Applicast

About Applicast

Applicaster operates as a technology provider in the over-the-top (OTT) streaming economy, offering a platform that simplifies the creation and management of video applications. Founded in 2009 by Jonathan Laor and Neer Friedman, the company initially focused on building custom apps for global media brands. This hands-on experience revealed inefficiencies in traditional app development, such as the difficulty of scaling development efforts and reusing code across different platforms. This insight led to the creation of their flagship product, the Zapp platform.

The company's core offering is Zapp, a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) app management platform. Zapp is designed as a no/low-code tool that enables media companies, broadcasters, and content publishers to build, distribute, and manage direct-to-consumer streaming applications across a variety of devices, including mobile phones, tablets, and connected TVs like Apple TV, Android TV, and Amazon Fire TV. The platform's architecture is open and pluggable, featuring a marketplace of partners and open APIs which allows for customization and integration of third-party services. This structure aims to reduce reliance on developer resources, shorten time-to-market, and allow non-technical team members to customize app elements.

Applicaster's business model is centered on providing its Zapp platform on a subscription basis, generating annual recurring revenue. The company serves a global client base of premium content providers and major media companies, including names like DirecTV, Fox, Viacom, and The Walt Disney Company. By streamlining the app development process, Applicaster helps its clients monetize their media assets and enhance audience engagement through various revenue models, including subscription-based (SVOD), ad-supported (AVOD), and hybrid approaches. The company has secured significant funding to support its growth, raising approximately $67 million over several rounds from investors such as Viola Growth, 83 North, and Pitango.