Blink, an employee experience platform focused on frontline workforces, announced a $17 million investment from Enlightened Hospitality Investments (EHI), the growth equity fund affiliated with Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group. The company also launched a new global partnership with Shake Shack following the successful integration of its workforce management tools.
Supporting Frontline Employee Engagement
Blink helps organizations improve communication, engagement, and operational efficiency across frontline teams. The platform gives employees access to company information, scheduling tools, shift swaps, pay stubs, and internal communication in one unified system. In 2025, adoption of Blink’s self-service employee tools increased 300% year over year, while employees opened the app an average of seven times per day.
“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,” said Sean Nolan, Founder & CEO of Blink. “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”
AI Workforce Insights and Product Expansion
The new funding will support investments in Blink’s product and engineering teams, accelerate development of its AI-first platform, and expand go-to-market efforts across hospitality and other frontline industries.
Blink IQ, the company’s AI workforce insights platform, provides management with real-time visibility into employee sentiment, productivity, turnover, and workforce feedback, helping organizations identify operational challenges and improve engagement.
“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" said Danny Meyer, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Enlightened Hospitality Investments and Founder of Union Square Hospitality Group. "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.”
Partnership With Shake Shack
“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,” said Luke DeRouen, Chief Communications Officer at Shake Shack. “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.”
Blink continues expanding across hospitality, retail, transportation, healthcare, manufacturing, and logistics, adding more than 700,000 users in the hospitality sector during 2025 alone.