Batch Raises $23M to Enhance Customer Engagement

From AppGratis to Batch: A $23 Million Funding Round

Those familiar with the French tech scene may recall AppGratis, a startup that faced abrupt closure after a dispute with Apple.

The team behind AppGratis has since developed Batch, a customer engagement platform that has been quietly growing for several years.

Securing New Funding

Batch recently secured $23 million (€20 million) in a funding round. Expedition Growth Capital led the investment, with participation from Orange Ventures.

A Different Approach: Customer Engagement

Batch represents a significant departure from its predecessor. It now functions as a customer engagement platform, directly competing with companies like Braze and larger enterprise solutions offered by Salesforce, Adobe, Oracle, IBM, and Microsoft.

For those unfamiliar with marketing technology, a customer engagement platform facilitates communication with users.

Origins in Push Notifications

Batch initially began as a managed push notification platform supporting iOS, Android, and web applications.

For example, applications like newspapers, banks, or e-commerce stores often utilize push notifications to deliver information to their users. These notifications can be transactional, such as confirming a money transfer, or promotional, highlighting special offers.

Batch simplifies the management of these notifications on a large scale. It alleviates the burden of managing server capacity and maintaining the push notification infrastructure.

Expanding into a Martech Platform

The platform has evolved beyond simple push notifications to become a comprehensive martech solution.

Batch integrates with existing data sources, including CRM, CDP, and analytics tools. This integration enables users to create targeted segments, orchestrate notifications, and effectively retarget customers.

Impressive Scale and Client Base

Currently, Batch processes 400 billion messages for its 300 enterprise clients.

Notable clients include Le Monde, Le Parisien, Eurosport, BNP Paribas, Société Générale, and Leboncoin, demonstrating the platform’s value to significant organizations.

Future Plans and Growth

The new funding will be allocated to strengthening the company’s internal culture, attracting and retaining talent.

Furthermore, Batch plans to expand its teams in product development, sales, and marketing to accelerate growth and acquire new clients.

Resilience and Future Outlook

Despite the challenges faced with AppGratis, Batch has demonstrated remarkable resilience.

The company is now well-positioned to expand its customer base and further develop its platform, solidifying its place in the competitive martech landscape.