WINSTON-SALEM – As restaurants turn to takeout due to virus, curbside pickup app Swipeby is looking to raise funds to scale its business and is now turning to crowdfunding.
The Winston Salem-based startup, which is a software as a service (SaaS) provider for restaurants, has launched a campaign on the fundraising platform Republic. The round will be open until November 1.
Already, it has raised more than $150,000 from hundreds of investors in less than six days, its founder Carl Turner said.
“We’re thrilled that so many people — many of whom are our users and partners — support our mission of helping local restaurants offer a great curbside experience without onerous fees,” he said. “Our mission has always been to make off-premise accessible and fun for everyone, regardless of size or location or status, so it was an easy choice to open up this investment opportunity to everyone. We wouldn’t exist without them and we are grateful to have them on this journey with us.”
Since the beginning of the year, he said the company has grown “1,380” percent. In March, WRAL TechWire reported that it had raised $670,000 as part of an $880,000 offering from 11 investors in February, and another $256,000 in March. At the time, Swipeby said it was aiming to raise around $1 million.
Turner, who founded in the company in 2017, said the campaign will help fund marketing, national expansion, and improvements to the app. Investors receive perks such as in-app credits, merchandise, and a personal webinar from Turner. Investment amounts start at as little as $100.
“Swipeby is on a mission to democratize takeout by offering restaurants and merchants a high-tech and turnkey, geo-fenced enabled curbside pickup platform at the cheapest possible price,” he said. “We are helping restaurants in North Carolina and hundreds more across 25 states avoid expensive delivery revenue shares and high monthly/yearly subscriptions.”
