Digital customer loyalty—something no one really missed until it suddenly became indispensable: That’s the story of Franz Tretter. From Austria’s largest online network to a stint at fitness app pioneer runtastic to the founding of hello again—we take a look at the man behind Europe’s growing loyalty platform.
From Community Pioneer to Loyalty Founder
Franz Tretter was drawn to entrepreneurship at an early age: At just 17, he co-founded szene1.at with two other co-founders, which went on to become Austria’s largest event and community platform—with up to 230 million page views per month. He led the company for 13 years before joining runtastic as a product manager alongside Florian Gschwandtner. „In 2017, I was driven by the ambition to start something new. That was the starting point for hello again,“ Tretter recalls.
The goal: Leading provider for digital customer loyalty in Europe
hello again develops custom-branded customer loyalty apps along with the underlying dashboard and CRM system, to increase customer loyalty and improve new customer acquisition.
With over 1,000 clients and more than 16 million app users, hello again offers a wide range of experience across various industries: hair salons, restaurants and hotels, bakeries, beauty salons, municipalities, pharmacies, tourism associations, sports facilities, shopping centers, pet stores, and retail—customer loyalty works everywhere with hello again.
Hello again today: Numbers and Vision
In October 2025, Tretter and his team celebrated surpassing the 1,000-customer mark at the „Howard 1000“ event, with growth of 45 percent. Under the internal project name „Hector,“ hello again is already working on the next step, with the stated goal of becoming Europe’s leading player in digital customer loyalty.
Tretter also shares his thoughts in the latest Loyalty Report 2026: „The findings of our report clearly show that in 2026, customers will expect, above all, simplicity, relevance, and direct benefits. This is exactly where loyalty is born: customer loyalty works when it’s seamless and offers tangible benefits in everyday life,“ says the hello again founder.
Conclusion
From a 17-year-old community founder to Runtastic to the CEO of a European loyalty platform: Franz Tretter has shown that perseverance and a strong team are more important than the perfect first attempt. With over 1,000 clients, more than 16 million app users, and a clear vision of becoming Europe’s leading provider of digital customer loyalty, hello again’s journey is far from over.
