BarGlance acquires Updown Nightlife App; founder says deal will scale AI-infused tech even faster than he imagined

In a strategic move to elevate the Midwest’s nightlife scene on a national level, founder Joshua Lewis said, the Updown Nightlife app has been acquired by BarGlance, an AI-powered nightlife tech company. 

The deal — valued at $5 million, Lewis said — celebrates Updown’s 10-year anniversary, marking a significant milestone for the app that put Kansas City’s vibrant nightlife culture at users’ fingertips.

Joshua Lewis, Updown Nightlife; photo courtesy of Updown Nightlife

“The reason for this whole acquisition is to scale quicker than we were all planning to scale in the first place,” said Lewis, who officially launched Updown Nightlife in 2016 after fleshing out the idea in 2015 through Tech Venture and Missouri Small Business Development Center programming at UMKC.

“Our plan is to touch every single major nightlife city in the U.S.” he said of the BarGlance acquisition and its impact. “This is the first step.”

For BarGlance, acquiring Updown accelerates its own expansion.

The South Carolina-based company aims to transform how people discover nightlife through technology, said co-founder Justin Moss.

“Our goal is to become a nationwide community for nightlife and to bridge that Midwest gap,” he said, emphasizing Updown’s key role in the Kansas City after-hours scene.

Updown Nightlife has grown from hosting parties and events to serving as a media platform with a regular audience of more than 40,000 Kansas Citians. The app’s focus on event promotions and its deep understanding of the city’s nightlife ecosystem laid the foundation for its success, Lewis said. 

“Having such a strong foothold in the KC market holds tremendous value, especially with the city’s rapid growth and increasing interest,” he said.

Justin Moss and Jesse Kasser, BarGlance, with Joshua Lewis, Updown Nightlife; photo courtesy of Updown Nightlife

KC roots to national vision

Since its inception, Updown Nightlife had one goal in mind, Lewis said: acquisition.

His entrepreneurial journey was always driven by the desire to create something valuable enough to be bought, he said.

“It’s always been a dream of mine to build something that people value and want to buy,” Lewis said. “From Day 1, we focused on building a solid back-end infrastructure, collecting key data, and documenting strategies that would be of value to potential partners or buyers.”

Moss and BarGlance co-founder Jesse Kasser had been on a parallel path — themselves building an AI-powered app aimed at reshaping how people discover nightlife. When Kasser first came across Updown, it became clear that the two companies were aligned in vision and strategy, he said. 

“We’ve spoken to a lot of companies trying to do something similar, and most didn’t work out,” said Moss. “It was refreshing to find a team that was not only still in the game but thriving in such a key market as Kansas City. Once we realized how ingrained they were in the nightlife scene there, it became a no-brainer for us.”

The two startups’ founders first connected through mutual contacts in the tech space, quickly realizing the potential for a partnership.

With the acquisition, Lewis assumes the role of chief marketing officer for BarGlance, steering the company toward rapid growth and expansion. 

“Joshua has a deep understanding of Kansas City’s nightlife scene and a natural flair for marketing. His founder mentality was clear from the beginning — he has the work ethic, sense of urgency, and drive we look for in partners,” said Moss.

Joshua Lewis, Kin Seltzer; photo courtesy of Kin Seltzer

Lewis will remain in Kansas City, where he also runs the hard seltzer brand Kin.

The trio envision cross-promotional campaigns with Kin Seltzer to further boost BarGlance’s brand exposure. Each can of Kin Seltzer will feature a QR code that consumers can scan to download BarGlance’s mobile app.

AI-powered nightlife

BarGlance has already made waves in the nightlife tech industry through its innovative use of artificial intelligence. With Updown’s focus on nightlife events and parties, BarGlance goes a step further by leveraging AI to provide real-time crowd insights and demographic breakdowns of nightlife venues.

Jesse Kasser, BarGlance; photo courtesy of Updown Nightlife

“We’re using technology to make nightlife smarter,” said Kasser. “Our platform helps people decide where to go based on real-time data and insights, and AI has been a game-changer for us.”

BarGlance is currently developing Version 4.0, set for release by year’s end, featuring enhanced AI-driven tools like personalized bar recommendations, real-time occupancy updates, and live crowd analytics to enhance nightlife experience.

“We’re combining third-party API data with AI-generated insights to give users an accurate picture of the nightlife scene in any city,” he said. “Whether it’s average age, gender breakdown, or the vibe of a bar, we want people to feel like they can trust our platform to plan their night.”

Lewis is equally enthusiastic about how BarGlance’s AI will advance Updown’s legacy forward through tech.

“The acquisition allows us to scale faster than we ever could on our own,” he emphasized. “I’m excited to bring my knowledge of the Kansas City market to BarGlance and help expand this technology to new cities.”