Tag: mobile technology

Mobile commerce firm raises $1 million in funding

| December 16, 2013

Apptive announces additional funds raised

Apptive, a mobile commerce firm based in Texas, has announced that it has raised over $1 million in funding through recent efforts. The firm offers services to those looking to develop their own mobile commerce applications. A growing number of retailers and online merchants are beginning to focus on the mobile sector in order to take advantage of the swell of consumers that have come to populate this sector in recent years.

Consumers are becoming increasingly mobile

With smartphone and tablet devices becoming more common among consumers, retailers have had to change their engagement methods in order to ensure their continued relevancy. As such, many companies have come to take mobile commerce more seriously. Over the past three years, retailers have been dabbling in various mobile solutions that promise to boost their consumer engagement. Few of these solutions have managed to deliver on this promise, however, encouraging retailers to take matters into their own hands.

Apptive seeks expansion

mobile commerce firm raises moneyMany retailers are interested in developing their own mobile commerce platforms. Apptive can assist in this endeavor by providing services that are specifically tailored for such initiatives. The funding that the firm has risen recently will aid in the expansion of its services and assist the firm in establishing new partnerships with merchants operating in the mobile sector.

Partnerships add momentum to Apptive’s allure

Apptive’s Easy App platform officially entered beta testing in the spring of this year. The firm has been seeking out partnerships with companies in order to establish a more formidable presence in the mobile commerce space. Apptive has partnered with Bigcommerce, Colusion, 3dcart, and Shopify and has managed to establish a strong following based on these partnerships. Bigcommerce, for instance, has reported that 70% of its merchants who create an application through Apptive go on to publish the application to their customers, securing a significant financial boost.

Mobile payments firm announces acquisition of new funding

| December 13, 2013

Flint raises $8 million in funding

Flint Mobile, a company that specializes in mobile payments, has announced that it has raised $8 million in Series B funding. Flint is unlike Square and PayPal in that it uses a mobile device’s camera to conduct mobile transactions rather than a peripheral that can scan credit card data. These peripherals have become a popular alternative to NFC technology, which has long formed the backbone of mobile commerce. By avoiding NFC technology, companies like Flint have been able to make mobile commerce more accessible to a wider range of consumers.

Verizon invests in Flint

Flint has not yet released any information concerning its roadmap for the future, but it is likely that the company will begin working with the Digicel Group, which provided a significant amount of the company’s recent funding. Digicel is a mobile service operator with business primarily in the South Pacific. Digicel has big plans for mobile commerce, but may run into competition with Verizon Communications. Verizon has also invested in Flint, pumping an estimated $2 million into the company.

Mobile operators look for alternatives to NFC

Mobile Payments - FlintFlint claims that mobile operators appear to favor its approach to mobile payments. Companies investing in mobile commerce have been looking for new payment services and technologies in order to meet the demands coming from consumers. Many consumers are looking for a simple alternative to NFC-based solutions, which are not accessible to those without NFC-enabled devices. Others simple want a secure platform that they can conduct transactions through. Investing in new services helps mobile operators find services that can meet the interests of consumers.

Flint faces staunch competition

Flint is growing in popularity, but there is no shortage of competition in the mobile commerce space. Other firms are looking to promote their own mobile payments platforms and have also been able to attract healthy attention from investors. Even if Flint manages to overcome the opposition of other startups, it will have to compete with larger companies, like PayPal and Google, if it wants to find success.