restaurant-fintech
(2)
Exponent
Exponent is a New York-based fintech building a financial operating system for America's franchise operators. It combines expansion and acquisition lending, a franchise-focused corporate charge card, and an AI-powered accounting suite so multi-unit operators - the people running dozens of Burger Kings, Dunkins, or Wendy's - can get capital faster and see real-time financials without waiting for month-end reports. Founded in 2023 and led by former Visa and Stripe executive Sohel Roopani, Exponent serves 100+ operators representing over 10,000 locations and raised $40M in equity and credit in 2026.
Up 'n go
Up 'n go is a San Diego fintech that lets restaurant guests pay their check by scanning a QR code or tapping a texted link - no app to download. Diners view the bill, split it any number of ways, pay with Apple Pay, Google Pay, Venmo, PayPal, a card or gift card, and leave feedback, all from their own phone. Built to plug directly into POS systems like NCR Aloha, Toast, Oracle Micros and Simphony, the company was among the first to bring app-free pay-at-the-table to U.S. restaurants and has since processed more than $1 billion across nearly 14 million contactless payments at chains from First Watch to Fox Restaurant Concepts.