What AWS Ireland does

Meetup is a people platform for discovering and building local communities through in-person, online, and hybrid events based on shared interests. Founded in 2002, the platform connects more than 52 million members across 193 countries and 10,000 cities through 300,000+ groups hosting 100+ events per week. Members can discover events, join unlimited groups, and RSVP for free, with monetization driven by Meetup+ premium memberships, Meetup Pro organizer subscriptions, event ticketing, optional recurring Member Dues, and platform service fees.

The platform is built on cloud-based event discovery and community management infrastructure with native iOS and Android applications plus a web presence. Core technical capabilities include an AI-powered semantic search that interprets query intent beyond exact keyword matching, a personalized event recommendation model that considers event location, timing, popularity, and topic alignment with member interests, an integrated in-house ticketing system, and Stripe-powered payment processing for Member Dues (replacing PayPal in October 2024). Meetup Pro adds hybrid event support with Zoom integration, custom branding, email list building, multi-group event management, and analytics. A ChatGPT integration helps new organizers generate group descriptions at group creation.

Meetup's business model is freemium with paid conversion at two subscription tiers: Meetup+ for members (unlocking unlimited DMs, priority waitlist, full member list access, and fee exemptions) and Meetup Pro for organizers (with reported uplifts of 40% more RSVPs, 50% more members, and 400% more engagement). The go-to-market is product-led, community-led, and event-driven, where 75% of organizers start as members, creating a self-reinforcing growth loop. Meetup was acquired by Bending Spoons in January 2024 and operates as a privately held subsidiary within that portfolio, having undergone significant backend modernization and 400+ bug fixes under the new ownership.

Name

AWS Ireland

Legal name

Bending Spoons US Inc.

Website

https://meetup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Meetup is a community and event discovery platform connecting 52M+ members across 193 countries and 10,000 cities through 300,000+ interest-based groups, monetizing via Meetup+ and Meetup Pro subscriptions, ticketing, and Member Dues, with 75% of organizers starting as members.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community & Event Discovery Platform

NAICS

Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192)

SIC

Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Virtual & Hybrid Event Registration & Streaming Access Platforms (THAHAFAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Meeting & Event Program Technology (Registration, Apps, Badging) (THACAFAB), Virtual Event Registration, Ticketing & Access Control (Authentication, Paywalls, Badging) (THAHAOAI)

Keywords

• Event discovery platform
• Local community networking
• Group event management
• Community building software
• Online interest groups

Headquarters

HQ city

Dublin

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Meetup+ Subscription: Premium membership subscription offering weekly, monthly, or annual billing. Unlocks unlimited DMs, priority waitlist position, full access to attendee/member lists, complete member profiles, 'Who will be there' feature, first-to-know announcements, fee exemptions on paid events, and ad-free experience
2. Meetup Pro Subscription: Organizer subscription with tools for email list building, custom branding, unlimited group creation worldwide, multi-group/hybrid events, cross-group messaging, and analytics. Includes 40% more RSVPs, 50% more members, and 400% more engagement
3. Member Dues: Organizers can collect recurring membership fees from group members using Stripe payment processing to offset organizing costs and foster engagement
4. Event Ticketing: Organizers sell tickets to events with early bird pricing, promo codes, and PayPal/Venmo integration. Fees collected at RSVP improve attendance rates
5. Platform Service Fees: Meetup+ members are exempt from service fees when RSVPing to paid events, creating a tiered monetization approach

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Meetup operates a people platform for discovering, joining, and organizing local and online interest-based events and groups. The core service is free, allowing 52+ million members across 193 countries to find groups by interest, RSVP to events, and build community. The platform monetizes through Meetup+ premium member subscriptions (DMs, priority waitlists, ad-free) and Meetup Pro organizer subscriptions (branding tools, analytics, multi-group management), plus transaction fees on paid event ticketing and Member Dues powered by Stripe and PayPal integrations.

Product overview

Meetup is a people platform for discovering and building local communities through in-person and online events. The core product is a free community and events discovery platform where members can find groups, RSVP to events, and connect over shared interests. The product portfolio includes: Meetup (core platform), Meetup Pro (organizer subscription for multi-group management with analytics and branding tools), Meetup+ (premium membership tier with enhanced networking features), Meetup Mobile App (iOS/Android for discovery and event management), Event Ticketing System (in-house ticketing with PayPal integration), Member Dues (Stripe-powered recurring membership fees), and Hybrid Events (Pro feature combining in-person and online attendance). The platform operates across 193 countries with 52+ million members and 300,000+ groups, hosting 100+ events per week.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Meetup Pro: Premium subscription for organizers with tools to grow email lists, build brands, and expand to groups across the globe. Features include custom branding tools, unlimited groups, multi-group events, cross-group messaging, and analytics.
• Meetup+
• Meetup Starter

Products and services

• Meetup Platform Core online community and event discovery platform enabling members to find, join, and create local and online interest-based groups and events. Free to use with optional premium upgrades.
• Meetup Pro Premium organizer subscription offering email list building, custom branding (headers, network logos, website/social links), unlimited group creation worldwide, multi-group/hybrid events, cross-group messaging, and analytics. Reports 40% more RSVPs, 50% more members, and 400% more engagement.
• Meetup+ Premium member subscription offering unlimited DMs, priority waitlist position, full access to attendee/member lists, complete member profile viewing, first-to-know event announcements, fee exemptions on paid events, and ad-free experience. Available as weekly, monthly, or annual subscription.
• Meetup Mobile App Native mobile applications for iOS and Android enabling members to discover events, connect with communities, and manage groups on the go. Includes Discover, Connect, and Create features for event planning.

Quantifiable outcome

• 20% increase in RSVPs from Explore page redesign
• +5 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

AI capability5 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• StarbuckscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Meetup and Starbucks announced a partnership to support connection and community, bringing together two companies known for community-building to collaborate in bringing people together. The partnership aimed to foster real-life connections through joint initiatives.
• ZoomcoreTechnology or IntegrationZoom integration allows Meetup Pro organizers to create virtual event links directly within the Hybrid event creation tab, streamlining the process of hosting online and hybrid events on the platform.
• StripecoreTechnology or IntegrationStripe powers Meetup's payment processing for Member Dues, replacing PayPal as of October 2024. Stripe provides secure, reliable payment collection for organizers worldwide, including subscription management, recurring payments, and refund processing.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Luma: Luma is a modern event hosting platform targeting tech, creator, and professional communities with registration, ticketing, and community CRM features, directly competing for organizer mindshare in the same niche as Meetup.
• Eventbrite: Eventbrite is a leading ticketing and event management platform that competes directly with Meetup's event creation, ticketing, and discovery capabilities, particularly for paid events and organizer tools.
• Bevy: Bevy is an enterprise community platform enabling brands to host events and community programs at scale, competing with Meetup Pro for organizer and enterprise community budgets.

Broad incumbents

• Nextdoor: Nextdoor is a hyperlocal social platform with growing event features. It overlaps with Meetup's local community-building value proposition, particularly for neighborhood-based gatherings.
• Discord: Discord has become a dominant platform for interest-based communities with built-in voice, video, and event tools. While not focused on local events, it competes for the same community-formation use case, especially among younger demographics.
• Facebook Events: Facebook Events leverages Meta's massive social graph for event discovery and RSVPs. It competes with Meetup on local event discovery but lacks Meetup's depth in recurring community groups and organizer tools.
• LinkedIn Events: LinkedIn Events integrates event hosting into the professional network, competing with Meetup for professional, tech, and career-focused community groups and meetups.

Emerging players

• IRL: IRL is a social events discovery app focused on younger demographics, competing with Meetup in mobile-first event discovery and group-based social planning.
• Splash: Splash is an event marketing platform for branded experiences and corporate events, overlapping with Meetup Pro's organizer and enterprise capabilities.
• Circle: Circle is a modern community platform offering courses, discussions, and events for creator and brand communities, emerging as an alternative for organizers looking to bundle events with broader community engagement.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/Meetup
• YouTubemeetup.com/blog/category/keep-connected-podcast
• Facebookfacebook.com/meetup
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/meetup
• Instagraminstagram.com/meetup

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 AWS Ireland