gate mate

What gate mate does

GateMate is an event-based social networking app operated by QAlytics LLC and founded by Dominique Hilliard in Dallas, TX. The product allows attendees at live events (concerts, sports, lounges, festivals) to check into a venue's ephemeral GateLink via a code, see who else is present in real time, and send one-tap connection requests. Rooms are intentionally temporary and fade after the event, and the app uses code-based rather than GPS-based check-in to preserve privacy. The platform is built on Supabase for database and authentication, distributed via iOS TestFlight (beta) and planned for Google Play, with no public API. The intended users are two-sided: event attendees (free, with waitlist and referral mechanics) and venue partners (Founding Venue program with a self-serve portal, QR poster, and a live analytics dashboard tracking check-ins, groups formed, and return-with-squad rates). Pricing for venues is not publicly disclosed, and the company is pre-seed, pre-revenue, and actively raising. The current footprint is Dallas–Fort Worth only, with a planned Q4 2026 extension called «GateMate at the Gate» targeting DFW airport lounges and shared flight itineraries. A dual-sided badge system rewards presence and loyalty on both attendee and venue sides.

Name

gate mate

Legal name

QAlytics LLC

Website

https://gatemate.net

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

GateMate is an event-based social networking app that lets attendees at live DFW venues check into ephemeral GateLink rooms, see who else is present, and send one-tap connection requests, while giving partner venues a self-serve portal with live analytics.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Event Networking Software

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Messaging-Led Community Platforms (Chat/Group Communities) (MPACAJAE)

Keywords

• Event social networking
• Venue analytics software
• Live event discovery
• Audience engagement platform
• Ephemeral social app

Headquarters

HQ city

Dallas

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Venue Partnership / Platform Fee: GateMate partners with venues (concert halls, lounges, rooftops, clubs, festivals) to provide a social engagement layer. While pricing for venues is not publicly disclosed, the value proposition centers on turning foot traffic into repeat regulars with measurable ROI. Founding Venue slots are currently open in DFW. The platform generates revenue by helping venues build communities that drive return visits.
2. Pre-seed Stage: GateMate is pre-seed funded and actively raising. The company is building the social layer for live events, starting in DFW. No revenue has been generated yet; the focus is on product-market fit and venue/attendee adoption.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

GateMate operates an event-based social networking mobile app that turns live venues (concerts, sports, lounges, festivals) into temporary, visibility-based social networks. Attendees check into a venue-specific GateLink via a code to see and connect with other attendees present in real time, with rooms that fade after the event ends. A separate self-serve Venue Portal gives partner venues a check-in page, QR poster, and live analytics dashboard tracking groups formed, return-with-squad rates, and peak-hour crowd overlap.

Product overview

GateMate is a single product — an event-based social networking app — supplemented by a partner-facing venue dashboard (Venue Portal) and an announced airport/travel extension (GateMate at the Gate). The core GateMate app lets attendees check into live venues via GateLink codes, see who else is present, and send connect requests in real time. The self-serve Venue Portal gives partner venues their own GateLink page, QR poster, and analytics dashboard tracking check-ins, groups formed, and return-with-squad rates. The badge system overlays gamification for both attendees and venues. The GateMate at the Gate extension, planned for Q4 2026, extends the same ephemeral room concept to airport lounges and flights.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• GateMate Mobile App Event-based social networking iOS app for individual consumers (concert-goers, sports fans, nightlife enthusiasts) attending live events in DFW. Users check into a venue's GateLink via code, see who else is present in real time, browse quick profiles, send connect requests, and earn badges for presence and community building. Free during beta with waitlist-based onboarding.
• Venue Partner Portal and Analytics Dashboard Self-serve partner portal for DFW venues (concert halls, lounges, rooftop bars, clubs, sports venues, festivals). Provides a live GateLink management page, QR poster generation, real-time check-in counts, group formation analytics, return-with-squad rate metrics, peak-hour crowd overlap data, and weekly digest reports. No hardware, POS integration, or staff training required.

Quantifiable outcome

• 34% return-with-squad rate for venue partners using GateLink
• +3 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature5 records

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights8 records

Broad incumbents

• Hinge: Hinge is a connection-focused dating app with similar design philosophy of meaningful, ephemeral connections and 'designed to be deleted' positioning. Both emphasize real-world meetings over endless scrolling, though Hinge targets dating rather than platonic connections.
• SevenRooms: SevenRooms is a venue CRM, marketing, and analytics platform serving restaurants, hotels, and nightlife venues. Comparable on the venue side of GateMate's market - both sell analytics and engagement tools to venue operators - though SevenRooms focuses on reservations and CRM rather than social networking.

Direct peers

• Bumble: Bumble's BFF mode enables users to find platonic friendships, directly addressing the same target use case as GateMate - meeting new people outside dating contexts. Both apps help users form real-world connections with strangers, though Bumble is a generalist dating-app incumbent.
• Patook: Patook is a strictly platonic friend-finding app with proximity-based matching, sharing GateMate's focus on connecting strangers for non-romantic relationships. Both serve users seeking new social connections without dating-app dynamics.
• Meetup: Meetup organizes in-person group activities around shared interests, mirroring GateMate's mission of connecting people at real-world events. Both serve attendees seeking new social connections through shared experiences, though Meetup organizes the events while GateMate layers social onto existing venues.
• IRL: IRL was an event-based social networking app that connected users at live events - the most direct historical peer to GateMate. Both targeted the exact same pain point of meeting people at concerts, sports, and nightlife, though IRL shut down in 2023.
• Yubo: Yubo enables live social discovery with location-based features for younger users, sharing GateMate's emphasis on real-time, presence-based connection rather than feed-based social. Both focus on ephemeral, in-the-moment interaction at shared contexts.

Emerging players

• Locket: Locket is a widget-based social app for sharing real-time photos with close friends, sharing GateMate's focus on real-world, in-the-moment social rather than curated profiles. Both prioritize presence and immediacy in their design.
• Lunchclub: Lunchclub facilitates 1:1 introductions for networking and meeting new people, sharing GateMate's mission of connecting strangers outside existing friend networks. Both focus on facilitated real-world meetings rather than feed-based social browsing.
• Dispo: Dispo is an ephemeral photo-sharing platform sharing the same design philosophy of time-bound, presence-based content. Both emphasize impermanence and in-the-moment experiences over persistent feeds, though Dispo focuses on photos rather than in-person connections.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/GateMate_

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 gate mate