Vengo Labs — Company Overview

Slim wall-mounted smart vending kiosks that combine product sales, cloud telemetry and programmatic advertising.

Overview & History

Origins, founders, and the pivot into advertising-driven kiosks.

Vengo Labs builds very small, wall-mounted vending kiosks with touchscreen displays and cashless-only payment. The hardware is paired to a cloud platform that reports inventory and enables programmatic ads on the screen.

Founded as a compact retail-in-cabs concept, the company reoriented to wall kiosks for gyms, hotels, campuses, and other venues where footprint matters and a digital ad canvas adds value.

Co-founders and key team roles focused on product design, software and partnerships to scale both hardware placements and ongoing ad revenues.

Business Model & Revenue Streams

Hardware + platform + advertising.

Hardware distribution: low upfront cost or near-cost device placements to scale footprint.
Platform & service fees: recurring telemetry/subscription charges for device management.
Programmatic advertising: screens sell ad impressions; ad revenue is shared with hosts or operators.
SKU placement/brand partnerships: occasional per-SKU promotional fees or revenue shares with brands.

Operator economics vary: product margins, location traffic and split of ad revenue determine profitability. The calculator below is designed to illustrate per-kiosk and network-level outcomes using editable assumptions.

Shark Tank & Timeline

Public exposure, partnerships and growth phases.

2012 — FoundingConcept origin and early pilots

Concept began as a cab-based convenience idea, iterated into slim wall-mounted kiosks to reach captive audiences in fixed locations.

2016 — National exposureCatalytic publicity

A televised pitch created investor interest and catalyzed partnerships; subsequent private funding helped expand pilots and product development.

2020–2022 — Programmatic pivotAd monetization becomes core

Strategic shift towards programmatic digital-out-of-home advertising and strengthened telemetry/analytics features.

2024–2025 — GrowthScaled deployments & reporting

Network growth and ad impressions became focal metrics; partnerships with campus, hospitality and retail partners scaled placements.

Hardware Models & Tech Specs

Standard Vengo — compact

Screen: 21″ touchscreen.
Form: ~6.75″ D × 35″ H × 20″ W — very small footprint.
Capacity: ~6 SKUs (pack-size dependent), modular bays.
Connectivity: Wi-Fi / cellular options, cloud telemetry.

Vengo XL — larger capacity

Screen: ~27″ touchscreen.
Form: ~9.75″ D × 57.5″ H × 31″ W.
Capacity: Many SKUs (dozens) and hundreds to 1,100+ items depending on SKU mix.

Revenue & ROI Calculator — Interactive

Estimate monthly network revenues and operator profitability. Fill inputs and press Run estimate.

Number of kiosks (units)

Avg product sales per kiosk / month (USD)

Platform fee to company per kiosk / month (USD)

Avg ad revenue per kiosk / month (USD)

Company ad share (%)

Average cost-of-goods (% of product sales)

Other monthly costs per kiosk (maintenance, restock, commission) USD

Machine cost per kiosk (USD) — for break-even

FAQs

Common operator & investor questions.

How does company revenue differ from operator revenue?

Company revenue typically comes from platform/subscription fees and a share of ad revenue. Operators earn product sales (minus COGS and platform fees) plus their share of ad revenue, minus operating expenses.

Can these kiosks be profitable for operators?

Yes — profitability depends on location, product margins, and ad shares. The calculator above helps model per-kiosk and network outcomes given your assumptions.

What is a realistic payback time?

Payback depends on monthly profit per kiosk. If your per-kiosk net profit is $200/month and machine cost is $2,500, payback ~12–13 months. Use the break-even estimate above for your values.

Takeaways

Vengo’s hybrid model (hardware + platform + ads) shifts long-term revenue to recurring streams and ad monetization. Operators focus on product sales, placement, and cost control. Use the calculator above to experiment with scenarios and find model fits for your market.

Vengo Vending Machine Labs | Ad Tech & ROI Model