InMobi ties up with China's APUS for global growth

Mobile advertising platform InMobi has partnered with China's APUS Group, that customises Android software, a move that will enable the Indian firm reach 500 million new users in China and other countries by 2016. InMobi, which competes with the likes of Facebook and Google in the global mobile advertising market, has become APUS' first global partner for monetisation. While InMobi will assist APUS in establishing a larger footprint in India, the Chinese company will help InMobi gain access to more than 200 million additional users across the APUS user system with exclusive access to all its users.

Currently, APUS has 200 million users worldwide and the number is expected to grow to 300 million by the end of the year and further to 500 million by 2016-end. "With five popular Android apps that span across launcher, browsers, booster, flashlight and a messaging center in its portfolio, APUS is looking to make a significant foray into the Indian market that is expected to have more than 369 million smartphone users by 2018," a statement said. APUS' flagship product allows Android operating system users to customise their smartphone home screens.

The Chinese company aims to acquire more than 80 million users in India by 2016. InMobi will provide expertise to APUS to help them understand the Indian market and will aid user acquisition programmes, including providing guidance towards localising the APUS app experience and acquiring the right talent, it said. "The collaboration is aimed at propelling APUS into becoming the leading Android user system in India by the end of 2015 and acquiring more than 80 million users in India by 2016," it said.

Set up in 2007, InMobi reaches one billion monthly active users and over 30,000 publishers. It is backed by investors like SoftBank, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and Sherpalo. "We are happy to partner with APUS and introduce a new, user-friendly monetisation opportunity to one of the largest Android app developers from China," InMobi co-founder and CEO Naveen Tewari said.

He added that this is expected to be the start of an exciting chapter on how Indian and Chinese companies can partner for impressive and rapid growth. "While we have grown quickly worldwide in the past year, we think the opportunity that exists in India is still largely untapped and will lead the third wave of significant mobile growth. With InMobi, we believe we have the best partner who can help us win in this market," APUS group founder and CEO Li Tao said.