Plobalapps

About Plobalapps

Plobal Apps operates as a software-as-a-service (SaaS) company, providing a no-code platform for e-commerce businesses to build and manage native mobile applications. Founded in 2014 by Atul Poharkar, the company is headquartered in Pune, India, with a presence in Toronto, Canada. The founding vision emerged when Poharkar and his team, while developing apps for global e-commerce players, recognized that custom app development was prohibitively expensive for most online stores. Poharkar's background includes a Bachelor of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering and prior entrepreneurial experience as a co-founder of iCrave.in, an online tourism guide.

The company's core market consists of direct-to-consumer (D2C) brands and e-commerce stores, particularly those operating on the Shopify and Shopify Plus platforms. Plobal Apps serves a range of clients from mid-market to enterprise-level, including notable brands like Steve Madden, Forever 21, and Goose Creek. The business model is subscription-based, with tiered pricing plans that also incorporate a revenue-sharing component based on in-app sales. This structure allows brands to invest in a mobile channel with lower upfront costs, paying more as the app generates transactions.

Plobal Apps' platform enables merchants to convert their online stores into iOS and Android apps without requiring coding knowledge. Key features include a drag-and-drop editor for app design, real-time synchronization of products and inventory with the Shopify store, and unlimited push notifications for customer engagement. The service focuses heavily on post-launch performance, providing tools for analytics, audience segmentation, and personalized push notification campaigns to drive installs and revenue. By creating an owned marketing channel, the platform helps brands increase customer retention and achieve higher conversion rates compared to mobile websites, addressing challenges like rising customer acquisition costs and data privacy restrictions.

Since its inception, Plobal Apps has secured $14.2 million in total funding over three rounds. A significant seed round in June 2022 raised $8.5 million, co-led by Elevation Capital and Bessemer Venture Partners, to fuel expansion in North America and further product development.