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“Revenue is a byproduct of value. Focus on solving real problems, and the money will follow.”
This quote isn’t just a nice Instagram caption for Prit Sanghvi, it’s how he lives and leads. And now, the world has noticed. We’re beyond thrilled (read: doing cartwheels in the office) to share that Reelo’s co-founder and COO, Prit Sanghvi, has made it to the prestigious Forbes 30 Under 30 list!
From rebuilding Reelo during a global pandemic to helping 28,000+ restaurants across continents retain their customers, Prit’s journey has been anything but ordinary. But if you ask him, he didn’t set out to win awards. He just wanted to solve a problem. And do it well.
Let’s rewind a little.
Early Hustle: The Spark Before Reelo
Before Reelo even existed, Prit was already on a mission. Growing up in Ahmedabad, he watched his father struggle to keep a small apparel business afloat. But it wasn’t just his dad’s struggle that shaped him. Even as a student, Prit was fascinated by how technology could solve real-world problems.
Whether it was working on early projects with his brother Parin or pitching ideas to friends, Prit’s focus was always on building tools that mattered. “I wasn’t chasing startup fame or funding rounds,” he recalls. “I wanted to build something that made a tangible difference.”
That hunger to create, combined with a clear problem in sight, set the stage for what would become Reelo.
When Loyalty Became Personal
Prit never forgot what it felt like watching his father run a business without modern tools. Like many local store owners, his father had no way to know who his customers were or how to bring them back once they walked out the door. No fancy dashboards, no loyalty cards, just hope.
Years later, when Prit and Parin decided to build Reelo, it wasn’t just another startup idea. It was personal.
“We started Reelo with a belief: No one should be left out of the economy just because tech is too complicated or expensive,” Prit explains.
The Problem No One Was Solving
In the hyper-competitive food & beverage industry, where 60% of restaurants fail within the first year, the challenges go far beyond the food or service.
Most small and medium-sized restaurants don’t know who their customers really are. Even if they do, they don’t know what to do with that data.
Acquiring new customers is costly, up to 15 times more expensive than retaining existing ones. But retention often feels out of reach because the tech available is either too complex, too expensive, or built for big teams with dedicated marketers and data analysts.
Prit and Parin saw this massive gap. And that’s where Reelo was born.
You must read: Reelo Raises $1M Led by Silicon Valley Veteran Gokul Rajaram
A New Vision for Customer Retention
At its core, Reelo is simple: a platform that empowers restaurants to turn first-time visitors into loyal regulars.
But behind the scenes, it’s a powerhouse.
Think AI-powered marketing, smart loyalty programs, and deep customer insights, all packed into a tool so intuitive that you don’t need a marketing degree to use it.
“Our first customer wasn’t a fancy chain,” Prit recalls. “It was a small cafe in Ahmedabad that took a chance on us when we were just two guys with a pitch deck and a dream.”
Today, 28,000+ restaurants across continents use Reelo. From global giants like Nando’s, Jamie’s Italian, and Buffalo Wild Wings to beloved local cafes. With integrations across 35+ POS systems, Reelo has processed over 80 million transactions and impacted 20 million+ diners globally.
The results speak for themselves:
- 32% average revenue growth for partners
- 25–40% increase in repeat customers
- Countless businesses saved from the brink
But numbers only tell half the story.
The Pandemic That Changed Everything
Reelo’s journey hasn’t been a straight line. Like every great startup story, it had a plot twist.
When COVID-19 hit, the world shut down, and so did Reelo. Prit and Parin had to make the hardest call of their lives: shut operations, let the team go, and accept that the business, as it stood, couldn’t survive.
But they didn’t give up.
Instead of trying to preserve what wasn’t working, they burned the old playbook.
Reelo evolved from a sales-led, feet-on-street model into a global SaaS platform, leaner, sharper, and ready for scale. The product was rebuilt from scratch. The vision was recalibrated. Every lesson learned was poured back into the product.
“What came out on the other side was a version of Reelo that wasn’t just better, it was future-ready,” says Prit.
Inside Reelo: A Culture of Curiosity and Resilience
At Reelo, meetings often begin not with numbers, but with learnings.
“We celebrate experiments, not just wins,” says Chainika, the marketing lead at Reelo. “It’s a culture that values curiosity and embraces failure as a step forward.”
Prit believes the right culture is the backbone of innovation.
“We’re a team of 82+ people united by a vision to simplify complex tech and create real value,” he says. “It’s not about titles or hours, it’s about impact.”
What Sets Reelo Apart
When asked about competitors, Prit breaks it down simply:
- Legacy CRM tools collect data but make it hard to act on.
- POS systems offer basic loyalty features but lack marketing depth.
- Spreadsheets and bulk SMS tools don’t provide insights or automation.
Reelo sits at the intersection of all three, but does it smarter.
It combines:
- Enterprise-grade tools with simplicity
- Marketing automation with personalization
- Loyalty programs with ROI tracking
And it does it all with zero technical knowledge required.
The result? A solution built for the busy restaurant owner who doesn’t have time to “figure it out.” A solution that works for them, not the other way around.
Why It’s Personal
For Prit, Reelo isn’t just a business – it’s a mission.
“I didn’t wake up one day knowing I wanted to build a SaaS platform,” he says. “But I knew I wanted to solve a real problem that mattered, something that made people’s lives better, easier, and more sustainable.”
Watching his father struggle without the right tools gave Prit a firsthand view of what most entrepreneurs miss: The technology gap between large and small businesses isn’t just a tech problem, it’s an opportunity gap.
Reelo aims to close that gap.
By making marketing tools accessible, intuitive, and affordable, Reelo gives small businesses the power to grow like big brands, without the budget, jargon, or teams.
Beyond the Badge: What Forbes 30 Under 30 Means
Recognition like Forbes 30 Under 30 is an exciting milestone. But for Prit, it’s less about the badge and more about what it represents.
“It’s a reminder that rebuilding Reelo from ground zero wasn’t a setback, it was a setup,” he says. “We chose to reinvent, not retreat. And that has made all the difference.”
He credits his success to:
- Relentlessness: the patience to build and the hunger to win
- Resilience: bouncing back when everything seems lost
- Risk-taking: refusing to “play it safe,” even when that felt easier
And while he’s quick to celebrate the Reelo team, Prit also points to those who inspired him, including Deepinder Goyal, the founder of Zomato.
“He changed how India eats,” Prit says. “And how restaurants grow. That level of impact? That’s what we’re chasing.”
The Bigger Picture: A Generation Redefining Work
Prit believes Gen-Z is misunderstood.
“They’re not lazy,” he says. “They just refuse to do pointless work. They value outcomes, not hours. They want impact, not titles.”
It’s this mindset that drives Reelo forward, a team united by purpose and passion to solve real problems with smart, human-centred tech.
What’s Next?
Reelo isn’t done. Not even close.
The future of restaurant marketing is automated, AI-driven, and personal. And Reelo is building that future, one smart campaign, one repeat customer, one data-driven decision at a time.
Whether you run a multi-outlet chain or a cozy neighborhood café, Reelo is here to help you thrive, not just survive.
Because every restaurant deserves the tools to grow. Every business deserves a shot at success. And every customer deserves a reason to come back.
So, What Does This Mean for Us?
For the restaurant down the street that wants repeat customers.
For the cloud kitchen trying to stand out.
For the legacy café fighting to stay relevant.
This win is for all of us.
Because when one of us makes it to the list, it puts all of us on the map.
Congratulations, Prit! The Reelo family couldn’t be prouder.
Now let’s get back to solving real problems.
P.S. Curious how smarter loyalty tools can transform your restaurant’s bottom line? We’d love to show you how Reelo can help. Book a free demo →
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