloud-based restaurant management platform serving QSR and fast-casual chains with accounting, inventory, and operations tools. While not directly in Voice AI, it serves the same enterprise restaurant customer base and could expand into front-of-house automation.
• Block (Square for Restaurants): Block's Square for Restaurants offers POS, payments, and software to QSR operators. As a broad incumbent in restaurant technology, Square could leverage its payments ecosystem to bundle Voice AI features competitive with Presto.
• Toast: Toast is a leading restaurant technology platform offering POS, payroll, and online ordering. While not a Voice AI specialist, Toast serves the same QSR customer base and could expand into drive-thru AI, representing a potential broad incumbent competitor.
• NCR Voyix: NCR Voyix provides restaurant POS and operational technology to large QSR and fast-casual chains globally. As a broad incumbent serving similar enterprise customers, NCR Voyix could integrate or partner for Voice AI capabilities competitive with Presto's stack.

Direct peers

• Hi Auto: Hi Auto is an Israel-based Voice AI startup that directly competes with Presto in automating QSR drive-thru order-taking, with deployments at chains like Checkers and Rally's. Both companies focus on noisy drive-thru environments and enterprise restaurant customers.
• SoundHound AI: SoundHound AI is the most direct competitor to Presto in the drive-thru Voice AI space, offering voice AI ordering for major QSR brands including White Castle, Jersey Mike's, and Church's Texas Chicken. Both companies compete on speech recognition accuracy and enterprise QSR contracts.
• ConverseNow: ConverseNow provides AI-powered voice ordering for restaurants including phone and drive-thru channels, with deployments at Domino's, Wingstop, and other QSR brands. It competes directly with Presto's Voice AI and Phone Ordering Business Unit.
• Valyant AI: Valyant AI develops conversational AI for restaurant drive-thru and phone ordering, with deployments at chains like Checkers. It competes with Presto in the same QSR Voice AI niche with comparable order-taking automation.
• OpenCity: OpenCity offers AI-driven phone ordering for restaurants and has expanded into drive-thru voice automation. It is a direct competitor to Presto's Voice AI platform serving similar QSR customer segments.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries2 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 Presto