NFC Mobile Coupon Firm Coupies Lands 7-Figure Funding
The German mobile couponing firm Coupies has pulled in a seven-figure wad of funding, which it hopes to use for international expansion. The money comes from CologneInvest and constitutes Coupies’s first proper investment round, which is impressive considering it’s a 10-person operation that already has a reach of three million users.
Coupies is one of the first mobile couponing companies to embrace near-field communications (NFC), the short-range wireless tech that’s built into millions of smartcards, bank cards, and increasingly phones. Apple is yet to go NFC, but Nokia, RIM and a bunch of Android devices are already there.
Once the user has signed up for Coupies, they can be targeted with deals on a location basis. They get coupons sent to their handset, which they can then redeem at the store. Read more