The Fourth Group
Fourth is a private B2B SaaS provider of AI-powered workforce management and inventory management solutions for restaurants, hospitality, and retail operators, serving 15,000+ customers across 100,000+ sites globally from Austin, London, and Australia.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1999
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What The Fourth Group does
Fourth is a private, Marlin Equity Partners–backed B2B SaaS provider of workforce management and inventory management solutions targeting restaurant, hospitality/hotel, and retail operators. Its core platforms span HotSchedules for employee scheduling and labor optimization; Human Capital Management covering talent acquisition, HR & payroll, and PEO services; Inventory Management for purchasing, recipe/menu engineering, and production control; and Data & Analytics for business intelligence. The portfolio is unified by Fourth iQ, the company's AI layer that delivers demand forecasting, labor optimization, inventory recommendations, anomaly detection, and real-time alerts to managers through the Fourth iQ App, with documented integrations to POS and supply chain systems.
The business operates a quote-based, annual subscription model with add-on professional services for implementation and training. Go-to-market is enterprise field sales plus inside sales, supported by regional sites covering the US (Austin headquarters; offices in Denver and Tampa), the UK (regional EMEA headquarters in London), APAC (Australia, New Zealand), and the Middle East (Dubai). Customers include Nando's ANZ, Burger King UK, Pizza Express, Four Seasons, Mandarin Oriental, Holland & Barrett, Selfridges, Mitchells & Butlers, and Chili's, alongside a longer SMB tail. Scaled outcomes cited across case studies include 15% profit-margin improvement, up to 30% food waste reduction, and 95% forecasting accuracy for named enterprise customers.
Historically, Fourth and HotSchedules — both founded in 1999 — merged in July 2019 under Marlin Equity Partners to form a unified company operating as Fourth Enterprises LLC (US) / Fourth Limited (UK). Subsequent inorganic moves include the October 2021 acquisition of PeopleMatter and Hiring Manager from Snagajob, and recent product expansion through the April 2025 Restaurant Operations Suite and the iQ 2.0/2.1/2.2 release cycle through late 2025. Today Fourth discloses 15,000+ customers across 100,000+ sites and 2.5 million users globally, with ISO 9001:2015 certification for its US payroll processing division and a fintech subsidiary (Fourth Fintech Solutions, LLC) supporting Fuego earned wage access.
The Fourth Group firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Fourth Group
- Legal name
- Fourth Enterprises, LLC
- Website
- https://thefourthgroup.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1999
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Fourth is a private B2B SaaS provider of AI-powered workforce management and inventory management solutions for restaurants, hospitality, and retail operators, serving 15,000+ customers across 100,000+ sites globally from Austin, London, and Australia.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Fourth Group industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Restaurant Workforce and Inventory Management Software
- NAICS
- Custom Computer Programming Services (541511), Professional Employer Organizations (56133)
- SIC
- Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370), Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373)
- akta.pro primary industry
- End-to-End Enterprise AI Platforms (MLOps & Model Lifecycle Management) (HDAEANAA)
Keywords
Where The Fourth Group is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices5 records
Markets served
The Fourth Group business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- SaaS Subscription: Cloud-based software subscriptions for workforce management, inventory management, and analytics. Delivered as an all-in-one platform or individual modules. Pricing based on business size, number of locations, and modules selected.
- Professional Services: Implementation, training, and consulting services including project management, solution consulting, productivity consulting, and value-added services for ROI maximization.
- PEO/HR Services: Professional Employer Organization services handling HR, payroll, and benefits administration for restaurants, particularly small to mid-sized operators.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Quote-based enterprise pricing |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
The Fourth Group product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Fourth Group operates Fourth, an AI-powered unified SaaS platform providing workforce management (employee scheduling, time and attendance, HR, payroll, PEO services) and inventory management (purchasing, receiving, invoicing, recipe and menu engineering, dynamic production control, operations and cash management) for restaurant, hospitality, and retail operators. The Fourth iQ AI layer delivers demand forecasting, labor optimization, anomaly detection, and real-time manager alerts, with the Fourth iQ App delivering recommendations to mobile devices. Customers receive an integrated back-of-house solution combining recruitment, payroll, labor, scheduling, and inventory in one platform.
Product overview
Fourth is a comprehensive AI-powered platform for workforce and inventory management serving the restaurant, hospitality, and retail industries. The platform operates on a unified architecture with Fourth iQ as the AI intelligence layer powering integrated solutions. Core products include HotSchedules (workforce scheduling and management), Human Capital Management (talent acquisition, HR & payroll, PEO services), Workforce Management Software (scheduling, time & attendance, compliance), and Inventory Management (purchasing, recipe engineering, production control). The Restaurant Operations Suite integrates these capabilities into a single back-of-house solution powered by Fourth iQ AI. Additional products include Adaco for hotel inventory, MacromatiX for demand forecasting, PeopleMatter for applicant tracking, Red Book Solutions for analytics, and Fuego for earned wage access. The platform serves over 15,000 customers across 100,000 sites globally with 2.5 million users.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Fourth iQ: AI-powered intelligence platform for restaurants providing demand forecasting, labor optimization, and inventory management insights.
- HotSchedules
- Adaco
- MacromatiX
- PeopleMatter
- Red Book Solutions
- Fuego
- Logbook
- Fourth University
Products and services
- Fourth iQ AI-powered intelligence platform for restaurants providing predictive analytics, real-time recommendations, and anomaly detection to optimize labor, inventory, and operational decision-making. Delivers demand forecasting, labor optimization, and inventory management recommendations.
- Fourth iQ App Manager companion mobile application delivering real-time AI alerts on labor, compliance, and coverage with actionable recommendations so managers fix issues before they impact sales or service.
- HotSchedules Employee scheduling and workforce management software offering scheduling, time and attendance, forecasting, auto-scheduling, shift management, and labor optimization with over 40 report types for restaurants, hospitality, and retail.
- Human Capital Management Comprehensive HCM suite including Talent Acquisition Software, HR & Payroll, and PEO services for restaurants covering the full employee lifecycle.
- Workforce Management Software Unified workforce management platform covering scheduling, task management, time and attendance, labor compliance, time clock, tipping management, and earned wage access for restaurant, hospitality, and retail operators.
- Inventory Management Inventory control software including purchasing, receiving, invoicing, recipe and menu engineering, dynamic production and prep, and operations and cash management, with capability to cut food waste by up to 30%.
- Restaurant Data and Analytics Software Business intelligence and analytics platform providing AI forecasting for labor and inventory, with over 40 report types covering sales, labor, and employee interactions for restaurants.
- Restaurant Operations Suite Integrated back-of-house solution powered by Fourth iQ AI, combining workforce management, inventory management, and analytics into a unified platform for restaurants.
- Restaurant Operations Suite for Enterprise Enterprise-grade version of the Restaurant Operations Suite for large-scale restaurant operators requiring advanced features and scalability.
- Adaco Hotel-specific procurement and inventory management solution for hotels and hospitality operators, enabling centralized purchasing control across properties with mobile-enabled customizable analytics.
- MacromatiX Cloud-based demand forecasting platform for quick-service restaurants, providing low-touch comprehensive forecasting with intuitive applications and powerful automation to optimize inventory and labor.
- Red Book Solutions Restaurant analytics and intelligence solutions providing benchmarking and operational insights for restaurant operators.
- PeopleMatter Applicant tracking and onboarding solution for hourly workers in restaurants, hospitality, and retail, reducing time-to-hire and automating compliance with mobile-first hiring, training, and performance management tools.
- Hiring Manager Mobile-first hiring solution for hourly-waged employees, providing frictionless applicant experience and direct hiring from a mobile app.
Quantifiable outcome
- 15% profit margin improvement for customers
- +11 more outcomes
Companies that use The Fourth Group
Customer profileNamed customers55 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
The Fourth Group technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
AI capability6 records
Feature9 records
The Fourth Group partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- PendellaminorStrategic partnership to bring individual life insurance benefits to restaurant and retail employees. Provides life insurance offerings to Fourth's HR and payroll customers online in less than 15 minutes.
- PeopleMatter (from Snagajob)coreFourth acquired PeopleMatter and Hiring Manager from Snagajob in October 2021. The acquisition added applicant tracking software and onboarding solutions for hourly-waged employees, complementing Fourth's workforce management suite. 3,500 customers with approximately 60,000 rooftops transferred.
Scale indicators25 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The Fourth Group competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- 7shifts: 7shifts is an employee scheduling and workforce management platform purpose-built for restaurants, directly competing with Fourth's HotSchedules product for restaurant employee scheduling market share.
- Toast: Toast is a leading restaurant tech platform combining POS, payroll/HR, team management (scheduling, labor), and inventory/supply chain — the closest direct competitor to Fourth's Restaurant Operations Suite, serving overlapping restaurant customer segments.
- Lightspeed Restaurant: Lightspeed Restaurant offers POS, reservations, and integrated workforce/inventory management for hospitality — overlapping with Fourth's restaurant and hospitality customer base across NA and EMEA.
- TouchBistro: TouchBistro is a restaurant POS and management platform with workforce management, inventory, and operations tools — competing with Fourth for full-service and casual dining restaurant operators.
- Restaurant365: R365 is a cloud-based restaurant management platform integrating accounting, inventory, scheduling, and HR/payroll — directly comparable to Fourth's combined workforce and inventory offering for multi-unit restaurant operators.
- Crunchtime: Crunchtime provides restaurant operations software including inventory, food cost, scheduling, and labor management — a direct peer competing in the same back-of-house restaurant operations category as Fourth.
Broad incumbents
- Oracle MICROS: Oracle's MICROS division provides restaurant POS and hospitality technology used by major chains globally — a broad incumbent that competes with Fourth's restaurant and hospitality technology offerings as part of Oracle's larger portfolio.
- UKG (Ultimate Kronos Group): UKG is a large workforce management and HCM incumbent serving hospitality, retail, and broader industries — competing with Fourth's HotSchedules and HCM products as a broader, well-established workforce management suite.
- ADP: ADP is a global payroll and HR services giant offering workforce management, payroll, and benefits — directly competing with Fourth's payroll and PEO offerings while also providing broader HCM services to restaurant customers.
Emerging players
- Deputy: Deputy is an emerging workforce management platform for shift-based industries including hospitality and retail — an emerging player competing with Fourth's HotSchedules with simpler, often more SMB-focused positioning.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights8 records
Customer concentration
The Fourth Group social profiles
Digital presenceThe Fourth Group compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
The Fourth Group financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Fourth Group leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
The Fourth Group subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries3 records
The Fourth Group funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Fourth Group 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 The Fourth Group
What does The Fourth Group do?
The Fourth Group operates Fourth, an AI-powered unified SaaS platform providing workforce management (employee scheduling, time and attendance, HR, payroll, PEO services) and inventory management (purchasing, receiving, invoicing, recipe and menu engineering, dynamic production control, operations and cash management) for restaurant, hospitality, and retail operators. The Fourth iQ AI layer delivers demand forecasting, labor optimization, anomaly detection, and real-time manager alerts, with the Fourth iQ App delivering recommendations to mobile devices. Customers receive an integrated back-of-house solution combining recruitment, payroll, labor, scheduling, and inventory in one platform.
Is The Fourth Group a public or private company?
The Fourth Group is a private company. It is classified as private equity controlled and is currently operating.
When was The Fourth Group founded?
The Fourth Group was founded in 1999. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is The Fourth Group based?
The Fourth Group is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does The Fourth Group make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. SaaS Subscription is the primary driver. The others are professional Services and PEO/HR Services.
Who are The Fourth Group's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are 7shifts, Toast, Lightspeed Restaurant, TouchBistro, Restaurant365 and Crunchtime. Broad incumbents are Oracle MICROS, UKG (Ultimate Kronos Group) and ADP. Deputy is listed as an emerging player.
Does The Fourth Group have an API?
Yes. Fourth offers Web Services APIs that provide access to Fourth's platform functionality. The API license is revocable, non-exclusive, non-sublicensable, and non-transferable, granted exclusively for the benefit of Fourth or its customers. Fourth makes no commitment to continued availability and may revise or cease APIs without notice at its sole discretion. Developer documentation is at developer.fourth.com/en-gb.
What industry is The Fourth Group in?
The Fourth Group's product category is Restaurant Workforce and Inventory Management Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAEANAA, End-to-End Enterprise AI Platforms (MLOps & Model Lifecycle Management). Its NAICS code is 541511 and its SIC code is 7370.