Startups > Swiftly Systems

Swiftly Systems

Swiftly empowers independent retailers to compete with giants through digital engagement.

Series B $266M total Founded 2018 Seattle, Washington

Swiftly is a digital operating system for brick-and-mortar retail that unifies retail data, enables real-time shopper segmentation, and powers omnichannel campaigns. It helps independent and regional grocers compete with giants like Amazon and Walmart by providing mobile engagement, personalization, loyalty integration, and closed-loop retail media capabilities. The platform operates on a revenue-sharing model where Swiftly's success is directly tied to the retail media revenue generated by its clients. Swiftly shoppers spend 1.5x more than average customers and drive over 25% of product and payment volume for participating retailers.

Problem solved

Independent and regional grocers lack the digital tools and data capabilities that large retailers like Amazon and Walmart use to engage shoppers, drive traffic, and measure campaign impact.

Target customer

Independent and regional grocery retailers, discount chains, and convenience stores seeking to modernize shopper engagement and unlock retail media revenue streams.

Website LinkedIn Crunchbase

Founders

Henry Kim

CEO & Co-Founder

Previously co-founded and was President of Symphony Commerce (2011-2018). Earlier roles include Operations Partner at BMEquity and Investment Professional at The Yucaipa Companies. Started career at Morgan Stanley as Sr. Analyst and Analyst. Attended Bowdoin College.

Sean Turner

Co-Founder & CTO

Worked with Henry Kim and Karen Ho at Symphony Commerce for over three years before co-founding Swiftly.

Karen Ho

Co-Founder

Co-founded Swiftly with Henry Kim and Sean Turner in 2018.

Funding history

Seed $15.6M September 2019 Led by Unknown · BlueRun Ventures, Ballast Point Ventures, Thayer Ventures

Series B $100M March 8, 2022 Led by Unknown · BlueRun Ventures, B Capital Group, IDG Ventures

Series C $100M September 2022 Led by BRV Capital Management · Altair Capital Management, Bramalea Partners

Total raised: $266M

Industries

E-Commerce Platforms E-Commerce Grocery Machine Learning Shopping

Pricing

Revenue-sharing model where Swiftly's earnings are directly tied to retail media revenue generated by clients, aligning success incentives. Customers can start with single modules or deploy full stack, with plan tiers scaling from entry-level to enterprise. Campaigns can launch in days with minimal IT integration required.

Notable customers

PepsiCo, Red Bull, Kraft Heinz, Target, Sheetz, Save A Lot, Family Dollar, Dierbergs Markets, Zion Market

Integrations

Third-party loyalty programs, coupon providers, mobile app capabilities, store locator, digital wallet

Website

swiftly.com/

Competitors

Dmall

Direct competitor in retail technology, but less focused on closed-loop retail media for independent grocers.

Moloco

Retail media platform focused on demand-side optimization, less integrated for full operating system approach.

Zenput

Field execution platform, focuses on store operations rather than shopper engagement and retail media.

Criteo

Larger, public retail media company, but lacks Swiftly's closed-loop capabilities for independent retailers.

Why this matters: Swiftly has raised $266M and achieved unicorn status by solving a critical gap: helping independent and regional retailers compete with Amazon and Walmart through modern digital tools. The revenue-sharing model is innovative, aligning Swiftly's success directly with client outcomes, and the platform's proven ability to drive 1.5x higher spending and 25%+ of transaction volume demonstrates real, measurable impact in a traditionally underserved market.

Best for: Independent and regional grocery chains that want to compete with large retailers by modernizing shopper engagement, driving in-store traffic, and monetizing retail media without traditional SaaS overhead.

Use cases

Holiday Campaign ROI Optimization

A regional retailer used Swiftly's Audience Optimizer to run digital circular ads during 2023 holiday season, achieving 3M+ impressions, $33K per store in revenue, and 5.5X ROI. The platform's targeting capabilities allowed them to reach high-intent shoppers at scale across multiple locations.

Lapsed Customer Re-engagement

A retailer leveraged Swiftly to re-engage dormant app users through targeted campaigns, achieving 23.2% re-engagement rate and $21.60 ROAS, generating $827K in annualized sales across 36 stores. The closed-loop attribution made it easy to identify and measure impact on lapsed segments.

Store Traffic and Basket Size Growth

Swiftly's Always On campaign strategy drove a 2.9% lift in total store sales by simultaneously increasing store trips, basket size, and overall spend. Real-time segmentation and personalization enabled consistent performance across diverse customer segments.

Alternatives

Inmar Larger, established CPG-focused trade promotions platform, but less specialized in mobile-first shopper engagement for independent retailers.

Extole Referral and loyalty marketing focus, not a full operating system for retail media and store operations.

FAQ

What does Swiftly do? +

Swiftly is a digital operating system for brick-and-mortar retail that helps grocers and regional chains engage shoppers through mobile apps, personalized campaigns, and closed-loop retail media. The platform unifies retail data, enables real-time audience segmentation, powers omnichannel campaigns, and connects marketing activity directly to measurable in-store and online outcomes.

How much does Swiftly cost? +

Swiftly uses a revenue-sharing model where it earns a portion of the retail media revenue generated by its platform. Customers can start with individual modules or deploy the full platform stack, with pricing tiers scaling from entry-level to enterprise. Contact Swiftly directly for specific pricing based on your retailer's size and goals.

What are alternatives to Swiftly? +

Competitors include Dmall and Moloco for retail media capabilities, Zenput for store operations, Inmar for trade promotions, and Criteo for broader retail media. However, Swiftly is positioned as the market leader in closed-loop retail media specifically for grocery and independent retailers.

Who uses Swiftly? +

Independent and regional grocery retailers, discount chains (e.g., Family Dollar, Save A Lot), and convenience stores use Swiftly. Brand partners like PepsiCo, Red Bull, and Kraft Heinz also use the platform to reach shoppers across 33,000+ grocery locations.

How does Swiftly compare to Dmall? +

Both are retail technology platforms, but Swiftly is more specialized in closed-loop retail media and shopper engagement for independent grocers, while Dmall has a broader retail tech focus. Swiftly's revenue-sharing model aligns incentives directly with retailer success, whereas traditional competitors use fixed SaaS pricing.