ui-licious Raises $1.5M to Simplify UI Testing - Monk's Hill Ventures

UI-licious Secures $1.5 Million in Pre-Series A Funding

UI-licious, a Singapore-based company focused on streamlining automated user interface testing for web applications, has announced a successful pre-Series A funding round. The startup secured $1.5 million in investment, led by Monk’s Hill Ventures.

These newly acquired funds will be strategically allocated to bolster UI-licious’ product development initiatives and expand its marketing team. This expansion aims to accelerate growth and market reach.

Company Background and Clients

Established in 2016 by Shi Ling Tai and Eugene Cheah, UI-licious caters to a diverse range of organizations, regardless of size. Currently, the company’s client roster includes prominent names such as Daimler, Jones Lang LaSalle, and the tech recruitment platform, Glints.

Image Credits: UI-licious

UI-licious’ co-founders, chief technology officer Eugene Cheah (left) and chief executive officer Shi Ling Tai (right).

Addressing the Challenges of Manual Testing

According to Tai, the chief executive officer of UI-licious, a significant majority – approximately 90% – of software development teams globally still rely on manual testing procedures. This approach is often both time-intensive and financially burdensome.

UI-licious offers a solution by enabling users to create test scripts using pseudocode. This approach utilizes a language closely resembling plain English, making it accessible to individuals with limited programming expertise.

Key Features and Functionality

Software teams can define the frequency at which tests are executed. UI-licious’ unique smart targeting test engine provides compatibility across all major web browsers.

Importantly, the same test scripts can be utilized even when modifications are made to a web application’s user interface or its underlying code. The system also generates comprehensive error reports, minimizing the time required for bug identification and resolution.

A screenshot of UI-licious’ test reporting feature. Image Credits: UI-licious

Differentiating UI-licious from Competitors

When discussing how UI-licious stands apart from other automated user interface testing tools, Tai explained to TechCrunch that coded solutions necessitate a skilled engineer to analyze website code for test script creation.

She highlighted that many software testers lack formal programming training, and sometimes project ownership falls to teams like marketing or sales. While other no-code options exist that allow recording and replaying user actions, these tests often become outdated quickly with UI changes.

UI-licious’ core advantage lies in its accessibility. It empowers anyone to automate UI testing and establish error notifications without requiring coding knowledge. Furthermore, its smart targeting test engine minimizes maintenance efforts when UI code evolves.

Investor Perspective

Justin Nguyen, a partner at Monk’s Hill Ventures, stated in a press release that the co-founders, Shi Ling and Eugene, have developed a product that directly addresses long-standing quality assurance issues within the software automation sector.

He further emphasized that the team’s background as software engineers has provided them with the necessary technical expertise to create a user-friendly and reliable tool. This tool empowers manual testers to automate testing processes and proactively identify bugs before end-users encounter them.