SweetLabs

About SweetLabs

SweetLabs, Inc., founded in 2008 by Darrius Thompson and Mark Chweh, operates as a software distribution company with offices in San Diego and Seattle. The company initially gained traction with its OpenCandy advertising network, which provided software recommendations during application installations and powered over 400 million installs by 2011. SweetLabs secured a total of $21.5 million in venture capital across three funding rounds, with major investors including Intel Capital, Google Ventures, and Bessemer Venture Partners. Its last major funding event was a Series C round of $13 million in September 2011.

The company's business model centers on creating and distributing applications that enhance device usability and personalization, primarily serving software developers and device manufacturers (OEMs). SweetLabs developed an App Install Platform that allows OEMs on Windows and Android to move beyond the static preloading of software, often called "crapware." This platform provides a dynamic way to recommend and deliver applications to users in real-time throughout the device's lifecycle. This approach helps manufacturers increase margins and improve customer satisfaction by offering relevant software based on factors like geography, language, and device type. Revenue is generated through this app install service, where SweetLabs shares advertising revenue with the device manufacturers.

A key product from SweetLabs was Pokki, launched in 2011. Pokki was a platform and app store for PCs that notably restored the Start Menu functionality to Windows 8. It allowed users to discover and launch web and desktop apps, providing a mobile-like app experience on the desktop with features like one-click installation and real-time notifications. For developers, Pokki offered a new distribution channel, enabling them to build desktop applications using standard web technologies like HTML5. While successful in partnering with major OEMs like Lenovo, Acer, and Toshiba, Pokki and the associated OpenCandy module were also classified as adware or potentially unwanted programs (PUPs) by some antivirus vendors due to their methods of software bundling and advertising.