The Poken Company is a technology company.
The Poken Company has raised $2.0M across 1 funding round.
The Poken Company has raised $2.0M in total across 1 funding round.
The Poken Company has raised $2.0M in total across 1 funding round.
The Poken Company's investors include Carya Venture Partners, Gumi Cryptos Capital, Interlace Ventures, #SecretFund, Guillaume Lestrade, Rand Hindi.
Poken is a cloud-based event management platform that provides modular tools for trade shows, exhibitions, corporate events, association events, sports, and youth events.[1][2] It builds software and hardware solutions including registration, badging, matchmaking, meeting scheduling, mobile apps, NFC-enabled USB devices for lead generation and contact exchange, gamification, access control, and metrics reporting, serving event professionals like trade show managers, exhibitors, and organizers to solve challenges in attendee engagement, networking, and ROI measurement.[1][2][5]
The platform replaces traditional business cards with digital "social business cards" via NFC touch technology and has expanded from initial hardware like the 'Spark' device to a full ecosystem, enabling richer interactions and data-driven event outcomes.[1][3]
Poken S.A. was founded in December 2007 in Lausanne, Switzerland, by Stéphane Doutriaux, who conceived the idea during his MBA at IMD business school.[1] Inspired by a 2004 campus app by early employee Gabriel Klein, Doutriaux developed an interactive USB device for sharing personal and social network info via touch, collaborating with Berner Fachhochschule in Biel, Switzerland, from July to December 2008.[1]
The first product, 'Sparks,' launched in January 2009, marking early traction in NFC-based networking.[1] The company grew its product lines, built a partner network across 12+ countries with offices in London, Lausanne, Dubai, and New York, and delivered events in 80+ locations before its 2017 acquisition by GES.[1]
Poken rides the wave of hybrid and data-driven events, accelerated by post-pandemic shifts toward digital engagement, NFC/IoT integration, and measurable attendee experiences in a $1T+ global events industry.[1][2] Timing aligns with rising demand for contactless tech amid health concerns and remote work, favoring platforms that blend physical hardware with cloud analytics to boost networking efficiency.[1][3]
Market forces like gamification trends and ROI scrutiny for exhibitors amplify its value, influencing the ecosystem by setting standards for interactive lead capture and influencing competitors toward NFC-modular models.[5]
Poken's GES backing positions it for expansion into AI-enhanced personalization, like predictive matchmaking, amid growing AR/VR event integrations and sustainability-focused metrics.[1] Trends in immersive, metrics-obsessed events will propel its momentum, evolving influence from niche NFC pioneer to core infrastructure for global organizers, reinforcing its role in frictionless, high-ROI engagement.[2]
The Poken Company has raised $2.0M across 1 funding round. Most recently, it raised $2.0M Seed in June 2021.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 1, 2021 | $2.0M Seed | Carya Venture Partners, Gumi Cryptos Capital, Interlace Ventures, #SecretFund, Guillaume Lestrade, Rand Hindi |