Yapp (mobile application)

Yapp is a self-service online platform that allows users to create mobile event applications with no coding knowledge.[2][3] The product was launched out of beta by its founders Maria Seidman and Luke Melia in 2012.[4]

Yapp
Developer(s)Yapp Inc
Initial releaseNovember 2012
Operating systemiOS, Android[1]
Typeapplication framework
Websitewww.yapp.us

History

edit

Yapp was founded in 2011 when co-founder Maria Seidman first attempted to look for software and tools for non-technical people to create affordable mobile apps. She realized there was not an easy way for non-technical people to create an affordable mobile app with ease.[5] Seidman was formerly the Vice President of Digital Distribution at Warner Bros.[6][7] She found partner Luke Melia through the New York CTO Club, later he wrote the first line of code for Yapp in June 2011.

In 2012, Melia and Seidman presented a working prototype of Yapp at the New York Tech Meetup.[8][9] Yapp opened in private beta in March 2012 and to the public in November 2012.[10]

The company gained early success with clients including Verizon Wireless and WorldVentures to organize training and employee events regionally for their network bootcamps and events.[11][12] Later in the year it added few more clients to including EdCamp, Duke University, BlogHer, Westfield High School, X Prize Foundation, the Innovation Partnership Program, and others. Yapp is based in New York City and is part of the Silicon Alley tech boom.[13] The company launched with an undisclosed amount of seed funding from Kleiner Perkins, North Bridge Venture Partners, Cue Ball and other individual investors.[14]

While originally launched as a free service,[4] in November 2014, Yapp introduced paid service tiers called Yapp Plus.[15][16] In 2014, Seidman was named Entrepreneur Magazine's Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year for her work on Yapp.[17][18]

Products

edit

Yapp has two major products Yapp Online Editor, a template-based editor on the web and Yapp app, hosted on users’ mobile devices through the mobile app Yapp.[2] When apps are published, they are attached to a link that can be used to download the app on a mobile device. The apps are not published to the iTunes or Google Play app stores directly and are downloaded using a shortlink generated from the online editor.[19] Yapp's online editor and mobile app are built using Ember.js, an open-source JavaScript application framework.

Business model

edit

Yapp runs a freemium model and creates white-label products for companies and organizations based on the Yapp mobile app.[20] The apps are custom designed and maintained in the Apple and Google Play app stores by Yapp.

References

edit
  1. ^ Hollie Slade (6 December 2013). "Running A Startup From Home: The Good, The Bad And The Ugly". Forbes. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
  2. ^ a b ALYSON SHONTELL (4 April 2012). "Yapp Is A Dead Simple Way To Make A Mobile App Without Writing A Line Of Code". Businessinsider. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
  3. ^ Ryan Lawler (4 April 2012). "Yapp lets anyone create a mobile app for events". Gigaom. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
  4. ^ a b Jordan Crook (13 November 2012). "Let The App Creation Era Begin: Yapp Events App Builder Launches Out Of Beta". Techcrunch. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
  5. ^ "Maria Seidman, CEO, Yapp". Retrieved 23 August 2015.
  6. ^ Nitasha Tiku (6 April 2012). "Yapp Founder and CEO Maria Seidman On Raising a Seed Round and Launching While Pregnant". Observer.com. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
  7. ^ Jordan Crook (18 June 2012). "Yapp Founder Maria Seidman On The Rise Of App Creation And Being A Pregnant Founder". Techcrunch. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
  8. ^ Michael del Castillo (20 March 2012). "A Yapp Made in Heaven". Bizjournals. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
  9. ^ ""March" 2012 NY Tech Meetup". Meetup. 28 February 2012. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
  10. ^ Seth Fiegerman (13 November 2012). "Yapp Lets You Build Apps for Any Event". Mashable. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
  11. ^ "What the Tech?! Verizon Vehicle". Retrieved 23 August 2015.
  12. ^ "WorldVentures". Retrieved 23 August 2015.
  13. ^ "Made in NY™ – Maria Seidman, CEO & Co-Founder of Yapp". 24 May 2013. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
  14. ^ Leena Rao (4 April 2012). "Yapp Raises Funding From Kleiner Perkins To Allow Anyone To Create Mobile Apps For Events". Techcrunch. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
  15. ^ "Introducing Yapp Plus". 20 November 2014. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
  16. ^ "Try Yapp For Event Management". Retrieved 23 August 2015.
  17. ^ JENNA SCHNUER (20 January 2015). "Meet the Winners of Our Entrepreneur of 2014 Awards". Entrepreneur. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
  18. ^ Carly Okyle (21 March 2015). "Emerging Entrepreneur of 2014 Winner: 'We've Had Many, Many Failures'". Retrieved 23 August 2015.
  19. ^ KATHERINE BOEHRET (27 November 2012). "Using a Self-Made App for Family Ping-Pong". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
  20. ^ Karen A. Frenkel. "GETTING HITCHED? HOSTING A CONFERENCE? THIS DIY APP FOR YOUR BIG EVENTS TAKES 15 MINUTES TO MAKE". Fastcompany.com. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
edit