AppOnboard, a Los Angeles-based startup that enables users to test out apps before buying them, has raised $15 million in funding from a group of investors led by Breakaway Growth Fund. New investors Tiller Partners and Rainier Partners also participated in this round along with existing investors Manta Ray Ventures, Runa Capital, Korea Investment Partners, Mirae Asset Management, MTGx, Troy Capital Partners, and 500 Startups.
What attracted the investors to AppOnboard to this round is the company’s rapid growth and increasing global demand for AppOnboard’s App Store Demos product along with the company’s app demo platform.
Photo: AppOnboard
“We live in an era where users expect everything to be on-demand and at their fingertips, whether that is music, film and TV, transportation, food, home services, and more,” said AppOnboard CEO Jonathan Zweig in a statement. “Apps are the final piece of digital media that are not currently on-demand, and we are excited to work with partners across the ecosystem to help solve this and power the on-demand revolution with our app demo technology.”
AppOnboard is working with global developers to quickly get to market with Google Play Instant apps through its App Store Demos product. And now top global app publishers are using leveraging AppOnboard app demo technology and tools for creating and launching app demos fast and effectively. In the past, top developers had to commit internal engineering resources to create apps in a smaller size.
Breakaway Growth Fund’s investment in AppOnboard was strategic. Breakaway’s partners have experience in mobile, gaming, and enterprise platforms and can help AppOnboard with its accelerate global growth plans. Breakaway Growth Fund is co-led by Paul Heydon and Chris Albinson. And Heydon was an early investor in AppOnboard along with being an angel investor in mobile gaming company Supercell and gaming engine Unity. Heydon is also joining AppOnboard’s Board of Directors.
“The entire app store paradigm is about to change dramatically, and AppOnboard is perfectly positioned for this disruption,” added Heydon. “With its patented app demo technology and tools, users will now be able to experience their apps and games on-demand and without an install across various platforms, starting with Google.”
AppOnboard is planning to expand globally in Europe and Asia with this funding round. Specifically, the company is going to expand to Seoul. AppOnboard is partnered with global developers such as Glu Mobile, FoxNext, Jam City, Game Insight, Huuuge Games, Kongregate, Simple Habit, and Seriously. The company offers a 30-day free trial for its App Store Demos product to any new app developer looking to build and launch a Google Play Instant app on the Google Play store.
