What Lost does

Lost.ie is Ireland's largest lost and found property network, operating a self-serve web platform since 2007 that connects individuals who have lost personal items with those who have found them. The company serves the general public across all 32 counties of the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, with a community of more than 400,000 active users and a cumulative track record of over 30,000 items reunited. The platform operates as a horizontal marketplace for 26+ item categories including electronics and gadgets (7,223 listings), personal accessories (8,559), jewellery and watches (4,372), and pets (2,971), and is featured in major Irish media including RTÉ Radio 1, The Irish Times, Today FM, Virgin Media One, and Newstalk.

The platform's technical core is a web-based listing management system with keyword search, category browsing, photo upload, and location-based filtering powered by Mapbox. Functional capabilities include instant email match alerts, private messaging between losers and finders, social sharing integrations to Facebook, WhatsApp, and Twitter/X, and AI-powered match notifications reserved for paid Premium Boost users. The company emphasizes trust and safety through spam moderation, user reporting, privacy controls that hide contact details until users opt to connect, and guidance recommending public meeting places such as Garda stations and staffed transport hubs.

Lost.ie operates as a private, bootstrapped, founder-owned Irish company with 56 employees and no disclosed external funding, parent company, or M&A activity. Revenue is generated through a freemium model: free standard listings are monetized via €4 Priority Boost (3-day featured placement), €6 Premium Boost (7-day featured placement plus AI match notifications and social channel promotion), €4 one-time fees to activate search alerts, and €49/month Category Sponsorship sold exclusively to one local business per category. The GTM motion is product-led and community-led, relying on SEO-optimized keyword pages, social sharing amplification, earned media coverage, and word-of-mouth referrals rather than paid acquisition.

Name

Lost

Legal name

Lost.ie

Website

https://lost.ie

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Lost.ie operates Ireland's largest lost and found property network, serving more than 400,000 users across all 32 Irish counties with free listings, paid priority boosts, AI-powered match alerts, and category sponsorships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Listing Boosts: Optional paid upgrades for listings to receive priority placement above standard listings. Priority boost provides 3-day featured placement; Premium boost provides 7-day placement plus AI match notifications.
2. Alert Activation Fee: Users pay €4 one-time fee to activate search alerts for specific items, receiving email notifications when matching reports are posted.
3. Category Sponsorship: Local businesses can sponsor specific categories (e.g., Mobile Devices) for €49/month to appear as exclusive sponsor with prominent placement.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Lost.ie operates Ireland's largest lost and found property website, providing a free self-serve platform where individuals throughout Ireland can post listings for lost or found items across 26 categories. The platform uses keyword-based search, location-based filtering across all 32 counties, and an instant email match alert system (€4 activation) to connect owners with their belongings. Paid enhancements include Priority Boost (€4 for 3-day featured placement) and Premium Boost (€6 for 7-day placement with AI-powered match notifications), while local businesses can purchase category sponsorships at €49/month.

Product overview

Lost.ie is a single, unified lost and found property platform operating as Ireland's largest network of its kind. The core product consists of a listing management system where users post lost or found items across 26 categories (including Electronics, Personal Accessories, Pets, Jewellery, Bags, and more). The platform's primary value comes from its community matching capabilities, instant match alert notifications, and location-based search functionality. Paid enhancements include Priority Boost (€4 for 3-day featured placement) and Premium Boost (€6 for 7-day featured placement with AI-powered match notifications). The platform also offers category sponsorship opportunities to businesses at €49/month.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Lost.ie Platform Ireland's largest lost and found property website that enables users to post, search, and match lost or found items across 26 categories. The platform connects a community of 400,000+ users and facilitates reunions through listing management, keyword-based search, location-based filtering, and instant match alerts. Free to use for both item losers and finders.
• Priority Boost Paid listing enhancement that provides featured placement above standard listings for 3 days. Priced at €4 as a one-time payment with no subscription or auto-renewal, designed for individuals who want additional visibility for their lost or found item listings.
• Premium Boost Premium listing enhancement providing maximum visibility including featured placement for 7 days, AI-powered match notifications when potential matches are posted, and sharing across Lost.ie social channels. Priced at €6 one-time with no auto-renewal.
• Instant Match Alerts Notification service that emails users the moment a matching lost or found item is posted on the platform. Users specify what they are looking for and their location, with alerts costing €4 to activate for a specific item.
• Category Sponsorship Advertising offering allowing one local business per category to sponsor visibility on a specific category page (e.g., Mobile Devices). Priced at €49/month with cancellation anytime and no setup fee, providing prominent placement to local businesses targeting active searchers in that category.

Quantifiable outcome

• 30,000+ items reunited with owners
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• iLost: Global lost and found platform that connects finders with owners using a centralized database and SaaS tools for businesses. Directly comparable to Lost.ie as a dedicated lost and found network with a marketplace-style reconciliation model.
• ReclaimHub: Online lost and found platform that consolidates reports across multiple transit and venue operators. Comparable to Lost.ie in providing a centralized consumer-facing lost and found experience with location-based matching.
• Chargerback: Lost and found management software for businesses, transit, and hospitality. Comparable to Lost.ie as a tech-enabled lost and found solution, with overlap in matching and reuniting lost items with owners.
• ReturnMe: Lost and found service focused on returning items to owners through a registration and tagging system. Comparable to Lost.ie as a dedicated lost and found platform, with similar emphasis on reuniting items with owners.
• Boon: Lost and found SaaS platform used by airlines, hotels, and transit operators to manage and return lost items. Comparable to Lost.ie as a tech-enabled lost and found solution, though B2B-oriented and not consumer-facing.

Emerging players

• Tile: Consumer hardware tracker that helps locate lost items via Bluetooth. Comparable as an alternative approach to solving lost-item recovery, but addressing prevention rather than post-loss matching.
• PawBoost: Lost pet recovery platform with alerts, posters, and community matching. Comparable to Lost.ie as a vertical-specific lost and found platform, though focused only on pets rather than general items.
• Chipolo: Bluetooth tracker manufacturer competing in the lost-item finder category. Comparable as a hardware-based alternative to Lost.ie's platform model for finding misplaced items.

Broad incumbents

• Apple AirTag: Apple's Bluetooth tracker integrated with the Find My network. Comparable as a broad incumbent in the lost-item recovery space, offering a hardware-based alternative to platform-based lost and found matching.

Regional players

• DoneDeal: Ireland's largest general classifieds platform. Comparable as a regional Irish listings platform that could absorb lost and found listings as a category, representing a potential substitute from within the same geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lost-ie

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Lost