Hyphenate Raises $13.5 Million to Bring Instant Messaging to More Apps
Hyphenate, provider of a cloud platform for embedded Mobile Instant Messaging, today raised a $13.5 million round.
The Series C round was led by Matrix Partners China, who join existing investors from previous rounds such as Sequioia and SIG.
“Matrix Partners China continues to invest in leading edge platforms that deliver strong value to the mobile app ecosystem at scale,” said Michael Zuo, partner at Matrix Partners China. “Hyphenate delivers a proven in app chat solution that allows any app publisher to accelerate community engagement.”
The Silicon Valley company says it will use the additional capital to expand its footprint in the global mobile app ecosystem by enabling any app to integrate chat in a seamless, embedded experience that enhances user engagement and builds communities.
“We are very pleased to be working with our global investment leaders and look forward to leveraging their market expertise and guidance to help Hyphenate drive its next phase of growth,” said Han Dong, vice president of marketing and general manager at Hyphenate. “This is an exciting time at Hyphenate.”
With four million apps available on the Apple App Store and Google Play, the challenge facing today’s developers is creating a sticky and compelling user experience, says Hyphenate. Research has shown that 1 in 4 people abandon a mobile app after only one use. Delivering an in-app chat function is key to creating an experience that leads to more time spent in app, better user retention, and increased ROI, the company says.
“Since our launch of the Hyphenate Mobile Instant Messaging platform earlier this year, we’re now in a strong position to deliver on several company goals that we set out to accomplish—from new offerings to overall company staff growth,” said Dong.Hyphenate’s infrastructure offers high user concurrency, broad scalability, guaranteed message delivery, and is optimized for mobile.
