Appia, which has already helped drive more than 70 million mobile app installs, is now laying the groundwork to broaden its reach even more.
The Durham startuplaunched on Wednesday a self-service tool for app and game developers allowing them to sign up and run ads to help their app get discovered. An independent developer or a student in a dorm room could sign up with Appia and be ready to run ads for their app the same day.
“With this release we’re basically opening the floodgates up to anyone,” CEO Jud Bowman said.
Appia calls itself a “mobile user acquisition network” and bills itself as the second largest such network behind only Facebook.
With the proliferation of apps, the main problem for developers is getting discovered by users. Appia connects developers to global advertisers to help bring visibility to their apps. Appia says more than 100 advertisers use Appia.
Appia’s growth is supported by $10 million in debt financing secured last year. Appia makes money by showing ads for apps. The company finished 2013 with more than 69 million app installs in more than 200 countries. Privately-held Appia doesn’t disclose revenue but Bowman said Appia’s 2013 revenue was with a 350 percent year over year revenue increase. Appia’s headcount now tops 80 and the company currently has seven open positions including data scientist as well as posts in advertising and business development.
To date, Appia’s business growth has come from working with large publishers as well as large apps and ad networks. But Bowman said that the company had not reached individuals who are developing apps and games on their own. Bowman calls the self-service option the “next evolution” of what Appia offers.
Besides opening up Appia to a broader range of developers, the new self-service option also streamlines what had been a longer, multi-step process. Before, a developer would have to talk to Appia’s business development team, negotiate a contract and work through technical documentation. The new offering now automates the process.
The self-service tool is intended to make using Appia easier for a broader range of app developers. In making it easier for developers to use Appia, the company aims to grow the company’s business in a big way.
“For us, it’s all about scale,” Bowman said. “We’re trying to get bigger even faster.”
