$1M RPE: how we scaled Popsa without scaling our team

Last month, Popsa quietly passed a milestone of achieving $1 million in revenue per employee. That’s almost 7x the UK tech average. And it matters more than you might think.

In a world where costs are rising and teams are being asked to do more with less, revenue per employee (RPE) is fast becoming one of the most telling metrics in any company. It’s a signal of resilience, scalability and operational discipline – all of which are critical in today’s business environment.

For us, this milestone reflects a mindset we’ve built into Popsa from day one: systems over sprawl. Our team is small – just 46 people – but they’re not stretched thin, they’re working smarter. And they’re using AI to amplify their own output across the board.

AI as an operating system

Popsa exists to empower those who lack confidence with technology to make beautifully designed photo products – to turn their memories into something meaningful. We use AI to curate, crop, caption and design those memories automatically, creating ready-to-print albums in seconds.

What’s less visible is how deeply AI shapes how we run the business, too. We don’t just use AI to make frictionless digital experiences, we also use it in the way we:

• run localised marketing across 12 languages

• handle support for 2 million customers

• negotiate with suppliers across 50+ countries

• optimise logistics, payment flows and internal ops

• create thousands of high-performing adverts every month

Every team at Popsa is expected to build, test and chain together automations that remove grunt work and unlock creative time. AI isn’t a department here – it’s embedded in every function.

What this means for start-ups

In the past, companies grew by raising more capital or hiring bigger teams. But those levers are less accessible today. What matters now is productivity – and the ability to scale without scale.

Hitting $1M RPE is proof that we can do that. It’s a sign that with the right systems, the right culture and the right tools, small teams can now achieve what used to require hundreds of people.

Of course, RPE isn’t the only thing that matters – but it’s one of the few metrics that’s hard to fake. It reflects how aligned your team is, how well your infrastructure scales, and whether your tools are actually making people more effective.

In the AI era, leverage beats labour. Scale comes from systems, not headcount. $1M RPE is just the beginning of what that looks like. For us, it also means something bigger: helping millions of people reconnect with their memories – effortlessly, intuitively, and without friction. 

What this means for Popsa

For our investors and partners, $1M RPE is a clear signal – we’re building a capital-efficient company that scales with software, not headcount.

This milestone shows our ability to turn AI into real business value – not just in the product, but across our operations. We’re able to acquire, convert and retain customers in over 50 markets with just 46 people – while launching new features at pace.

The leverage we’ve built means we don’t need to throw bodies or money at problems. It gives us freedom to invest in the long game – new growth loops, deeper AI personalisation, and a future where Popsa becomes the default platform for curating life’s moments.

It’s rare to find a consumer business with deep retention, a scalable engine and this level of operational leverage. That’s what we’ve built. And we’re just getting started.