Mapleton, Utah, United States
Ovation, operating under the domain ovationup.com, is a guest-feedback platform built primarily for the restaurant industry. As of September 2022, the company served more than 2,000 restaurant customers and approximately 100 retail customers, with named accounts including Domino's and Friendly's. Founder and CEO Zack Oates built the company on a total marketing budget of roughly $20,000, relying on a founder-brand strategy centered on a podcast, LinkedIn networking, and trade-show hustle rather than paid acquisition. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Ovation was generating $40,000 in monthly recurring revenue, and the company has since rebuilt and expanded its customer base. Oates has described the company's go-to-market approach as being accepted by a specific niche, using what he calls PIPCATs (partners, investors, press, customers, advisors, and thought leaders) as the primary growth lever. His speaking engagements grew from zero in 2019 to more than 20 in 2022, and his podcast reached nearly 200 episodes by the same year.
- Revenue
- $3.2M
- Customers
- 2K
- Year founded
- 2016
- Funding
- $1.4M
- Team size
- 46
- Growth
- -