Blink, a mobile-first employee experience platform for frontline workforces, announced it has raised $17 million in funding from Enlightened Hospitality Investments (EHI), the growth equity fund affiliated with Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group (USHG). The company also announced a new global partnership with Shake Shack following a successful integration of its workforce management solutions.
The funding comes as restaurants and other frontline-driven industries continue facing workforce challenges, including employee turnover, margin pressure, and operational complexity. Blink’s platform is designed to improve employee communication and engagement, helping organizations keep frontline teams connected, informed, and aligned.
According to the company, adoption of Blink’s self-service employee tools grew 300% year over year in 2025. These tools allow employees to swap shifts, access pay stubs, and manage work-related information directly through the platform. Blink also said employees opened the app an average of seven times per day.
The company plans to use the funding to expand its product and engineering teams, accelerate innovation across its AI-first platform, and grow its go-to-market efforts across hospitality and additional industries.
Blink IQ, the company’s AI workforce insights platform, provides management teams with real-time insights into workforce sentiment, productivity, feedback, and turnover trends. The platform is intended to help organizations identify operational issues earlier and improve employee engagement and performance.
Blink said it continues to expand beyond hospitality into sectors including retail, transportation, healthcare, manufacturing, and logistics. In 2025 alone, the company added more than 700,000 users in the hospitality sector.
The company works with brands including McDonald’s, Domino’s, Booking.com, Dollar Tree, Nokia, easyJet, JD Sports, and Carrefour.
KEY QUOTES:
“We are excited to partner with Danny and the EHI team and believe that their commitment to delivering Enlightened Hospitality is more relevant now than ever. We also are thrilled to launch with Shake Shack, an industry leader who shares our commitment to a strong corporate culture that begins on the restaurant floor. As we embark on this next chapter of growth, we look forward to partnering with forward thinking brands who are empowering their people to win in this competitive market”
Sean Nolan, Founder & CEO, Blink
“I have always believed that Enlightened Hospitality – the ethos that when you take care of your people, your people take care of your customers – is how to create sustaining success in any business. Blink’s technology puts people first by making sure team members are equipped and supported so they can, in turn, deliver their very best. Blink’s smart technology will help shape the future of restaurants.”
Danny Meyer, Co-Founder And Managing Partner, Enlightened Hospitality Investments And Founder, Union Square Hospitality Group
“At Shake Shack, everything starts with our people. The energy in our Shacks and the Enlightened Hospitality our teams bring to life each day are what make us special. As we continue to grow, we are focused on giving our teams simple tools that keep them informed, connected, and engaged. Blink will help us do exactly that, enabling a more connected and consistent experience across our Support Center and Shack teams.”
Luke DeRouen, Chief Communications Officer, Shake Shack
