Platform.sh 140M for web application development tools

Image Credits: Mykyta Dolmatov / Getty Images

The growing complexity of web infrastructure is a challenge many organizations face today. When building and deploying web applications, IT teams must contend with many choices, from choosing which back-end system to use to deciding which framework to code into. The latest A survey by software developer Infragistics found that more than one-third (40%) of developers are working with limited resources, including limited budgets, as customer demand increases.

There is no silver bullet. But Fred Plais, the service, platform.sh, helps make developers’ lives easier by abstracting away most of the basic web application infrastructure. To support this vision, Morgan Stanley Expansion Capital, Revaya and Digital Partners led a $140 million Series D round in Platform.sh, which closed today with BGV, Eurazeo, Hiinov, Eurozeo and Partech. Platform.sh brings the total raised to $187 million, which Plus said is “doubling down” on hiring efforts and automation.

Before working with Damien Tournoud and Ori Pekelman on Platform.sh, he co-launched Plays Infoclick, a French-language search engine, and CommerceGuys, an e-commerce platform powered by the open source project Drupal. Peckleman previously founded two consulting firms, Internet Patrol and Constellation Matrix, and was a board member at CommerceGuys. As for Turnud, he helped start CommerceGuys and was an IT strategy consultant at Fontaine Consultants.

“In 2015, I created Platform.sh with my colleagues Turnod and Pekelman with the goal of simplifying the lives of web developers,” Plais told TechCrunch in an email interview. “Managing web infrastructure is very time-consuming and we know we have a solution to make the process more efficient and cost-effective. After seven years, the cloud is not easy. On the contrary, it has become more complex due to the emergence of containers, microservices – faster and better performance. Not to mention the need and ability to manage more and more apps.

Developers can use Platform.sh’s tools to deploy and test web applications. Image Credits: platform.sh

to Plais point, a Poll A survey by low-code tools provider OutSystems found that the average time to deliver a web or mobile app for nearly half of companies in 2019 was five months or longer. A consideration Pins Prices range from $20,000 to $60,000 – depending on the capacity.

Using Platform.sh, websites and web applications can be built in different languages ​​and by different development teams using different frameworks. From the dashboard, developers can manage databases and workflows and create production copies to run, test, and share with stakeholders. Ideas can be combined and integrated into a product before being deployed across multiple cloud providers. Infrastructure changes are fixed and audited, while build dependencies and tests are resolved automatically by the platform.

Plus sees Heroku as one of Platform.sh’s main competitors, followed by smaller players like Versel, Netlifi and Aqua (Drupal’s commercial arm). Capitalizing on the demand for web optimization tools, Versel recently raised $150 million — while Netlify raised $105 million. On the other hand, Aquia was acquired by private equity firm Vista Equity Partners in 2019 for $1 billion.

Plais asserts that Platform.sh is “highly competitive” despite its funding, distinguishing itself by supporting a mix of web development solutions (e.g. frameworks) – which not all rivals match.

“Platform.sh offers companies an end-to-end solution that helps build, host and scale multiple websites and web applications while eliminating the need for IT and cloud operations,” he said. “The C-suite, especially CIOs, are acutely aware of the time and resource investment required to manage a website infrastructure, especially when dozens or even hundreds of websites are replicated. Platform.sh is a great solution for budget-conscious IT leaders who want to be in the pilot’s seat – managing teams and allowing them to do real creative work instead of pouring all their ‘innovation tokens’ into basic machinery.

Plais was refreshingly candid when asked about Platform.sh’s financials, which are estimated at $45 million in annual recurring revenue — up 50% from 2021. and the American Chamber of Commerce as well as universities and government organizations such as the Army and the French Ministry of Culture.

Image Credits: platform.sh

“Obviously the market will have some headwinds that we need to adapt to, but we are well positioned to take advantage. As a company we have always been frugal and capital efficient with lean operations and a focus on sustainable growth,” said Place. “At the start of the pandemic, we stopped hiring for a quarter to assess the situation and ensure we could adjust our costs to a changing market. That was a tough call, but it was the right one at the time – otherwise we were practically untouched.

Platform.sh has about 340 employees, with a focus on North America and Western Europe, and plans to grow to more than 400 next year. The company has offices in France, Germany, USA and England