In a significant development for the no-code space, Blobr, a Paris-based startup, has secured €1.2 million in pre-seed funding to make it easier for companies to expose and monetize their existing APIs.
A Pan-European Investment Round
The investment round is led by Seedcamp, a pan-European pre-seed and seed investor, with participation from New Wave, Kima, and various angel investors. This marks the first investment made by New Wave in Blobr, which has recently closed $56 million in deployable capital from an all-star lineup of investors.
Empowering Non-Technical Professionals
Founded by Alexandre Airvault (CEO) and Alexandre Mai (CTO), Blobr aims to become the default ‘business and product layer’ for APIs. The startup’s no-code technology enables product and business owners to manage and monetize a company’s application programming interfaces without requiring technical knowledge or involving internal engineering resources.
A New Approach to API Management
"We believe companies should stop thinking of APIs as mere pipes and start building them as products to unleash their power," says Airvault. "This means APIs should be priced, customized, and managed with a user-oriented mindset and not only a tech one."
To achieve this vision, Blobr is designed to empower non-technical professionals to ‘make data-sharing a profitable model’ while reducing dependence on technical expertise.
Competitive Landscape
Blobr’s main competitors include API management solutions from Google, IBM, Axway, and MuleSoft. However, Airvault emphasizes that these platforms are tailored for internal APIs and are not optimized for managing APIs as products. In contrast, Blobr is a no-code solution built specifically for product and business people to avoid technical involvement.
New Wave’s First Investment
This investment marks the first time New Wave has invested in Blobr since closing $56 million in deployable capital from top investors like Iliad’s Xavier Niel, Benchmark’s Peter Fenton, and Apple’s Tony Fadell.
Key Features of Blobr
- Filter confidential information or GDPR-related data from existing internal APIs
- Deliver different API output depending on customer segmentation to expose only necessary data
- Link API usage to usage-based business models or a monthly subscription in Stripe
Conclusion
With this significant investment, Blobr is poised to revolutionize the way companies manage and monetize their APIs. By empowering non-technical professionals with no-code technology, Blobr is set to drive innovation in the data exchange market.
Related Developments
- Nelly raises $51 million to digitalize medical practices across Europe
- Nvidia backs MetAI, a Taiwanese startup that creates AI-powered digital twins
- Google’s NotebookLM had to teach its AI podcast hosts not to act annoyed at humans
These developments highlight the growing importance of no-code solutions in the tech industry. As companies continue to seek innovative ways to manage and monetize their data, Blobr is well-positioned to meet this need.
Future Outlook
With its significant investment and competitive edge, Blobr is set to become a leading player in the API management space. The startup’s focus on empowering non-technical professionals will undoubtedly drive innovation and growth in the industry.
About the Author
Steve O’Hear is a seasoned technology journalist with extensive experience covering European startups, companies, and products. His expertise and insights provide valuable context for understanding the tech industry and its latest developments.
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