User:Joules2000/sandbox

AppDirect
AppDirect is an American multinational business services and supplies company located in San Francisco, California that works to provide business with a stable platform that allows the corporation to locate, purchase, and operate web-based applications. AppDirect is credited for creating a marketplace for marketplaces (marketplace-as-a-service). AppDirect offers marketplace & management services, billing & distribution services, reseller management services, private app management and a variety of other services and products. Furthermore, AppDirect has established an app store where businesses can purchase various applications (apps) to suit their needs. AppDirect's notable and top-notch customers include SamSung, Comcast, Staples and AppCelerator.

Founding
AppDirect founder Daniel Saks developed the concept of AppDirect after failing to receive any job offers. This lack of work was greatly due to a shortage of available positions and jobs. Because of the recession, the Sak family's family business was forced to shut down. The idea of AppDirect was developed by Sak as he believed that his family's furniture business could have remained in the business world if they had more connections to information and capital which would have been possible if they had access to the cloud. At this time, Sak was meeting up with Nicholas Desmarais, an old friend. Together, Sak and Desmarais began their business venture with the belief that cloud computing would greatly advance the operation of businesses. They gained more experienced and developed their corporation over time. On July 17, 2009, the business was set and created. AppDirect is currently established in San Francisco, California, but also has offices in Boulder, Ottawa, London, Munich, and Montreal.

Funding
AppDirect has been widely successful in receiving venture funding from major investors such as StarVest Partners, iNovia Capital, Stingray Digital, Mithril Capital Management and the Foundry Group. The company recently raised $35 million in venture funding alone a Series C round.

Founders and Key People
AppDirect was co-founded on July 17, 2009 by Daniel Saks and Nicholas Desmarais. Currently, Daniel Saks operates as AppDirect's President and Co-CEO. Nicholas Desmarais is credited as AppDirect's other Co-CEO and AppDirect's Chairman. Andy Sen is the Chief Technology Officer and manages the company's growing engineering team.