The Evolution of Native Apps Continues – How Nami Helps Publishers Make More Money!

I first met Dan and Joe in 2013 on a quest to add push notifications, mobile advertising and location data to the Responsys platform. I was so impressed with their enterprise solution, PushIO that we started the acquisition process. During the final stages of that transaction by Responsys in late 2013, Oracle announced the acquisition of Responsys.  While the announcement delayed the transaction, it was ultimately completed in 2014 because of the strategic nature that mobile, mobile data and advertising played in the Oracle data and marketing cloud vision.  The rest is history -- including having a front row seat to the Oracle M&A activity that included the subsequent acquisition of BlueKai and Datalogix. It has, in many ways, guided my investment strategy and career choices subsequently.  While we have all moved on from that incredible experience, my friendship with and respect for Dan and Joe, as successful entrepreneurs and leaders, continues.  Dan and Joe are mobile guys to the core, both having spent time at Apple and subsequently starting and building several successful companies.  Their journeys and successes very much mirror the evolution of native apps themselves; Here’s how and why I’m so excited about the next chapter in this journey. 

In 2008, Dan recognized the forthcoming emergence and proliferation of native apps. In fact, he was so passionate about the promise of apps that he quit his job at Apple to start Double Encore, a mobile app development agency.  Dan and his team grew Double Encore into a top-tier mobile development agency that counted JetBlue, NBA, PGA, Fox and Major League Soccer as some of its largest clients.  Double Encore (rebranded Possible Mobile) was acquired by WPP in 2014 and still prospers today.  It was during this time at Double Encore, that Dan also recognized that once these apps were launched, marketers and brands needed a way to communicate and engage with their users in relevant ways.  So, in 2009, he along with Joe, founded PushIO.  Leveraging the strong relationships built at Double Encore, this enterprise class push notification provider alerted app users with relevant messages including score updates, program and new movie releases, important talent trades and team statistics and relevant offers and specials.  Over the next few years, PushIO powered billions of notifications, and mobile advertising efforts on hundreds of millions of devices, in concert with email, text messages, display and mobile advertising. The results were both impressive and powerful. 

Since leaving Oracle, Dan and Joe have been thinking about what’s next.  Not surprisingly, they have recognized that native apps are at an inflection point and the journey is not complete.  The emergence of privacy concerns, information overload and revenue pressures has required marketers and app developers to not only be more transparent, but to create more value within the app experience.  Let’s face it --  putting privacy and the customer experience front and center has never been more important for app developers and Apple made that abundantly clear during its annual developer conference just this week.  As a result, we are entering a sea of change for sure and publishers need new ways to engage users and make more money!  In fact, it is a Native app Tsunami or “Nami” for short as Dan and Joe describe it.  This seismic and difficult shift will require new and intelligent solutions but the data, tools and technologies (including machine learning and AI) now make that possible – say hello to Nami ML.  

“Fewer than 3,000 apps are making any real money on the app stores!”

Nami ML’s mission will be focused on helping publishers to better understand, engage and up-sell their users via deeper insights and timely relevant in-app experiences derived from machine learning.  Nami ML’s real-time engine predicts which users are likely to upgrade (without building a list of users and without using any PII) thus staying true to their commitment in creating positive experiences and while respecting the user and their privacy.  It’s a solution whose time has come and is certain to drive results and value for both users and app publishers alike.

I’m very excited about Nami ML, and that is why I’ve decided to invest.  Dan and Joe are two great entrepreneurs who have dedicated their careers to helping app publishers build, communicate and elevate both the experience and revenue opportunities within their native apps.  

To read more about Nami ML check out the announcement to a packed house at Apple’s World Wide Developers Conference this week:

Nami ML Emerges from Stealth to Unveil the Future of Mobile App Subscriptions

If you’re an app publisher looking to take the next step in this evolving journey by leveraging real-time machine learning to drive incremental revenue opportunities – DM me for a demo…I’m confident you will join the tidal wave.  

Til Next Time,

Michael