A trio of Boston University graduates want to pull local merchants in with their new app Levr, which helps businesses promote themselves and their deals for free by simply snapping and uploading a photo.
"We wanted to give local businesses additional leverage in terms of promoting their offers," said Levr co-founder Alonso Holmes, 22. "They're really in control of what they offer. It's just the reach they have is so limited that we're trying to extend that."
Incorporated in June, the startup, which includes co-founders Patrick Walsh, 22, and Ethan Sherr, 23, is an alternative for businesses that traditionally pay other companies to highlight their deals and offers. For example, a restaurant bartender can take a picture of a "specials" chalkboard, and launch an offer via Levr in seconds, which can be edited or canceled at any point, Holmes said.
Levr, which just unveiled its app for merchants, is currently promoting offers from 72 local businesses, mostly restaurants, Holmes said, adding the company is starting to promote retailers in Cambridge and downtown Boston.
"We are a megaphone," he said. "If you think about the nature of the offer you see written on a chalkboard, this is the business saying, 'This is the best I have to offer.' We think we're matching a relatively good customer base to a really good set of businesses."
Operating in East Boston, Levr is currently funded by an angel investor, and hopes to secure additional venture capital early next year. The startup also hopes to launch in San Francisco in the near future, with more cities to follow, Holmes said.
The app works on iPhone, Android and Windows phones. While free to sign up for and launch offers, Levr has several additional promotional options for businesses that range from under $5 up to $20 per offer. For $20, a merchant can purchase a "radius alert" for an offer, which sends a notification containing the offer to every Levr user that comes within a mile of their businesses.
Users can also click on an "Upvote" thumbs-up button to show their appreciation for an offer.
"It's the community saying, 'This is useful to me,' " Holmes said, adding the startup will ultimately allow developers to easily add Levr offers to any location-based app.
The startup differs from other deal-based tools such as Groupon because "the customer base that is attracted by an 80 percent off special is unlikely to return in the absence of a similar offer," Holmes said.
One business thinking of implementing Levr is The Urban Art Bar in South Boston, which previously used LivingSocial to highlight its deals.
"With a LivingSocial deal you're giving up a big percentage of the sale to them," said Frank Knippenberg, The Urban Art Bar's director of marketing. "I see no harm in giving (Levr) a try and seeing what it does."
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