Founded: 2006
Sector: Office 2.0, Collaboration, API Marketization
Headquarters: San Francisco, CA
Management: Josh Kopelman, Chairman, Oren Michels, CEO, Scott Rafer, Co-Founder/Director, Clay Loveless, Alpha Geek (Full bios on site)
Funding: First Round Capital, Lead. Other investors include Jeff Clavier, Ron Conway, Scott Kurnit, Ravi Mhatre, Rajeev Motwani, Geoff Ralston and David Rose.
Secret Sauce: What a good idea! But if you don’t know an API from an AFI or an FBI you may get lost in the world of Mashery. That’s where I step in to save the day and tell you what’s what. At least I’m going to try. An API is an Application Programming Interface – it allows outside programmers to interact with a proprietary software system. A software company that allows access to its API gains developer interest and access, giving that software an edge in the market. A great example is Salesforce – who have opened their API to more than a few developers and even hosts a developer program to help them integrate. Salesforce now becomes infinitely customizable (therefore more attractive in a competitive market) Keep in mind that all this developer outreach costs Salesforce tons of money and that’s what Mashery intends to address.
When an API is released to the ‘public’ it is generally considered “open”, also known as free. Managing an API release is essentially a laborious, redundant process and each company does it themselves, at their own cost. Mashery offers a solution – a platform for API management with access to an established developer community, allowing companies to sell access to their APIs – think API Hollywood agent. API vendors pay for the tracking/selling/access service ($10 – $12K per year) and Mashery gets you customers. Billing and security are also offered as premium features. The team that brings this seriously cool idea to the table is impressive as well and I for one am not doubting for a second that Mashery is headed for the big time.
Seen and Heard: Programmable Web reports: “As “offering an API” becomes a checklist item that most online services will be expected to offer, there will be a growing demand for help in making these APIs successful.” And even though Forbes.com says that “Mashery’s product is far from, well, sexy” they admit that “Opening up these software hooks is something of a zeitgeist in technology circles these days.”
