10 Api Success Stories [2023]
API is the acronym for “application programming interface” and is a software intermediary connecting applications.
More and more companies are adopting a digital business strategy to streamline their operations and provide better customer service.
Many benefits come with using an API, and we’ve compiled a list of the best API businesses today.
Here are some real life success stories of starting a API:
1. Geocode.xyz ($360K/year)
Ervin Ruci, a CS and Math expert, started geocode.xyz in 2016 as a global geoparsing and geocoding API. After seeing a lack of such APIs while in graduate school, Ervin built the first geocode API for Canada in 2004 and eventually expanded it to include the US. The success and demand for the API led to the creation of geocode.xyz, which now has thousands of daily users, over a hundred millions in monthly API calls, and generates revenues of over $15k per month.
How much they make: $360K/year
How much did it cost to start: $10
Current team size: 2
Geocode.xyz, a geolocation API, has grown from thousands of daily users to over a hundred million in monthly API calls to revenues of over $15k per month, showing over 1,000% growth in the past year while providing a geocoding API for the world.
2. Treblle ($60K/year)
Vedran, a developer with years of experience, came up with the idea for Treblle while running a development agency. Frustrated with the time-consuming tasks of providing integration support and writing API documentation, Vedran saw a need for a tool that would streamline these processes. After months of development and testing, Treblle was born and quickly gained traction among clients and developers worldwide. With a seed investment of $1.4 million and over 200 customers, Treblle is poised for future growth and success.
How much they make: $60K/year
Current team size: 2
Treblle is an API management tool that provides real-time API monitoring; with 200 clients to date and a Seed investment round that raised $1.4 million, Treblle is providing developers everywhere with a solution to API discrepancies.
So... can you actually make money with a API?
Of course. There are millions to be made in this industry.
But how?
- Research real, profitable businesses and see exactly how much money they make.
- Study exactly what works, and what doesn’t.
- Take action, because now you have the roadmap.
Join Starter Story and build your next big thing:
3. Tinq.ai ($43.2K/year)
Boulama, the founder of Tinq.ai, came up with the idea for his business while working with his software development company during the pandemic. He noticed the increasing need for businesses to automate processes and saw an opportunity to create an intuitive NLP toolkit. After building a prototype and receiving positive feedback from his clients, he validated the idea and launched Tinq.ai. The platform has since gained traction and achieved $3.5k in revenue with 34 paying customers.
How much they make: $43.2K/year
Current team size: 0
Tinq.ai founder Boulama created a ready-to-use NLP toolkit with products including rewriter, sentiment analysis, entity recognition, and classifier, which recently passed the $3.5k revenue mark with 34 paying customers as of January 27, 2022, without spending a dollar on advertising, instead focusing on regular customer engagement.
4. Scrapingdog ($264K/year)
Manthan Koolwal, founder of Scrapingdog, was inspired by the productivity and entrepreneurship culture in his hometown of Gujarat, India. After completing his B.tech degree, he learned to code and discovered the potential of web scraping. He launched Scrapingdog as an MVP, focusing on SEO and writing quality blog posts to attract customers. Since then, Scrapingdog has grown to generate $22k per month, with Manthan emphasizing the importance of SEO in growing a business.
How much they make: $264K/year
How much did it cost to start: $300
Current team size: 6
Scrapingdog, a web scraping API founded in India by Manthan Koolwal, is making $22k per month and has increased its paid customer base by 15-18% every month, focusing on SEO and quality backlinks to attract customers and achieve a 99% success rate in web scraping.
So... can you actually make money with a API?
Of course. There are millions to be made in this industry.
But how?
- Research real, profitable businesses and see exactly how much money they make.
- Study exactly what works, and what doesn’t.
- Take action, because now you have the roadmap.
Join Starter Story and build your next big thing:
5. Scraper API ($6M/year)
How much they make: $6M/year
Current team size:
SaaS.group acquires Scraper API, the successful data extraction tool generating $400k/mo, signaling growth plans with new hires expected this year.
6. Fomo ($1.08M/year)
Ryan Kulp, a marketer and self-taught developer, acquired a social proof tool called Notify in 2016 and rebranded it as Fomo. Through strategic product-led growth, integrations, and a focus on social proof, Fomo scaled its business by 600% and achieved over $1 million in annual revenue.
How much they make: $1.08M/year
How much did it cost to start: $0
Current team size: 5
Fomo, a social proof tool for eCommerce stores, scaled its original business by 600% and now generates >$1m in annual revenue through product-led growth via integrations and an extensive case study library.
So... can you actually make money with a API?
Of course. There are millions to be made in this industry.
But how?
- Research real, profitable businesses and see exactly how much money they make.
- Study exactly what works, and what doesn’t.
- Take action, because now you have the roadmap.
Join Starter Story and build your next big thing:
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- $1M in software savings
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