Scan

About Scan

Scan, Inc. was a mobile technology company founded in January 2011 by Garrett Gee, a student at Brigham Young University, along with his college friends Kirk Ouimet and Ben Turley. The idea originated from Gee's dissatisfaction with existing QR code scanner apps after receiving his first smartphone in 2009. He sought to create a faster, more user-friendly application, a goal which resonated with the increasing popularity of QR codes.

The company's primary product was a mobile application named "Scan" that allowed users to scan various codes, including QR codes, UPC, EAN, and ISBN. The app launched in February 2011 and saw rapid adoption, reaching 1 million downloads within three months and 25 million by the end of 2012. Scan's business model initially focused on user base growth with a free app, later introducing paid premium features. The company also developed a web platform for businesses and individuals to create and manage their own QR codes, linking them to websites, social media profiles, or custom landing pages called "Scan Pages". This service provided analytics on scan counts, location, and other metrics for marketing campaigns.

Scan secured a total of $8.7 million in funding over two rounds. The seed round in February 2012 brought in $1.7 million from prominent investors including Google Ventures, Menlo Ventures, and Charles River Ventures. A Series A round followed in October 2013, raising $7 million. Despite a notable appearance on the TV show "Shark Tank" where he sought $1 million for a 5% stake, Gee did not secure a deal with the investors. Nevertheless, the company's trajectory continued upward. In December 2014, Snapchat acquired Scan, Inc. for a reported $54 million. The technology developed by Scan became the foundation for Snapchat's Snapcode feature, which allows users to add each other by scanning a unique QR-like code.