Mauj Mobile acquires UK app store Mobango in global expansion bid
Costs firm 'a few million'
Self-acclaimed second largest independent app store Mobango has been sold to Indian outift Mauj Mobile for an undisclosed fee, the company has revealed.
The site, which has a database of more than 35,000 free apps, is set to form part of Mauj's ambitions to expand overseas, bolstering its existing line-up of partnerships beyond the 25 operators and portals already on board.
Although an exact figure hasn't been named, Anupam Mittal – chairman and MD of Mauj's parent company the People Group – did reveal the acquisition has cost the firm around a few million dollars.
Nonetheless, its purchase does hand Mauj a strong foothold in the global app store market in one fell swoop.
App expansion"The acquisition will catalyse Mauj's transformation from being an Indian entity to one with global visibility and reach," said Mohit Bhatnagar, MD at Mauj investor Sequoia India.
"Overnight, they will be able to leverage Mobango's global audience and the application developer community."
Mobango enjoyed a great 2009, with its downloads increasing by 500 percent across the course of the year.
At the time, CEO Fabio Pezzotti said Mobango's loyalty to its worldwide audience was a key factor in the store's success.
