BERLIN, GERMANY--(Marketwired - May 5, 2014) - Software testing leader uTest rebranded today as Applause. The company also announced its entry into the EU market by acquiring top German crowdtesting company, Testhub, which will become the European headquarters for Applause operations. The multi-million Euro deal consists of a combination of cash and equity and, as part of the acquisition, Berlin Technologie Holding (BTH) becomes a strategic investor in Applause EU.
"We're very proud of what Testhub has achieved, and joining forces with uTest -- now Applause -- is a great scenario and a phenomenal opportunity to combine global reach with European expertise," said Testhub CEO, Jan Wolter. "We believe in building long-term relationships with our customers to help them launch consistently high-quality apps. That's what we've done as Testhub and what we will do even better as Applause EU."
In the next month, Testhub will transition to Applause EU and make additional hires in several key markets. Then the team will begin marketing, selling and delivering the Applause app quality offerings:
- In-the-wild testing services - real-world testing for web, desktop and mobile apps across the entire product lifecycle, including functional, usability, load and localization testing
- Mobile SDK - free tool that enables build distribution, crash & bug reporting, and user feedback on iOS, Android and Windows Phone apps
- Mobile analytics - advanced analytics from all the major app stores so companies can listen more effectively to user feedback and sentiment about app quality
- 360° app quality dashboard - ties app quality data together, providing technology leaders with an integrated view of app quality, from pre-launch to post-launch
In addition to being an investor in Applause EU, Berlin Technologie Holding will serve as an advisor and facilitator, connecting the company with local market expertise and future customer demand.
"Testhub is the first crowdtesting startup to successfully exit -- and it's joining the company that created the entire crowdtesting category," added BTH Managing Partner, Joern-Carlos Kuntze. "This sends a clear message to the German market about Testhub's success, and positions Applause as the clear leader in the European crowdtesting space."
The decision to acquire Testhub came after several months of discussions, and only after all the EU crowdtesting players had been researched and evaluated.
"Testhub stood out because they were building the right way -- by focusing on their customers and employees. They're closely aligned with the values and philosophy that we held in building uTest, and carry forward into Applause," said Applause Chief Marketing & Strategy Officer, Matt Johnston. "The Testhub team truly understands the European market -- including localization, fragmentation and data security -- and this move demonstrates our commitment to delivering robust, secure, world-class service to European customers."
The acquisition comes the same day the company re-brands from uTest to Applause. The company had previously announced this expanded 360° app quality offering and rebrand was in the works.
"Web and mobile applications -- and the quality of those digital experiences -- are now the gateway to brands and businesses. This new ideal of 360° app quality is the best way for companies to differentiate themselves, and win in the highly competitive apps economy," said Johnston. "And modern app quality is no longer just a developer or QA problem; it's a CIO problem, a marketing problem, a sales problem and a CEO problem."
The need for companies to incorporate app quality data will continue to increase in importance. And this need can only be addressed by a 360° approach to app quality.
"Organizations need to constantly gather user feedback and feed that data back into their application lifecycle to continuously enhance quality," said Peter Marston from research firm, IDC. "Given the importance of quality, this practice of application quality management (AQM) will need specific, efficiently dedicated resources from companies if they wish to stay ahead of competitors."
Since launching as uTest in 2008, Applause has achieved many milestones, including:
- Raising funding of $80MM -- including a $43MM E Round, led by Goldman Sachs in January 2014
- Winning awards for innovation and growth from expert sources like Gartner, Forbes, and Inc.
- Growing to 160 employees in North America and Europe
- Increasing its company footprint from its Boston headquarters to locations in San Francisco, New York City and Seattle, as well as the new Applause EU headquarters in Berlin
- Growing 4-year revenues by more than 4000%
Combining uTest's track record with Testhub's, Applause is the largest, most mature crowdtesting player in the EU. This provides European customers with an unmatched breadth and reliability of testing solutions:
- 7+ years combined in the market - Nearly 3X longer than any other crowdtesting players
- 140,000+ testers from 200 countries & territories - More testers and locations covered than all other players combined
- 1,000,000+ test reports - More than 4X the combined total of the other players
- 50K+ test cycles - 4X more than all the other players combined
- Only crowdtesting firm with thousands of customers - Including Deutsche Telekom, Google, Microsoft, Marks & Spencer, BBC, Brainloop and Booking.com
- Only crowdtesting firm that pays out millions of Euro to its tester community each quarter
About Applause
Launched in 2008 as uTest, Applause is leading the app quality revolution by enabling companies to deliver digital experiences that win -- from web to mobile to wearables and beyond. By combining in-the-wild testing services, software tools and analytics, Applause helps companies achieve the 360° app quality they need to thrive in the modern apps economy. Thousands of companies -- including Google, Fox, Amazon, Box, Concur and Runkeeper -- choose Applause to launch apps that delight their users. Learn more at www.applause.com.
About Berlin Technologie Holding (BTH)
BTH is a Berlin-based growth investment firm with a focus on mobile Internet and technology. BTH provides growth capital and active management support to drive business and scale operations. In doing so, BTH leverages its portfolio companies, such as Sevenval, a leading mobile technology company, to capture synergies and jointly manage a broad client base. Learn more at www.berlinholding.com
Contact Information:
Nick Lorenzen
nlorenzen@applause.com