Autify Raises $10M Series A to Advance No-Code AI Testing

Autify Secures $10 Million Series A Funding to Revolutionize Software Testing

Ryo Chikazawa, CEO and co-founder of Autify, observed a consistent challenge throughout his decade-long career as a software engineer spanning Japan, Singapore, and San Francisco: the disproportionate amount of time dedicated to software testing.

In 2016, Chikazawa, alongside Sam Yamashita, initiated Autify in San Francisco. Their goal was to create software testing automation, empowering developers to deliver high-quality software more quickly in today’s dynamic market.

Addressing Industry Challenges with a No-Code Platform

Autify’s platform directly tackles the growing issues of a limited workforce and complex technical hurdles within the testing process through its innovative no-code approach.

The company recently announced the successful completion of a $10 million Series A funding round. These funds will be allocated to accelerate product development, including the launch of native app testing for mobile platforms, and to facilitate global expansion.

This latest investment brings Autify’s total funding to $12.2 million, as stated by Chikazawa. The company operates as a fully remote organization with a team of 30 employees worldwide.

Investment Details and Rationale

World Innovation Lab (WiL) spearheaded the Series A round, with participation from new investors Uncorrelated Ventures and individual investor Jonathan Siegel. Existing investors Archetype Ventures, Salesforce Ventures, and Tably also contributed to the round.

Masaya Kubota, a partner at WiL, highlighted that while many competitors offer low-code solutions, these often fall short in addressing the severe developer shortages prevalent in countries like Japan.

“A no-code solution has the potential to reach a significantly larger global audience,” Kubota explained to TechCrunch.

Democratizing Software Testing

Chikazawa emphasized that traditional software testing automation required coding expertise. Autify’s no-code platform breaks down this barrier, enabling both developers and non-developers to automate testing procedures.

Autify’s core features for both web and mobile applications include parallel cross-browser and multi-device testing, AI-powered auto-repair, and visual regression testing. The platform’s AI intelligently identifies changes in code or UI and automatically adjusts test scenarios. Furthermore, its visual regression capabilities enable automated testing without ongoing maintenance.

Mobile Testing Simplified

The rise of remote work has created challenges for QA teams in preparing and managing mobile devices for manual testing. Autify’s no-code mobile solution allows anyone to create, execute, and automate tests directly within a web browser, eliminating the need for physical devices and complex configurations.

The newly released “Autify for mobile” version aims to significantly boost QA productivity by providing a unified platform for managing testing across both web and native mobile applications.

Existing Customer Base and Market Focus

Autify’s web platform, launched in October 2019, currently serves a diverse range of B2C and B2B SaaS customers, including prominent companies like Unity, DeNA, and ZOZO, across Japan, the U.S., Singapore, and Europe.

The company is presently concentrating its efforts on the U.S. and Japanese markets, with plans for further global expansion.

Kubota noted that Autify’s global vision and strategic go-to-market approach are key strengths. “Rather than tailoring their solution solely to Japanese users, which can hinder global scalability, Autify designed their platform with global standards from the outset.”

A Growing Market Opportunity

Research from Global Market Insights projects the software testing market to grow by $60 billion by 2027.

Chikazawa stated that Autify aims to disrupt the $1.3 trillion global testing market by offering a no-code application for automated testing. He believes Autify’s three-pronged approach – no-code functionality, AI-powered automation, and dedicated customer success – effectively addresses long-standing challenges like labor shortages, high maintenance costs, and technical complexity, all without compromising product quality.

Addressing the Global Developer Shortage

Kubota emphasized that the shortage of developers is a global issue, not limited to Japan. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics forecasts an engineering shortage exceeding 1.2 million by 2026.

Autify’s platform empowers companies across various industries and regions, even those with limited technical resources, to enhance their software development processes.

According to Sensor Tower data cited by the company, global consumer spending on mobile apps reached $111 billion in 2020, representing a 30% year-over-year increase in 2019, and continues to experience rapid growth.