Project A Ventures, a company builder backed by multi-media company Axel Springer and mail order retailer Otto Group, has invested an undisclosed amount of capital in 42matters, a Switzerland-based mobile app discovery technology company. Austrian investor Gamma Capital also participated in the latest deal, which is reported to be in the seven-figure range. Atlantic Ventures is also listed on the company website as an investor.
The deal is strategic to Axel Springer’s core business, which will give it access to new mobile application discovery tools, such as 42 matter’s new app discovery application Playboard for iOS and a relaunch of the website www.playboard.me. The app and the website now also allow iPhone users to discover interesting apps by creating and following custom channels of apps about certain topics created by experts and other users. Playboard for Android is already highly rated app among Android users.
Its future launch of an App Promotion Network for Android apps uses an advanced recommendation algorithm to target app promotions to the users who are most likely to install the app given their profile.
Developers can also use the recently reworked Apps API to access data about mobile apps and search for them too. Currently the service is available for Android and is used by companies including Orange, and Boingo.
With the recently launched App Discovery Suite 42matters is offering its app recommendation platform as a white label solution to carriers and media companies. According to a press release ProSiebenSat.1 Games uses the App Discovery Suite to power mobile game recommendations and is already seeing impressive adoption rates and ratings in Germany.
Founded in May 2011 42matters is a spin-off company of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETHZ).