Vend

About Vend

Vend, now part of the Lightspeed family, operates as a key component of a global, omnichannel commerce platform. Originally founded in Auckland, New Zealand, in August 2010 by software developer Vaughan Rowsell (now Vaughan Fergusson), the company was established to revolutionize the retail industry by moving point-of-sale (POS) systems to the cloud. Rowsell, a software engineer with over 15 years of experience and a veteran of several startups, identified a gap in the market for affordable, user-friendly retail software, drawing inspiration from how Xero transformed accounting software. He envisioned and created the first POS system for the iPad, anticipating the shift away from cumbersome and expensive traditional cash registers.

The company's core offering is a cloud-based retail management platform designed for small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs). This system provides a comprehensive suite of tools for managing sales, inventory, customer data, and e-commerce integrations. Retailers use the software to process transactions, track stock levels in real-time, manage customer loyalty programs, and generate detailed reports on business performance. Vend's business model is subscription-based, generating revenue by charging retailers for access to its platform. This model makes advanced retail management tools accessible without the significant upfront investment required by traditional systems.

Vend's journey was marked by significant growth and strategic funding. The company secured multiple rounds of investment, including a Series B funding round in 2014 co-led by Peter Thiel, which fueled its international expansion with new offices in Toronto and London. A pivotal moment in its history occurred in March 2021, when it was acquired by Montreal-based Lightspeed POS Inc. for approximately $350 million. This acquisition was a strategic move by Lightspeed to expand its global retail footprint, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region where the deal nearly doubled its customer base. Following the acquisition, Vend's technology and user experience were integrated into Lightspeed's broader suite of commerce solutions, which includes payments, loyalty programs, and an e-commerce platform.