DWNLD

About DWNLD

DWNLD, founded in 2012 by Alexandra Keating and Fritz Lanman, offers a platform that transforms existing web content into native mobile applications for iOS and Android. Keating, with a background in marketing from Thrillist Media and the founder of the fundraising platform GoFundraise, brought her entrepreneurial and media expertise to her role as CEO. Lanman, a former Microsoft executive and an early-stage investor, served as the company's Chairman. The inspiration for the company came from a desire to simplify the mobile content consumption experience.

The company's core product is a service that allows media companies, brands, and influencers to create and customize their own mobile apps without needing any coding knowledge. The platform scrapes content from a user's website and formats it into a native app, which can then be submitted to the Apple App Store and Google Play. Publishers can manage their app's content through a proprietary content management system. The service initially targeted the fashion, lifestyle, and media industries, with clients including celebrities, major fashion bloggers, and digital media companies.

DWNLD's business model operates on a subscription basis. It initially launched with a $15 per month fee for its service. Over time, the company introduced a tiered subscription model, including a free tier to lower the barrier to entry for app creation, as well as premium tiers offering enhanced features like advanced analytics and custom advertising opportunities. The company's revenue is generated from these subscription fees. The platform aims to make mobile app development more accessible and affordable, a process that would typically cost thousands of dollars through a traditional development studio.

The New York-based startup secured significant funding to fuel its growth. DWNLD raised $2 million in seed funding by its launch in 2014 from backers including William Morris Endeavor, The Chernin Group, and Crunchfund. This was followed by a substantial $12 million Series A round in 2015 led by Greylock Partners, which brought the total funding to $14 million and added John Lilly from Greylock to DWNLD's board. This capital was intended to help the company expand into new verticals and enhance its monetization tools for publishers.