DelightRoom, the operator of the global morning wellness app ‘Alarmy,’ made a strategic investment in BitByte, the operator of ‘Play Keyboard,’ a user-customized mobile keyboard. The amount was not disclosed.
Play Keyboard, operated by BitByte, provides functions such as ‘shortcut keys’ and ‘frequently used words’ that allow users to enter sentences such as addresses, account numbers, and contact information on smartphones at once, allowing them to type quickly and easily. It is an app that will enable users to decorate mobile Keyboards with popular emoticons and characters. So far, it has recorded 2.3 million cumulative downloads in 220 countries, with 160 million monthly executions.
DelightRoom plans to support Play Keyboard’s global expansion and increase advertising revenue through this investment. In addition, they plan to utilize first-party data (customer data collected directly by companies), which has recently attracted attention in the online marketing industry.
Bitbyte will maximize advertising efficiency through DelightRoom with expertise in Ad-tech (a business that combines information technology with advertising to send out customized advertisements) and create synergies by acquiring the know-how needed to secure global users.
BitByte was selected for the ‘TIPS’ program, a technology startup support program by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, in October and secured 500 million won in research and development funds.
Jaemyung Shin, CEO of DelightToom, said, “Play Keyboard is an app that is used about 100 times per person per day, and it is a highly useful service deeply ingrained in users’ daily lives.” Ahn Seo-hyeong, CEO of BitByte, said, “Both Play Keyboard and Alarmy are essential services for users’ daily lives, and they have a lot in common in that they make a successful day for users around the world, transcending countries and races. We will not only provide valuable services to customers, but we will also focus on monetization.”
DelightToom is the developer of Alarmy, a global representative alarm app that ranked first in 97 countries worldwide. It supports the process from going to sleep to waking up through ‘wake-up missions’ and ‘sleep-inducing music’ so that users can have a successful morning. So far, it has recorded about 70 million cumulative downloads and 4.5 million monthly active users and 19.2 billion won in sales and 11 billion won in operating profit last year based on ad-tech. Advertising revenue accounts for 70% of total sales, with about 13 billion won.
Also Read,
- Korean creator space reservation app Billyo attracts investment
- Korean petcare startup Sparkpet launches companion animal app for pet parents
- Online exercise app QUAT & social app WIPPY developer NRISE attracts $9.6 million investment
- Restaurant reservation app ‘Catch Table’ launches English version targeting foreign visitors to Korea
