Insider Brief
- Malou, a digital marketing solution for restaurants, has raised over $10 million in funding, led by investors like henQ and Bleu Capital, along with support from several restaurant clients, to expand its platform that integrates and automates a restaurant’s online presence.
- The platform, used by over 2,000 restaurants in 12 countries, centralizes a restaurant’s digital marketing efforts, using AI to manage and respond to customer reviews, generate social media content, and improve online visibility and SEO.
- With the new funding, Malou plans to accelerate its growth in France, enhance product functionality, and expand into new markets, particularly in Europe, the Middle East, and the U.S., focusing on cities like New York and Paris.
PRESS RELEASE — NEW YORK/November 20, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Malou, the all-in-one solution that helps restaurants increase their sales by attracting, retaining, and building loyalty from customers, has announced that it has successfully raised more than $10 million in funding. This fundraise was led by prominent investors including the SaaS B2B experts henQ, Bleu Capital, Bertrand Jelensperger (founder of The Fork), Jim Texier (former CPO of Lightspeed), as well as several restaurant clients.
A powerful solution made by and for restaurants to enhance their presence
Since its inception in January 2021, Malou has been dedicated to providing tailored digital marketing solutions designed exclusively for the restaurant sector, integrating a restaurants’ Google page, social media profiles, as well as listing and delivery platforms all into one centralized hub. Malou then utilizes AI and automation to efficiently analyze and generate responses to customer reviews, generate social media posts, and maintain consistent information, all of which enhances the restaurants’ online presence, SEO, visibility, and social media engagement.
In an era where 9 out of 10 customers choose restaurants online, Malou has emerged as an essential tool for restaurateurs. The platform’s comprehensive approach manages and improves the entire relationship between restaurants and their customers, from discovery and conversion to customer satisfaction monitoring and loyalty building.
With over 2,000 restaurants on board across 12 countries, including independents, food chains, top chefs, and high-profile restaurant groups, Malou has demonstrated its universal appeal and effectiveness. Among their well-known clients are Jean-George Group’s Tin Building marketplace in New York City, Bagatelle Group, and Krispy Kreme.
Funding an international expansion with new talents and an even better solution for restaurants
“Malou’s team has been able to translate their deep understanding of marketing for restaurants into a ‘hyper-verticalized’ solution which optimizes all aspects of a restaurant’s online presence automatically,” said Mick Mackaay, Partner at lead investor henQ. “This leads to more visitors without forcing owners to become marketing experts. The team has further impressed us with their ability to get this solution into the hands of many restaurants, a notoriously hard target group to sell to.”
With the recent funding secured, Malou plans to accelerate growth in France, enhance product functionality, and expand internationally in France, Europe, the Middle East, and the U.S., focusing on New York City and Paris, where co-founder and CEO Louiza Hacene divides her time.
“The restaurant industry is one where success so heavily relies on building and maintaining your reputation, especially through your online presence,” said Louiza. “Malou is dedicated to providing the tools to help restaurants connect with potential customers and maintain their relationships with their existing customers, and this new funding will allow us to further improve our product, expand our team, and increase our market reach, especially in the United States.”
The international team behind the platform
Malou is led by a dynamic and international trio of co-founders: CEO Louiza Hacene, a Franco-Algerian HEC graduate, along with her two partners, a Tunisian engineer and CentraleSupélec graduate Waad Toumi (CPO), as well as Télécom Paris educated developer, Victor Sage (CTO). Between them, they comprise the entrepreneurial vision, commercial skills and, above all, technical expertise needed to pivot Malou from a restaurant digital marketing agency to the innovative SaaS model tech platform that it is today.
With a strong foundation, a growing client base, and a renewed focus on innovation, Malou is poised to revolutionize restaurant marketing and empower even more restaurants to succeed in the digital age.
More information about Malou can be found at Malou.io.
About Malou
Malou is an AI-powered platform online tool backed by industry experts, designed to enhance the digital presence of restaurants. It offers a range of features to help restaurants improve their online reputation, visibility, and customer engagement. With a focus on simplicity and effectiveness, Malou aims to make digital marketing more accessible and manageable for restaurants, leading to increased visibility and customer attraction.
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Featured image: Malou co-founders Waad Toumi, Louiza Hacene and Victor Sage. Credit: Malou
