inKind

inKind is a dual-sided fintech marketplace for the restaurant industry, founded and headquartered in Austin, Texas. The company provides restaurants with low-cost, debt-free capital by purchasing food and beverage credit up front at a discount and reselling it to diners through a mobile app. Restaurants receive funding without taking on debt, and consumers earn cash back of up to 20% on every meal at partner venues.

The platform spans two connected products: the inKind restaurant financing program, which has deployed over $600 million in capital, and the inKind consumer app, which has more than 4 million users. The network covers more than 6,000 partner restaurants across 44 US states. Technical work sits across fintech, mobile app development, marketplace platforms, payments and credit systems, and consumer rewards and cashback technology.

inKind positions its model as an alternative to predatory lending in the restaurant industry and describes its mission as empowering restaurants to thrive while connecting consumers with dining experiences. Investors include Jay-Z's MarcyPen Capital Partners, Yahoo co-founder Jerry Yang, and all four members of Metallica. The company operates in the restaurants, food and beverage, hospitality and consumer dining verticals.