Badger is shifting gears to help merchants get discovered

Badger Cards
Sep 5
2 min read

Updated: Sep 9

*Badger closes seed round to boost independent retail*

Badger, the digital loyalty and marketing app for local businesses, announced a pre-seed round led by Apolo, QoQa's startup studio, alongside business angels. The goal: to give retailers the same superpowers as major brands, without the complexity.

Badger has just closed its first round of funding

In June 2024, we started with a simple idea: to replace the paper loyalty card with an effective digital experience. Two pioneering establishments in Lausanne, PokeMe and The Hideaway agreed to test our vision.

Eighteen months later, the results are there and exceed our expectations:

We brought together 150 partner businesses, attracted 45'000 users (+26x), recorded 250,000 visits , accumulated 380,000 badges and enabled 28,000 rewards to be claimed. As a result, customers return on average more than 2.5 times per month to their favorite establishments.

Badger creates a measurable, recurring loop, serving to create more vibrant shopping streets. It's proof that when you strengthen the natural connection between retailers and customers, the entire community comes alive. Above all, thank you, the retailers, for your trust!

Why now?

Timing is everything. While giants like Starbucks and McDonald’s have mastered sophisticated loyalty platforms to drive repeat visits and stay top-of-mind, independents are still stuck with paper punch cards or fragmented social media tactics that rarely connect to real-world customer behavior.

Badger changes the game. It gives local merchants the same digital firepower networked for greater impact, simple enough for daily use, and designed to make customer engagement fun and sustainable.

Why our investors believe in Badger

This first round of funding was led by Apolo (QoQa's startup studio), who deeply share our vision. As Nicolas Rattaz, Managing Partner of Apolo, says:

“Badger solves a very real problem with a simple, scalable solution that delivers direct value to both merchants and their customers. This is exactly the type of startup we want to support: a clear problem, solid execution, and a team with vision and the ability to adapt.”

We are proud to have them by our side for this adventure.

The Apolo & Badger Team

And after?

With this funding, we are accelerating on two key fronts:

Product : Launching merchant-focused marketing and communication tools, unlocking hyper-local discovery for consumers, and rolling out more features to strengthen everyday engagement.

Expansion : Deepening our footprint in French-speaking Switzerland, growing the Badger community in cities like Sion, Neuchâtel, and Geneva before entering the German-speaking market.