London-based startup TRIFFT Loyalty has secured $550,000 in a pre-seed funding round to accelerate the growth of its AI-driven emotional loyalty platform. Founded by a team with senior leadership experience from Google, Groupon, and Bloomreach, TRIFFT aims to transform how mid-sized brands engage their customers by moving beyond traditional transactional loyalty models, which are often limited to simple rewards such as birthday vouchers or cashback. TRIFFT’s platform leverages behavioural data—such as referrals, reviews, and visit frequency—to create personalised, emotionally resonant experiences that foster genuine customer loyalty.

Current loyalty programs are widespread, with around 90 percent of businesses operating some form of scheme, yet many face challenges in understanding the real impact of these efforts, as approximately 65 percent admit they cannot accurately measure return on investment. TRIFFT addresses this gap by offering a proprietary SaaS solution that integrates seamlessly with leading commerce and engagement platforms like Bloomreach, Klaviyo, Shopify, and WooCommerce. It also features a unique white-label React Native mobile app, allowing brands to deploy a fully branded loyalty application within an hour without requiring internal development resources. This integration across both online and offline touchpoints provides brands with a comprehensive and unified view of customer behaviour.

Unlike conventional loyalty platforms that charge based on database size, TRIFFT employs a transparent pricing model that only charges for active loyalty members, freeing brands from the cost burden of inactive records. This pricing approach, combined with rapid deployment and an emphasis on clear ROI, appeals particularly to mid-market and direct-to-consumer brands. The platform also boasts real-time analytics to track customer engagement and programme performance, ensuring businesses can make informed decisions about their loyalty strategies.

The recent funding round was led by Lighthouse Ventures, with investment participation from BD Partners, Gi21 Capital, and Koopeo. Lighthouse Ventures’ co-founder Michal Zalesak highlighted the critical importance of customer retention amidst rising acquisition costs, noting that loyalty has transitioned from a ‘nice to have’ to a top priority for brands. He praised TRIFFT’s flexible pricing, fast implementation, and loyalty model rooted in authentic customer behaviour. Gi21 Capital’s Damir Špoljarič echoed this confidence, describing TRIFFT as designed for “the brands of tomorrow—nimble, data-savvy, and emotionally aware.”

With the fresh capital, TRIFFT plans to grow its team significantly, targeting 50 employees by the end of 2025, with a focus on customer success, sales, and engineering roles. The company is also ramping up AI capabilities within its platform, including an automated tool that tailors loyalty programmes based on sector-specific data and business goals. Beyond its established footprint in the UK and Europe, TRIFFT is preparing to enter the US market, aiming to replicate its success in new regions.

TRIFFT’s comprehensive platform also offers flexible customer engagement engines, integration hubs with open APIs and webhooks, and multiple customer touchpoints including branded mobile apps and digital wallet cards. These features are tailored to industries like retail, hospitality, and food ordering, facilitating easy integration with existing CRM, POS, and marketing tools while minimising the need for intensive IT involvement. The startup supports its clients with 24/7 technical assistance and managed services, such as custom development and strategic consulting, to help maintain and expand loyalty initiatives.

Positioned as a plug-and-play solution, TRIFFT’s platform differentiates itself through ease of use and extensive customisation, catering to both online and physical points of sale. Pricing plans begin at $1,500 per month for the first 200 members, with scalability options as businesses grow and loyalty programmes evolve.

In a landscape where brands increasingly prioritise meaningful customer relationships, TRIFFT aims to redefine loyalty with technology that taps into the emotional drivers behind consumer behaviour. The company claims it envisions becoming the Shopify of loyalty, combining cutting-edge AI, deep behavioural insights, and flexible deployment to empower brands striving to foster long-term customer engagement.

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Source: Noah Wire Services