Last week was a bit of a whirlwind for the ApplyKit team. After all the excitement at this year’s NACAC Conference in Indianapolis, we returned to our home of Manchester, NH with our ideas validated and embarked on a week’s sojourn that included submitting our mobile app to the App Store, being featured in a couple of magazines, and taking home a crowd-favorite award from New Hampshire’s top startup competition. Here is a recap:
1. We submitted our app to the App Store
We submitted our mobile app, College Match, to the Apple App Store. This is a giant leap for our company as we will be the first to bring a college match experience to mobile devices, allowing students to discover colleges that are a great match for them, understand their admissions chances and manage their application process all from their tablet or smart phone. We (and many of our fantastic supporters) believe this will be a revolutionary step and become a landmark for all students applying to college.
Oh yeah, did we mention the app will be free? As a former teacher, it would have been a dream come true to have been able to give my students access to a resource like this. This is why we are passionate about getting this app out there and making sure it stays completely free. For everyone. Forever.
This submission also marked the first week that we made screenshots public. Here are a few:
Want to get a copy of the free app before anyone else? Go to this page here, submit your email address and we will send you a link to download the night it comes out!
2. App Marketing has begun!
Our one-page is in. Awesome work by our rockstar design team.
Our new Facebook App Page is splendid (you should like us…it feels good, I promise)
3. ApplyKit is Featured on the Cover of NH Business Review
A big thank you to NH Business Review for their article and front page feature on us last week!
Here is an excerpt:
“With the school year just begun, high school seniors across New Hampshire are contemplating their future. For those considering college, the complex nature of the application process can seem daunting.
“That’s what encouraged Bobby Touran, born into a family of educators, to create ApplyKit, a free online college application management tool. Working in Manchester at Wasabi Ventures, a venture capitalist firm and tech incubator, Touran had access to a team of engineers who developed the platform for his vision.”
Read the whole article here.
4. ApplyKit Featured in Business NH Magazine
Our team is featured in the latest issue of Business NH Magazine! You can read the full article here or just take a look at the snapshot below.
Here is the text:
“ApplyKit is a free software platform that helps students identify colleges and submit applications. The site went live in September 2013 and has since assisted over 50,000 high school students and their parents globally to navigate and manage the college submissions process.
“The company was founded in late 2012 by Bobby Touran and is lovated at Alpha Loft in Manchester. It has been funded by angel investment, the majority of it from New Hampshire. ApplyKit has raised over $200,000 from Wasabi Ventures, 10X Venture Partners, Northeast Angels Investment Group, Fort Point Angels, and private angel investors.
“The company added paying institutional customers in the summer of 2014 and is currently growing its paying customer base, while it continues rapid growth in the student space.”
A big shout out to Wasabi Ventures, 10X Venture Partners, Northeast Angels Investment Group, Fort Point Angels and our private investors. Our rapid growth would not be possible without you!
Also a big thank you to our friends at Business NH Magazine!
5. ApplyKit is the Crowd Favorite at TechOut 2014!
TechOut is one of the biggest startup competitions in New Hampshire, awarding investments totaling $100,000 spread across three winners. First and second place are selected by a panel of judges before the event, but third place is awarded to the “crowd favorite” as the crowd votes via text. We are humbled by this win and are grateful to the New Hampshire High Tech Council, host Dyn, all the sponsors of the event, and the wonderful crowd.
Shout out to Gemr and our friends at UConnect for taking 2nd and first, respectively!
Thanks for reading!
Please follow us on Twitter at @ApplyKit and sign up to receive the free application when it launches here: SIGNUP!
