Just call Jud Bowman “Mr. Growth.”

Fresh from a new product launch in February and $5 million in funding raised in November, mobile apps services firm Appia has added 6 million downloads since January to reach 75 million.

Revenue surged in 2013, and now CEO Jud Bowman has his eyes focused on reaching 100 million downloads.

But when asked if Appia might be the Triangle’s next IPO candidate, he isn’t talking.

Here’s our Q&A with Bowman as Durham-based Appia reaches the 70 million milestone:

  • What makes the 75M mark significant other than the sheer scale of it? Where are your top competitors in the field in terms of their size?

We believe that surpassing 75M app installs makes Appia the largest app install ad network after Facebook, which announced 350M app installs last week at their F8 conference. Appia surpassed 50M app installs in August of last year, and this announcement marks a significant milestone as we continue our rapid growth.

Aside from the sheer volume of the 75 million app installs, the fact that we have steadily delivered app installs to mobile advertisers for the past two years holds significance. We bring a lot of knowledge with that.

  • Content providers are struggling to capitalize on the smaller screens of mobile devices. How are you helping advertisers, app developers and content providers deal with those challenges?

There are now more than two million apps in the App Store and Google Play, with thousands of new apps launching every day. The sheer volume of apps makes it extremely difficult for content providers and app developers to get discovered in the sea of apps available in the app store.

Appia’s app install network helps content providers rise above the noise of the millions of apps and acquire loyal, high-value users – and we’ve now done this 75 million times and counting for hundreds of top app developers like Hipmunk and BASH Gaming.

  • Why in your view is the smaller screen a challenging sell?

Appia doesn’t believe the smaller screen is a challenging sell. When you think about it, the smartphone is a device that you carry with you all of the time. People spend 86% of their time on smartphones using apps.

With 1.75 billion smartphone users, the size of the overall market is extraordinary. I think that brands and apps alike have begun to realize the value of investing in mobile as well. Proof of that is evidenced in the projected mobile ad dollars spend reaching $18 billion by the end of this year.

  • How does Appia make this less challenging and more opportunistic?

Ultimately our network is built on a performance-only model. That means you only pay for the installs we deliver. In addition, we give visibility into pockets of traffic that are providing post-install events and higher LTV so advertisers and publishers can capitalize on that return, while also turning off traffic that is experiencing performance challenges. With that level of visibility and ongoing campaign optimization, app discovery becomes less challenging.

  • Does Appia have a preference for incentive-linked ads and promotions vs. those without incentives? Why or why not

Since the launch of Appia’s App Install Network in April 2011, Appia has been a 100% non-incentivized network. We focus on higher lifetime value users, and we have found that non-rewarded installs out-perform incentivized installs from a quality perspective. With incentivized app installs, the user may be more focused on the reward versus the app.

We want to deliver experiences that provide the right target to the right user at the right time using our ad serving technology; versus relying on incentivized-driven advertising.

  • What direction are most of your customers taking at this point, and what are the key reasons?

Our customers continue to focus on performance, and more importantly the value of each install they drive. Performance is even more important than it was six months ago. Mobile marketers continue to be challenged with providing not just volume, but quality as well. That means understanding post-install events and the traffic they were driven from. It isn’t only about driving rankings in Google Play or the App Store, but ensuring you are delivering relevant users to your app with an intent to engage. Appia continues to expand its ad technology, including profile data, to better hone in on that higher LTV user.

  • What’s your headcount now and are you hiring? If so in what areas and what locations?

Our current headcount is in the seventies. We have undergone significant hiring and are currently focused on ensuring that we are utilizing our new staff most effectively.

  • Any further plans for expansion?

We are focused on the next new milestone of 100 million installs as well as continuing to grow our publisher and advertiser partners.

  • How are you doing in terms of revenue growth? Are you profitable? Cash-flow positive?

Because we are privately held, we can’t comment. However, as reported in Q1, Appia ended 2013 with a revenue increase of almost 350%.

  • Are you seeking any new funding at this point?

Not at this time, but we are happy to be backed by $30M in capital from leading venture capital firms including Venrock, Trident Capital, DCM’s A-Fund, Relay Ventures, Eric Schmidt’s TomorrowVentures, the Social Internet Fund, Noro-Moseley Partners, and Wakefield Group.

  • Any thoughts about an IPO?

No comment.