Building the next mobile experience
Appolica is a leading software development company with a focus on mobile applications. We have been working with many start-ups and established brands, such as KBC, Tide, PostBank, OnTheMarket, AT&T, etc. Our portfolio is full of winners – and we want it to stay that way. One of the things that we take great pride in and that makes us stand out is that we put our hearts and souls into the products we build, as if they were our own.
We don’t just build new products – we look into our clients’ whole business concept and help them develop it even further. We expect nothing but excellency from ourselves, so we encourage constant research, growth & usage of new technologies and tools.
Our mantra is – "If there is a better way to do something, find it and use it!"
Focus
Recommended Providers
Portfolio
Tide
Tide is a British fintech startup which presents limited companies and sole traders with the perfect alternative to high street banks. There are a lot of steps that you need to take in order to open a bank account in the UK and it usually takes around 2 weeks. Through this app you are actually able to create it in merely 5 minutes.
When we started working with Tide, they were a small team with a tight budget – today they are used by more than 150 000 businesses in the UK. We helped them bootstrap their Android app and our collaboration extended from 3 months to 3 years.
During that time not only did we write the code, but we also led the recruitment & onboarding. processes while managing the Android team. We believe we are one of the key reasons why they decided to open their own branch in Bulgaria.
OnTheMarket
This is an app for real estate in the UK – it allows you to search for, buy, sell and rent properties. When we started developing this application, the client’s main goal was to be concurrent to the 2 biggest Property agencies in England – Rightmove or Zoopla. Launched as a startup, today OnTheMarket is the third biggest platform in the UK.
This was quite a challenging project with a very serious deadline that we managed to adhere to. We joined at the very late planning stages and helped develop iOS and Android apps for phone & tablet at the same time.
At that time, Swift was an emerging technology and its first stable version had just been released by Apple. We convinced the OTM team that Swift was the right way forward and that proved to be of great benefit as it became the standard language for developing iOS applications. Eventually, we also helped them build a dedicated team.
K'Ching (KBC)
K’Ching teaches children how to manage their money and how to bank online safely and securely, while still keeping a parental eye on their finances.
This iOS application was ordered by KBC Belgium. It allows users to
transfer money between bank accounts, check their balances and
transactions. A novel virtual assistant was developed as well – a chatbot
that helps users take advantage of all the app functionalities.
Despite the fact that the team was spread across 3 different
locations, we had great communication and the development
went smoothly. Considering the nature of the app, there was a
serious security layer we had to integrate as well. Our solution
became an easy-to-use application both for kids and their
parents – making banking fun and interactive.
Seatfrog
Seatfrog is a leading train booking service in the UK which makes upgrading to First Class lightning fast.
Seatfrog is a service used to search for and bid on train ticket upgrades in the UK. We have worked with them on a project to integrate a booking engine and redesign of their native applications, as well as live monitoring of your train position.
Our team worked closely with the Seatfrog team during the delivery of the features. While working on the project we also provided training to their in-house team to improve their native mobile application development skills and bring them up to date with the latest technologies.
GrillEye
GrillEye® is a grilling and smoking thermometer, that monitors your food while it’s cooking and allows you to have a peace of mind when having a barbecue with your friends and family. This is the first FDA certified grilling and smoking probes.
We started with a relatively small task of redesigning part of their existing systems to support background notifications for their existing smart thermometer. After completing this feature, we went on to building brand new solutions for their new line of devices.
There were various challenges while creating the new infrastructure. The most significant one was how to create a seamless experience for the users without sacrificing the performance and the scalability of the platform. We have built a complete solution from the firmware through the cloud feeding into two beautiful native apps. We are proud to have built the most accurate smart thermometer for cooking to date.
Vitesse Running - AI Running Coach
This project is a collaboration with the best coach and runner (long distances) in Bulgaria. Vitesse Running allows you to train for your running goals with adaptive & personalized workouts made by Olympians.
The app generates personal running plans by sophisticated algorithms in accordance with the user's progress. It can prepare you for 5K runs, 10K runs, and marathons by providing you with the optimal instructions on how to train. If you skip a workout, your plan will be auto-generated based on your past workouts.
This project has been entirely developed by Appolica – from the initial concept till the final product (including back-end, design, iOS app, Android app, etc.). So far no app for runners as advanced as this one has been released on the market.
Reviews
the project
Android & iOS App Dev for Health Technology Company
"They're a very experienced team working across a diverse range of product and technology developments."
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the CEO and founder of a health technology company, and we have a scientific and evidence-based platform.
What challenge were you trying to address with Appolica?
We hired them to develop our wellbeing platform, which would integrate subjective and objective data related to the wellbeing of individuals.
What was the scope of their involvement?
While building our Android and iOS app, the Appolica team researched various technical approaches we could integrate into our development process. They also worked very closely with our UI/UX designer and advised us on what we needed to do, sharing their expertise in the market.
Furthermore, they provided advisory services, sharing insights that we wouldn’t have had as a startup. They continue to guide us in our project, and they act as a technical wing of our business. They now support our testing efforts because our app is in the beta testing phase.
What is the team composition?
We’re working with Martin (CEO), Deyan (CTO), and approximately 7–8 people from their development team.
How did you come to work with Appolica?
Appolica was highly recommended by a reputable and senior adviser in the technology world. He had worked with the team for 7–8 years and told us that Appolica was one of the best technology companies that he had worked with.
How much have you invested with them?
We’ve spent over $100,000.
What is the status of this engagement?
We began working together in March 2021, and we continue to collaborate.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
We’re still in the beta phase, so we don’t really have metrics yet. Anecdotally, our feedback about their work has been very positive. They're always thinking of our business as opposed to simply delivering what we need for our project.
They’re also very diligent and practical when it comes to considering how they’re building our app and how it’s going to go to the market. Overall, we hope to continue partnering with Appolica as our product continues to evolve.
How did Appolica perform from a project management standpoint?
They follow an agile approach in our project. In terms of communication, they’re very engaged, and they’re constantly available to us; we have weekly stand-ups and biweekly reviews, and we predominantly use Slack as our communication tool.
They're very transparent about their progress, and they take feedback very well. In terms of scheduling, they’re always on time because they have an efficient and effective system.
What did you find most impressive about them?
Without a shadow of a doubt, their testing capacity and their approach to our partnership have been impressive. In particular, Deyan has been very supportive and we know we can count on him because he’s a very clever person.
Are there any areas they could improve?
No, I don’t think so. I’d highly recommend them to any business.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
Be open to their insights and the expertise they could bring to your project. They're a very experienced team working across a diverse range of product and technology developments.
the project
Custom Software Development for Grill Thermometer Company
"We developed a level of trust that allows us to continue with further projects."
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the COO of G&C LTD, and we produce and distribute smart grilling thermometers in more than 27 countries.
What challenge were you trying to address with Appolica?
We were exploring the option of developing a completely new device that would pioneer some aspects of grilling and cooking.
What was the scope of their involvement?
We developed a custom framework for a mobile app and software with Appolica that works in tandem to deliver the final end result. The mobile app is Native and is developed for iOS and Android — the app allows users to connect to any mobile or home network with their device.
We asked for the app to be compatible with all types of devices regarding aspect ratio, and in terms of screen size and resolution. We also asked for real-time push notifications for when an alarm goes off.
Furthermore, The software is written in C++ or C# and they also developed a testing framework for the electronic engineers to test the hardware. They conducted the tests to see if the hardware can deliver the expected functionality. The tests were also designed to make a feasibility study of our concept, and they allowed us to move forward with the actual implementation of the project.
The product was launched around May–June 2021, but they’re still making some fine-tuning to it.
What is the team composition?
We have one main point of contact and at least five people actively engaged in the development.
How did you come to work with Appolica?
We found them through our research and started working together under strict contractual terms. We’ve seen that they were comfortable in working under these terms, and it showed us their confidence in delivering a high-quality product. We developed a level of trust that allows us to continue with further projects.
How much have you invested with them?
We’ve spent about €100,000 (approximately $11,800 USD).
What is the status of this engagement?
We started working together in March 2019 and it’s still ongoing.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
The most objective metric is the rating of the users for our product in app stores, and we have a lot of five-star ratings. The user experience seems to be very good, and it's directly related to the sales of the app.
We had COVID-19 to take into account during this entire period, and it’s one of the factors that delayed the entire process.
How did Appolica perform from a project management standpoint?
In general, they perform very well. From what I mentioned earlier, the pandemic derailed the entire project, but that isn’t something I can hold them accountable for. Overall, they’re keen on keeping the timelines and they show great responsibility for the undertaking of tasks.
We mainly communicate via Skype and Zoom on a regular basis, and we have daily text communications through Skype and email. They’re very present in the entire project and they keep their communication channels open.
What did you find most impressive about them?
We like that they understand business, which is strange because software engineers usually have a very different way of understanding requirements. Appolica is very good at developing software, but they’re also quite good at analyzing and understanding our needs.
Are there any areas they could improve?
I don’t know if there’s anything they need to change because they’re still growing. When the growth rate is quite big, trying to catch up with the requirements wouldn’t allow for structured movements. However, Appolica is in an emerging environment, and they’re adopting whatever they need to in order to grow and respond to their customers’ needs.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
I would suggest communicating your requirements, listening to their team, and trusting them.
the project
Web & App Development for Running Tech Platform
"Appolica has really helped us with our product. They’ve gone into the project trying to understand what we want."
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the CEO of a small sports tech startup in Bulgaria. We’re doing an AI code for running. We have a website and mobile applications where users can prepare for races and improve their running form. Basically, we analyze their runs and give them personalized training plans.
What challenge were you trying to address with Appolica?
We needed accurate calculations, so we needed to create trackers for the run. Also, we had some integration challenges with Garmin devices. Appolica was there to help us through the whole development process.
What was the scope of their involvement?
Appolica has been our partner since the beginning of the project. We started from scratch with a website and two mobile applications for Android and iOS.
Initially, we had meetings to discuss our requirements because we weren’t sure of what we wanted. We only had an idea and some basic things. They helped us with the design and advised us how to build those features for our users and determine which weren’t necessary for our case.
Then, we started working with an agile methodology, so we had two-week sprints where they’d develop test versions of the app. We had five months of development, and then we had support. If we need another version or some updates, we have another 5–6 months of development, and so on.
What is the team composition?
We had iOS and Android developers, one person on the server side, one frontend developer for the website, 1–2 testers, a designer, and a project manager.
How did you come to work with Appolica?
We were looking for a service company that would support us through the process, and some friends recommended Appolica. We were utterly impressed with the fact that they’d worked with many startups. In our first meeting, they embraced us with their knowledge, and we liked the approach they had — they thought about what was best for us instead of what would bring them money.
How much have you invested with them?
Up until now, the rough estimate for the whole development is around $100,000–$120,000.
What is the status of this engagement?
We began our relationship around September 2019. We have some active development months and support months, but we’re still collaborating with them.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
In the beginning, they explained to us that they wanted to build a quality product. Since we’re a startup, we were thinking about costs, but they assured us that it would save us money afterward. We haven’t had any major bugs or problems with the software, so they’ve kept their word.
How did Appolica perform from a project management standpoint?
All in all, project management is good. Honestly, I was a bit skeptical about them initially, but they’ve helped us see what’s better for us and saved us some cost. We’ve worked as a startup should be working, and their team has helped us through the process. They’ve had some minor delays, but those have been nothing, and we aren’t delayed now.
Our communication is open. For financial and administrative stuff, we use emails. On the other hand, we have channels like Slack or Skype to talk about the product. Also, we can speak directly with the developers when we’re not able to explain what we want or we want to do something different.
What did you find most impressive about them?
First of all, the code quality is outstanding. Secondly, I’ve never seen a company give such great advice to startups. Appolica has really helped us with our product. They’ve gone into the project trying to understand what we want, not just to develop something or make money.
Are there any areas they could improve?
There has been some miscommunication. Initially, we had some differences in the design. We were thinking about something, and their delivery looked different, although it was good.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
You should trust them, open up, and tell them exactly what you want. Otherwise, you won’t be able to build a good product.
the project
Mobile App Development for Hospitality & Leisure
"They're experienced in the app development area."
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there?
I’m a co-founder of 15toGO. We're developing a combination between a group travel marketplace and a social network.
What challenge were you trying to address with Appolica?
Our internal team was working on a mobile app for iOS and Android, but we decided to work with an external partner.
What was the scope of their involvement?
We provided our initial code and the requirements to Appolica; they then developed the mobile app for iOS and provided feedback to help improve the design and UX, which we worked on internally. The app is intended to help people change how they travel and provides options for travel partners. Some of the basic features include user profiles, where they can share pictures and travel information, such as places they’ve visited.
An algorithm helps users match with others who are a good fit for their travel adventures, and there’s also a marketplace for browsing different trips and providers.
What is the team composition?
We worked with two people from their team.
How did you come to work with Appolica?
We talked with several companies, but we chose Appolica because they didn’t just look at the requirements; they thought about user experience and wanted to give helpful insights.
How much have you invested with them?
We spent $10,000–$49,999 with them.
What is the status of this engagement?
We worked together from June 2018–March 2020.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
We had to stop development due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but they optimized the app, and it is working twice as fast now.
How did Appolica perform from a project management standpoint?
They spoke directly with our CTO, which worked quite well. Communication was straightforward, and we used Slack.
What did you find most impressive about them?
They were easy to work with and gave us many helpful insights regarding UX and design for the platform.
Are there any areas they could improve?
I don't think there's anything they can improve on.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
Listen to their feedback and recommendations because they're experienced in the app development area.
Appolica's progress has received positive feedback from stakeholders. Diligent and practical, they efficiently complete deliverables in a timely manner. Their strong testing skills and agile approach are key to their ongoing success. They're also commended for their transparency in their work.