May 2019
Vol 6 | Issue 223

Q&A with Stephen George of Surkus

CEO & Founder

Principal Series:

Surkus is a customer engagement platform that focuses on creating a value exchange where individuals get free access to events and offers based on matching data from both sides of the platform. Utilizing machine learning and deep understanding of customer engagement, we have developed powerful algorithms that focus on delivering 100% ROI on every advertising dollar spent. Our product is designed around the concept that targeted content (events and offers tailored to your interests) with a simple and trusted value (free access or free products) will convert potential clientele at a much higher rate for a much lower cost than traditional digital advertising solutions.


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Who are your competitors?

Our competition is fragmented, archaic and in many cases their brands risk credibility that will end up hurting your brand equity. Digital Ad Platforms such as Google and Facebook. PR or Experiential Marketing firms such as Olgivy, Edelman, and Weber Shandwick. SME/Brand Marketing Technology platforms such as Groupon, Yelp, and Trip Advisor.

What is your business model? How do you make money?

We are 100% proven ROI success-based pricing. We realized that so many platforms claim to be performance-based or conversion based but in actuality, very few are billing their clients based on the goals their clients have for the different types of customer engagement. For example, Facebook bills you for ad clicks but that doesn't mean someone downloaded your app, signed up or ever generated $1 in revenue for your business. Another example, Groupon only keeps a % of revenue generated from someone buying a deal but your end goal was not revenue from buying the discount, it was tied to the hope that they spend money the second or third time they walk into your business.

What's your funding status?

Surkus has secured +$15m in funding from venture groups, angel investors, and various corporations across the globe including EOS Global, Global Trust Group, M13 Ventures, China Everbright Company, NetEase Capital, Plug & Play, Capital Union Investments, and many large family offices. Our current round of $20M will allow us to enter new markets globally, expand our sales and marketing teams to access new clients and users, and access new revenues streams from existing multi-national clientele and new local businesses.


Stephen George of Surkus
Stephen George is a leader in the tech industry, a serial entrepreneur, active angel investor and an expert in growing tech startups and global expansion. His career began at Groupon as a Co- founder and Global Head of Operations, responsible for building the company’s foundation and seeing them through to their $12.7 Billion IPO in 2011. In this position, at the age of 23, Stephen managed a team of some 11,000 employees across 40 countries representing nearly 500 markets and played a key role in driving the company from the pre-revenue stage to roughly $1.6 Billion in revenue within 3 years of launch. After Groupon, Stephen focused on building his own angel investment portfolio where he actively invested in start-ups across the US and Asia, primarily focusing on Hong Kong and China. Stephen returned to an operating role via the launch of Surkus in late 2016.
stephen@surkus.com, 847-971-0720