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Tuesday, August 17, 2010
The Pitch
Mobile app maker Appito.me combines speed and customization
By Lynette F. Cornell
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MHT's Julie Donnelly: Biotechs lag in social media use
Appito.me
Headquarters: Brookline
Phone: 413-648-7734
Email: rdandage@appito.me
URL: www.appito.me
Year founded: 2010
Employees: 3
The pitch: Business partnerships
In the company’s own words:
“Small businesses today can no longer rely on direct mail or magazine ads to make sales. They need to engage their customers and build brand loyalty. Some have started to use Twitter, Facebook and other social sites to to do this, but we believe that the next wave is going to be mobile. Businesses that don’t have a mobile app will be left behind, just like businesses that didn’t embrace the Internet a decade ago. For the price of a daily cup of coffee, local restaurants/real estate agents/bands/etc. can have their own app in the app store that their customers can download for free – giving them the marketing power of big companies.”
Background:
The founders of Appito.me have developed a software program that automates the mobile application development process using previously constructed components common to each industry’s needs. These components can be reused and customized for individual mobile applications, reducing the cost associated with making custom components from scratch each time.
The technology:
When signing up for a custom mobile app from Appito.me, a customer goes to the website and selects their industry classification and then chooses the components and features they want included for their app. The developers at Appito.me then take the industry-specific application shell they have previously created and run it through Appito.me’s app development software, which adds all of the selected features. The software produces both an Android and iPhone app that the user can then make available to their customers. The application itself is free to create, but the user must pay a monthly fee to update the app’s content, using Appito.me’s website. This fee ranges from $39.95 for a music and entertainment industry app to $159.95 for college and university apps.
People behind the company:
Raj Dandage, Appito.me’s founder, previously co-founded and sold Framingham-based Cognate Technologies. Don Hutchinson, principal, formerly co-founded Delta Dental of Massachusetts and served as CEO of Cramer Electronics and IDL Systems. Jon Aronson, principal, was a co-founder of VerdePC, an environmentally-friendly computer provider, and Adminicle Technologies, an Andover-based IT consulting firm.
The market:
Appito.me is pursuing the mobile application market, which Dandage estimates at $20 million annually.
The competition:
Dandage said there are a few competing companies, such as iSites, that allow small businesses to develop their own mobile applications. The results, said Dandage, are cookie-cutter apps with all of the same features. The advantage of Appito.me’s apps, said Dandage, is that they have features that are specific to the individual client’s industry, thereby giving users a more fulfilling experience.
The pitch:
The company is currently profitable enough to grow at the pace it is seeking. It is looking to build strategic alliances with companies that work closely with small businesses in local markets. The types of businesses that Appito.me is interested in partnering with include review sites, like Yelp, and ordering sites that work with local restaurants, such as DiningIn. Other potential partners are small Internet design firms with local clients and deal sites, such as Groupon.
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