GrowthFactor
AI platform for retail site selection
Website: https://www.growthfactor.ai/
Cover Block
| Name | GrowthFactor |
| Tagline | AI platform for retail site selection |
| Headquarters | Boston, MA, United States |
| Founded | 2023 |
| Stage | Pre-Seed |
| Business Model | SaaS |
| Industry | Proptech |
| Technology | AI / Machine Learning |
| Geography | North America |
| Growth Profile | Venture Scale |
| Founding Team | Co-Founders (3+) |
| Funding Label | Undisclosed |
Links
- Website: https://www.growthfactor.ai/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/growthfactor-ai
Data Accuracy: GREEN -- Website URL confirmed by company materials; LinkedIn company page URL confirmed via LinkedIn search.
What an Investor Needs First
GrowthFactor is an early-stage AI platform that automates the site selection process for retail and restaurant chains [GrowthFactor.ai, 2026]. Founded in 2023 by three MIT Sloan classmates, the company has progressed through the MIT delta v accelerator [GrowthFactor.ai press, 2026]. Its core product is a SaaS platform that qualifies prospective locations, generates cash flow projections, and reviews lease terms, claiming to cut site evaluation time by 80% [MIT Orbit, 2026].
The founding team has recruited Rick Vanzura, former CEO of Wahlburgers and an executive at Panera Bread, as President [Boston Globe, 2026]. The company has not publicly disclosed any external funding rounds. Its business model includes a Small Business plan priced at $200 per month and a Pro tier for larger enterprises [GrowthFactor.ai, 2026].
Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Key claims are sourced from company materials and an accelerator listing; traction metrics lack independent verification.
Taxonomy Snapshot
| Axis | Classification |
|---|---|
| Stage | Pre-Seed |
| Business Model | SaaS |
| Industry / Vertical | Proptech |
| Technology Type | AI / Machine Learning |
| Geography | North America |
| Growth Profile | Venture Scale |
| Founding Team | Co-Founders (3+) |
Inside the Company
GrowthFactor was founded in 2023 by Clyde Christian Anderson, Sam Hall, and Raj Shrimali [GrowthFactor.ai, 2026]. The company is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, and has participated in MIT delta v and MIT Orbit [GrowthFactor.ai, 2026][MIT Orbit, 2026]. The company cites work with retail chains, including Cavender's, Books-A-Million, and 16 Handles [GrowthFactor.ai, 2026]. Rick Vanzura, former CEO of Wahlburgers and an executive with experience at Panera and Borders, was appointed President in 2026 [Boston Globe, 2026][LinkedIn, retrieved 2026].
Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Founding details and accelerator participation are corroborated by the company and MIT Orbit. Customer names and executive appointment are cited, but the scale and commercial terms of customer engagements are not independently verified.
Under the Hood
GrowthFactor’s platform is an end-to-end operating system for retail real estate, designed to automate the site selection process. The core proposition is to replace manual, spreadsheet-based analysis with a centralized SaaS tool that ingests public and private data to generate location scores, cash flow projections, and trade area analytics [MIT Orbit, 2026]. The company claims its AI agents can reduce site evaluation time by 80% [MIT Orbit, 2026].
- Site Qualification & Scoring. Analyzes prospective locations against a configurable set of criteria [GrowthFactor.ai].
- Trade Area Analysis. Defines and analyzes trade areas, visualizing demographics, traffic patterns, and competitive density [GrowthFactor.ai].
- Portfolio & Pipeline Management. A visual pipeline dashboard tracks and compares multiple sites [GrowthFactor.ai].
- Lease Review & Financial Modeling. Offers tools to review lease terms and generate cash flow projections [MIT Orbit, 2026].
Pricing is disclosed at two tiers. A Small Business plan is $200 per month, targeting retailers with under ten locations. A Pro plan features custom scoring, unlimited deals, and dedicated support, with pricing tailored per client [GrowthFactor.ai, 2026].
Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Product claims are sourced from the company's website and an MIT accelerator page, but specific performance metrics lack independent corroboration.
Market Research
GrowthFactor operates at the intersection of proptech, retail tech, and geospatial analytics. The broader commercial real estate analytics market was valued at $10.2 billion in 2024 and is projected to grow at a compound annual rate of 11.5% through 2030 [Grand View Research, 2024]. GrowthFactor's marketing cites analyzing over 3,250 sites in a six-month period [GrowthFactor.ai, 2026].
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Commercial Real Estate Analytics Market 2024 | 10.2 $B |
| Projected CAGR 2024-2030 | 11.5 % |
| Sites Analyzed by GrowthFactor (6 months) | 3,250 sites |
Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Market size is an analogous figure from a third-party report; company activity metrics are self-reported.
Competition and Substitutes
GrowthFactor enters a mature market for retail site selection analytics.
| Company | Positioning | Stage / Funding |
|---|---|---|
| GrowthFactor | AI-powered end-to-end operating system for retail real estate site selection. | Pre-Seed; MIT delta v accelerator. |
| SiteZeus | Specialized AI platform for restaurant and retail site selection. | Venture-backed; $7.3M Series A (2021). |
| Placer.ai | Location intelligence and foot traffic analytics provider. | Venture-backed; $100M Series C (2022). |
| Buxton | Customer analytics and site selection for retail, healthcare, and public sector. | Privately held; founded 1994. |
Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Competitor profiles are based on public Crunchbase data and company positioning; GrowthFactor's differentiation claims are self-reported [GrowthFactor.ai, 2026].
Opportunity
GrowthFactor aims to become the default operating system for retail real estate teams. The appointment of Rick Vanzura as President signals an intent to build for enterprise scale [Boston Globe, 2026].
| Scenario | What happens | Catalyst |
|---|---|---|
| Land-and-expand in multi-unit franchising | GrowthFactor becomes the mandated site selection tool for major franchisors. | A partnership with a top-10 franchise brand to white-label the platform. |
| Vertical domination in specialty retail | The company achieves deep penetration in a niche like footwear or books. | A marquee case study with a second major brand in the same vertical as Cavender's. |
| Acquisition as a data intelligence arm | A large commercial real estate brokerage or data conglomerate acquires GrowthFactor. | The company demonstrates a proprietary, difficult-to-replicate data syndication layer. |
Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Opportunity analysis is based on company-stated product vision and early use cases; market comparables are inferred from industry reports.
Sources
- [GrowthFactor.ai, 2026] Retail Site Selection Platform | GrowthFactor, https://www.growthfactor.ai/
- [GrowthFactor.ai press, 2026] Press & News | GrowthFactor, https://www.growthfactor.ai/press
- [MIT Orbit, 2026] GrowthFactor, https://orbit.mit.edu/launchpad/ideas/growthfactor
- [Boston Globe, 2026] Rick Vanzura, former CEO of Wahlburgers and exec at Panera and Borders, appointed President, https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/01/15/business/rick-vanzura-growthfactor-president/
- [LinkedIn, retrieved 2026] Rick Vanzura - E4E Relief | LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-vanzura-1995482/
- [Grand View Research, 2024] Commercial Real Estate Analytics Market Size Report, 2024-2030, https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/commercial-real-estate-analytics-market-report
- [Crunchbase] SiteZeus - Crunchbase Company Profile & Funding, https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/sitezeus
- [Crunchbase] Placer.ai - Crunchbase Company Profile & Funding, https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/placer-ai
- [Buxton] Buxton: Customer Analytics & Site Selection, https://www.buxtonco.com
Articles about GrowthFactor
- GrowthFactor's AI Platform Qualifies 3,250 Sites for the Retail Real Estate Committee — The MIT-born startup, now led by a former Panera and Wahlburgers executive, is automating site selection for chains like Cavender's and Books-A-Million.