Applause To Be Acquired By Vista Equity Partners

Investment firm Vista Equity Partners has agreed to acquire digital experience research and testing firm Applause, the two companies announced. Applause will still operate as an independent unit, and executive leadership will remain the same following the deal, which is subject to standard regulatory approvals.

Vista currently has $30 billion in cumulative capital commitments and aims to make investments in technology-enabled companies, as well as those that focus on software and data.

Applause is also known for its ability to conduct QA testing for digital experiences, and has amassed a 300,000-member crowd-testing community to provide customers with real-world input at each stage of the software development process. The company confirms that software quality is optimized for technology platforms, including mobile apps, website, in-store experiences and internet-of-things products for clients that include Google, Uber and Michael Kors, among others.

“This is a tremendous milestone for Applause, one which validates our mission: to deliver flawless digital experiences to the world,” said Applause CEO Doron Reuveni in a news release. “Our human-centric approach to software design and quality has become essential to ensure technology works as intended, by real people, in the real world. As we take Applause to our next stage of growth, we are delighted to partner with Vista’s second-to-none talent and expertise.”

Applause was founded eight years ago as a way to help consumers, who were at that time just beginning to adopt new smartphone technologies, have bug-free and consistent experiences spanning multiple operating systems. Knowing that software testing capabilities at the time weren’t robust enough to meet the needs of the growing technological landscape, Applause’s founders created a new way of QA testing.

Before Vista acquired Applause, the firm had previously raised funding from a stable of investors, including Credit Suisse, Goldman Sachs and Longworth Venture Partners, among many others.