Apperian continues to evolve in a complex, changing mobile world. Today the Boston-based app platform and management startup says it has raised new money from Intel Capital. The strategic investment—about $4 million, by my count—should help Apperian ramp up sales and marketing to more enterprises that are dealing with the IT onslaught of BYOD (bring your own device).
What’s at stake with Apperian could be the future of mobile security and management at the application level, rather than just the device level. That’s an extension of Apperian’s previous focus on building a platform for enterprise app creation and distribution. Big banks, insurance companies, and real estate firms have to deal with securing thousands of employees’ mobile devices and data, as well as creating, deploying, and managing apps on those devices. Apperian is trying to be a one-stop shop for handling all those concerns.
It’s a big challenge, though. Apperian seems to be doing fine, with self-reported growth in revenues and customers in 2012. CEO David Patrick told me in September that the firm was going through a big transition with its sales and marketing team, stepping up its efforts to land big customers. “We’ll be well set up for 2013,” he said at the time.
The company has raised a total of $28 million since its founding in early 2009, led by venture investors Bessemer Venture Partners, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, and North Bridge Venture Partners. Intel Capital could be an interesting strategic partner for the startup, especially as chipmaker Intel moves deeper into mobile devices for its core business.
