The platform, whose USP is offering diners a discount of 50% off their food bill during off-peak times, received backing from existing investors Altered Capital, Invest South, Mainland Angels and Snowball Effect shareholders, alongside new investors K1W1 and Icehouse Ventures.
Much of the new funds will be used to increase First Table’s presence in the UK and Ireland, strengthening relationships with restaurant partners, and giving diners and restaurants more ways to use the platform.
The raise will also support growing awareness in the company’s other core markets, including New Zealand, where First Table was founded in 2014.
The UK is one of First Table’s core markets, with bookings growing over 150% year-on-year and London now the platform’s busiest city globally.
“We’ve been seeing phenomenal growth across the UK and Ireland, so we know there’s a huge opportunity to take the business further here, and Europe more broadly is of particular interest to us,” says CEO Alex Cappy.
“An empty table at 5.30pm is revenue a restaurant never gets back. We help to turn those empty seats into paying customers, and the diner gets a meal they might not have booked otherwise. Everyone wins.”
Since entering the market, First Table has expanded to 22 cities, more than 10 of them in the past year, and built a network of more than 2,000 restaurant partners across the two countries.
First Table does not charge restaurant to list, while diners pay a small booking fee, and venues list for free. The 50% discount is for food but does not apply to drinks.