Yoyo

Yoyo is a UK-based fintech company that powers customer loyalty and rewards software for some of the world's leading retail brands. Founded in May 2013 by Michael Rolph, Alain Falys, and David Nicholson, Yoyo emerged as mobile payments were beginning to transform the retail landscape. The founders recognized that traditional loyalty programs were broken - paper cards were lost, loyalty schemes were fragmented, and retailers had no way to identify customers at the point of sale.

The company launched its first version in January 2014, initially focusing on university campuses before rapidly expanding across UK high streets, corporate locations, and major retail chains. Yoyo built a mobile wallet that combined payments, loyalty collection, and digital receipts into a single seamless experience, eliminating the need for multiple apps and cards. Their technology empowered retailers to identify every customer at the point of sale, enabling personalized engagement and rewards experiences previously impossible in physical retail environments.

Yoyo grew to become the UK's fastest growing and largest multi-retailer mobile wallet, powering apps for renowned brands including Caffè Nero and Planet Organic. The company operated in half of UK universities, hundreds of corporate sites, and numerous high street retailers. As an electronic money institution authorized and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, Yoyo maintained the highest standards of security - never storing payment details on phones or transmitting card information during transactions.