Boostly Raised $22M to Change the Way Restaurants Do Marketing

Shane Murphy wasn’t looking to start a business. He was working at a restaurant operations software company when he realized something—small and mid-sized restaurant owners were being outgunned. While corporate chains had million-dollar marketing budgets and loyalty programs optimized to squeeze every cent from repeat customers, independent restaurants were left guessing. They’d print flyers, send mass emails, and rely on word-of-mouth, but nothing felt predictable.

At first, Shane envisioned a marketplace app for online ordering and loyalty programs. But like many early-stage startups, the idea quickly ran into a common roadblock: the classic “chicken and egg” problem. Without enough restaurants signed up, customers wouldn’t come—and without enough customers, restaurants wouldn’t sign up. The plan had to change.

After multiple pivots, testing different models, and refining his pitch after every validation interview, Shane landed on a new approach: direct online ordering for restaurants, combined with marketing tools to boost sales. That, too, would evolve—until eventually, Boostly became what it is today: a behavioral-based text marketing platform that drives restaurant revenue on autopilot.

And today, Boostly has just secured a $22 million Series A funding round led by PeakSpan Capital, with participation from Y Combinator, Trestle Partners, and Singularity Capital. This comes just months after their $5.6 million Seed round—a clear signal that investors see massive potential in what Boostly is building.

Shane’s Different Approach

Unlike many startups that rush into fundraising, Shane took a different approach. From 2017 through 2022, Boostly was bootstrapped. Shane and his wife, Katherine, made a deliberate choice: they would live as frugally as possible, selling rental properties to keep the business alive.

“We are going to live like peasants and prioritize the company’s survival,” Shane recalled.

For years, the company grew without outside funding. That meant no safety net, no luxury of burning investor cash, and no room for wasted resources. Every dollar had to count. By 2018, Boostly had reached $140,000 in annual recurring revenue (ARR). By 2019, that number had climbed to $240,000.

Then, in 2020, the pandemic hit. Restaurants shut down overnight, and Boostly was at risk of going under. But instead of backing down, the team doubled down on what mattered: helping restaurant owners navigate the crisis. This period of forced adaptation led to an even sharper focus on what Boostly does best—turning customer data into revenue through SMS marketing.

Y Combinator and Early Funding

After years of bootstrapping, Boostly finally took the plunge into venture funding in 2022. They joined Y Combinator and raised $1.7 million after the program. Shane described YC as an “amazing experience” that provided access to invaluable mentorship, operating cadences, and an alumni network that continues to support the company’s growth.

The next funding milestone came when Boostly secured another $3.8 million, further fueling expansion. Despite these rounds, Shane remained committed to maintaining control, using SAFEs (Simple Agreement for Future Equity) and convertible securities to structure the deals. Today, he remains the majority shareholder—a rare position for a founder after multiple rounds of funding.

Why Investors are Betting Big on Boostly

Boostly’s gamified SMS campaigns drive 10x higher engagement rates than standard text marketing. Restaurants using the platform have seen thousands of dollars in extra sales within hours of launching, with some even setting new revenue records.

Unlike mass text blasts that restaurant owners typically send without knowing if they’ll work, Boostly’s system turns raw customer data into smart, automated marketing campaigns. Restaurants can instantly re-engage lost customers, increase order frequency, and boost lifetime value—all without lifting a finger.

The results speak for themselves. Boostly has helped generate over $50 million in restaurant sales across 1,200+ locations in the U.S. and Canada. Customers report 20-33% sales increases after implementing Boostly’s system.

As one restaurant owner put it:

“My shop has been open for 23 years. I honestly thought all the fast growth was over. But since using Boostly, I’m generating over $20,000 in additional sales per month! Absolutely the best marketing I’ve ever done.”

The $22M Series A

With this new funding, Boostly is gearing up for its biggest expansion yet. The company has outlined four key areas of focus:

• Product Innovation: Developing new features to give restaurant owners even more advanced tools for customer engagement and sales growth.
• Partnerships & Integrations: Collaborating with other restaurant tech providers to streamline operations and maximize Boostly’s impact.
• Expanded Support Team: Scaling customer support to ensure restaurants get personalized assistance when they need it.
• Enhanced Marketing Tools: Constantly evolving the platform to stay ahead of industry trends and provide cutting-edge marketing solutions.

Boostly Is Hiring

For Boostly it’s about the people behind it. The company is on a hiring spree, looking for the best and brightest to join its high-performance team. Shane along with co founder Mikey Murphy has built Boostly on a foundation of “high talent density,” seeking out problem-solvers and go-getters who thrive in fast-paced environments.

For those looking to be part of something big, Boostly is extending an open invitation:

“If you want to experience unparalleled growth, be challenged in new ways, and make a real difference—now is the time to join.”

“This is why we do what we do,” the company shared in a statement. “Small and mid-sized restaurant owners are among the hardest-working individuals in the country, often competing against corporate chains with super-sized marketing budgets. Boostly exists to help you grow, succeed, and build lasting customer relationships.”