Processing Your Payment

Please do not leave this page until complete. This can take a few moments.

December 31, 2019

City-born food app gets funding for expansion

PHOTO | HAROLD SHAPIRO Jamie Marshall, Kevin Tan, and Jonathan Cameron are founders of Snackpass, a takeout food mobile app.
By Michelle Tuccitto Sullo

An app that debuted in New Haven and allows users to order food and then pick it up at local restaurants has raised $21 million in Series A funding.

Snackpass was founded at Yale University in 2017 by a trio of college students: Kevin Tan, Jamie Marshall and Jonathan Cameron. 

Shortly after it launched, the Snackpass app gained traction through word of mouth and became popular among students at Yale. 

According to Snackpass CEO Tan, the Series A funding will help with the company’s expansion goals. 

“We’ve been excited to see Snackpass take off fueled by organic growth, and this round of funding will help to scale and reach entirely new markets in the coming months,” Tan said in an announcement.

The app isn’t just about ordering food, according to Tan, who attributed its success so far to it also having a social dimension. While the app eliminates the need to wait in line when ordering food to go, it also allows users to earn rewards, which they can use later or share with friends.

“One of our users once tweeted, ‘At Yale we don’t say I love you, we send each other gifts on Snackpass,’” Tan said.

The money will be used to help the company expand service to 100 college campuses around the country, which company leaders hope to accomplish over the next 24 months.

Snackpass relocated to San Francisco in 2019. It is currently available at about a dozen colleges around the country, including Yale, Dartmouth, MIT, Northeastern University and Boston College.

Andreessen Horowitz, a California-based venture capital company, led the funding round, with participation from First Round, General Catalyst, YCombinator and Inspired Capital. They join angel investors Nas, Larry Fitzgerald and Michael Ovitz. To date, Snackpass has raised $23.7 million.

Andrew Chen, general partner at Andreessen Horowitz, said the Snackpass team has an “intuitive sense” for what resonates with users. 

Chen also called the app “fun to use.”

“They’ve created a user base that bypasses other apps to use Snackpass every day,” Chen said in an announcement. “Restaurants are noticing and seeing the results.”

Hundreds of restaurants are accepting orders through the service, including Subway, Jamba Juice, Moe’s, Popeye’s, Ben & Jerry’s and Domino’s Pizza, for example. 

The app also allows parents and coaches to load money onto students’ Snackpass accounts. 

Sign up for Enews

Most Recent

Most Recent

0 Comments

Order a PDF