The do-it-yourself application for iPhone, iPad and Android devices is finally arrived. The idea is the brainchild of two developers (and students of the Polytechnic of Turin) - Daniele Pelleri and Luigi Giglio - supported by the graphic expert Martina Pelleri. The three young guys presented to the Italian public a novelty at European level. AppsBuilder is an amazing and innovative online platform that allows to create, in just three easy steps, customized applications for iPhone, iPad and Android smartphones, tablets and web apps. The service is innovative, simple and immediate allowing to turn any website into a mobile application to people who have little or no computer skills.
AppsBuilder is a service designed for internet users who want to create a mobile application. An innovative technology that can be used by anyone to transform any website into apps. The platform allows to publish and distribute apps on the main app stores (Apple, Android, and soon also Windows) and to optimize the visualization of the website content in the navigation on mobile devices.
It can be used by individual users as well as by web agencies who want to accompany their clients in migrating to the mobile world. The service is available in two versions: free of charge for those who choose to host an advertising banner run by AppsBuilder on their apps, or, alternatively, an adv-free version at a monthly cost of €15 for those who do not want advertisement or prefere to manage the platform independently.
It can be used by individual users as well as by web agencies who want to accompany their clients in migrating to the mobile world. The service is available in two versions: free of charge for those who choose to host an advertising banner run by AppsBuilder on their apps, or, alternatively, an adv-free version at a monthly cost of €15 for those who do not want advertisement or prefere to manage the platform independently.
AppsBuilder and Wordpress
AppsBuilder has developed an innovative plugin for WordPress, the leading platform for creating blogs with over 30 million sites created in the world just with its version 3.0. It is the first plugin in the world that allows bloggers and site administrators to convert their contents into native applications (ready for publication on stores) for Apple, Android and in web-apps. The service is totally free and self-service, and can be implemented through a very simple and intuitive process.
The Mobile Market
The market for mobile apps represents a fast growing and rapidly changing phenomenon, with more than 500,000 downloaded apps per hour and intensive use of these digital products by users (22 applications installed on average by each holder of smartphones and about 3 hours of time, on a daily basis, spent on applications use, source Borrell). According to a research of Gartner, as of this year 2011 revenues of app stores will exceed 15.1 billion dollars, an increase of 190% compared to 5.2 billion in 2010. It is also foreseen, on a global scale, that in 2011 downloads from apps stores will exceed 17.7 billion, an increase of 117% compared to 2010 and that by 2014 more than 185 million applications will be downloaded with respect to July 2008, the date of lunch of the Apple Store.
Based on this premises, Daniele Pelleri and Luigi Giglio launched the beta version on their server on November 2010, and in just a month recorded 2,400 user registrations and the creation of 1,800 apps. Based on the feedback, from well-known Italian and international blogs, they went on in seeking financial support in order to propose AppsBuilder on a large-scale. In Annapurna Ventures they have found the ideal a partner to provide them the needed skills to launch the company and make of AppsBuilder service that can meet in a simple, convenient and time-efficient manner a strongly growing demand. Therefore, there is to bet that AppsBuilder has all the credentials to became a major player to access the mobile market."
The investment of Annapurna Ventures
The two founders of AppsBuilder, Daniele Pelleri and Luigi Giglio were still students of computer science at the Polytechnic of Turin when they came up with the idea to realize a useful software to create, in few steps, an application for iPhone, iPad and Android devices. A hybrid business model with advertising or without it but at a monthly cost. Before to finish their studies they started to test the software for smartphone and tablet. Their passion paved the way to entrepreneurship. Many companies ask for customized apps, perhaps because they want their brand on a store, or are interested in exploring other channels of innovation. During last summer they launched the digital workshop, just for fun: in a few weeks 2,000 people signed up. A group specializing in home automation, Creston Electronics, has mounted its application to merge the messages published on their online social network, such as Facebook and Twitter. The way to becoming entrepreneurs was short: the two students of the University of Piedmont showed the results to potential investors and received the support of Annapurna Ventures, a group specializing in helping innovative startups, founded by Massimiliano Magrini, former country manager of Google Italy.
At Annapurna Ventures "we realized since our first meeting with the two founders, Daniele Pelleri and Luigi Giglio, the potential of their breakthrough idea in terms of technological innovation, identifying in the scalability of the project a key element," said Massimiliano Magrini, CEO of Annapurna Ventures." AppsBuilder is easily exportable and can be used globally without any problem. Furthermore, the investor likes the environment around mobile apps and considers the mobile market strategic in its investment activities.