Tillo acquires Amilon and looks to establish dominance in rewards, incentives and gift cards space
Tillo, a rewards, incentives and gift card platform, has announced the acquisition of and a partnership with Amilon, a specialist in digital incentives, gift cards, and employee benefits in Italy. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Collectively, Tillo and Amilon expect to process over £3 billion worth of gift cards in 2026 and grow 30% year-over-year.
“This is an incredibly exciting landmark moment for Tillo and for our industry. From our very first conversations with the Amilon team, it was clear we shared the same belief in where rewards, incentives and engagement are heading, and the role they play in creating genuine connections between brands, businesses, and consumers,” says Alex Preece, CEO and Co-Founder at Tillo.
“Amilon has built an outstanding business over two decades, trusted by leading Italian and international enterprises and known for exceptional standards of service and expertise. Joining forces gives us the opportunity to combine our strengths and build an international digital value platform with the depth and reach to shape the future of this industry. Equally important, we've found a team whose culture and values strongly align with our own, and I'm proud to welcome them as partners into the Tillo Group.”
"Over the past two decades, Amilon has evolved from a gift card business into a leading digital value platform, helping companies engage, reward and connect with people through an increasingly diverse ecosystem of solutions. This is the next stage in that journey and reflects a shared ambition to help shape the future of digital value, where rewards, incentives, benefits and engagement work seamlessly across markets and channels.”
“By combining Tillo’s global technology and reach with our leadership in Southern Europe and expertise in digital value solutions, incentives and engagement, we are creating a platform with the scale and capabilities to better serve multinational clients, brands and partners. Together, as Tillo Group, we will deliver broader solutions, more advanced technology and new opportunities for growth, while continuing to build on the trusted relationships that have been central to our success,” say Andrea Verri and Fabio Regazzoni, CEOs and Co-Founders at Amilon.
Since 2025, Tillo has been a partner with investor Tenzing as part of a fully secondary transaction that provided liquidity for early investors while enabling the company’s existing leadership team to continue driving its long-term strategy. Beyond its investment, Tenzing has supported Tillo’s next phase of growth by bringing expertise in scaling technology business, expanding internationally and pursuing strategic acquisitions.
"Since backing Tillo, we've been continually impressed by the strength of the leadership team and the pace at which they've scaled the business internationally. The acquisition of Amilon is a natural next step in that growth story, bringing together two founder led, profitable businesses with a shared culture and a complementary footprint across the UK, Europe and beyond. We're proud to continue supporting Alex and the Tillo team, and delighted that Andrea and Fabio are reinvesting alongside us as we build the leading platform for rewards, incentives and gift cards globally,” say Gareth Healy and Maria Tozzi Spadoni, Portfolio Leads at Tenzing.
2026 RTIH Innovation Awards
Gift cards will be a key focus area at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards.
The awards are now open for entries and celebrate global retail technology innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.
Our winners will be revealed at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards Ceremony, taking place at The HAC in Central London on Wednesday, 4th November.
Check out our 2025 winners here.
Our 2025 hall of fame entrants were revealed during a sold out event which took place at The HAC on 16th October and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by award winning comedian, actress and writer Tiff Stevenson.
In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “This is the awards’ fifth year as a physical event. We started off with just 30 people at the South Place Hotel not far from here, then moved to London Bridge Hotel, then The Barbican, and last year RIBA’s HQ in the West End.”
“But I’m conscious of the fact that, to quote the legend that is Taylor Swift, You’re only as hot as your last hit, baby. So, this year we’ve moved to our biggest venue yet, and also pulled in our largest number of entries to date and broken attendance records.”
He added: “This year’s submissions have without doubt been our best yet. To quote one of the judges: The examples of innovative developments across both traditional and digital retail spaces were truly remarkable.”
Congratulations to our winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Tiff Stevenson, and all those who attended our 2025 gathering.
