APUS Group

APUS Group[2][3][4][5] (commonly termed APUS), founded in June 2014 by Tao Li, is a Chinese technology company specializing in Android development and information services. The company's main product is APUS User System (also known as APUS Launcher), which have drawn over 1 billion users globally by 2016, along with other APUS series products (including APUS User System, APUS Booster+, APUS Browser, APUS Message Center, APUS Flashlight etc.), covering more than 200 countries in six continents. According to Tao Li, CEO of APUS, 90 percent of its users are from countries beyond China.[6] It is one of the world's top 10 developers in mobile applications.[7]

Not to be confused with APUS (computer), Asus, American Public University System, or ASOS (retailer).
APUS Group
TypePrivate
IndustryMobile Internet
FoundedJune 2014 (2014-06)
Beijing, China[1]
FounderTao Li
Headquarters
Beijing
,
China
ProductsAPUS: User System(Launcher), APUS Browser, APUS Booster+, APUS Message Center, APUS Flashlight, Add-ons
Websitewww.apusapps.com

Name

The name APUS is short for "A Perfect User System"[8] and also refers to the bird species Apodidae, or swift, a highly aerial bird family. They are some of the fastest fliers in the animal kingdom, with a maximum speed up to 169 kilometres per hour (105 mph).


History

June 2014: Tao Li[9][10] founded APUS Group in Beijing. At the same month, APUS netted 100 million RMB in Series A funding.

July 2, 2014: APUS Launcher was released on Google Play and 28 days later APUS user group reached 10 million.

October 22, 2014: APUS announced their 50 million user globally.

December 1, 2014: APUS published the first APUS Global Mobile Application Analysis Report.

January 2015: APUS picked up 100 million USD in Series B funding, become the youngest unicorn (companies which market values are over USD 1 billion) in the world.[6]

January 2015: APUS user group reached 100 million.[11]

March 2015: APUS user group reached 150 million and was named the fifth developer in the world by App Annie.[12]

May 2015: APUS user group reached 300 million.

May 2015: APUS Browser[13] was released.

September 2015: APUS announced they’ve netted 250 million users globally for APUS User System (APUS Launcher)[5] and 510 million for APUS User System (APUS Launcher) and APUS series products. At the same time, their market value reached USD 1.5 billion.

September 2015: APUS announced their long-term partnership with InMobi[14][15][16][17][18] and the decision of entry into India market.

October 2015: APUS announced their entry into Japanese and Korean market.

December 2015: APUS announced their USD 45 million (Rs 300 crore) to Indian Mobile Web companies.[19][20][21]

March 2016: APUS announced they have acquired more than 920 million downloads for APUS series products, including APUS User System, APUS Booster +, APUS Browser, APUS Browser Turbo, APUS Flashlight, etc.[22][23]

October 2016: Forbes reported the leading position of APUS Group on Google Play store and praised APUS Group for its advanced business model and successful monetization.[24]

November 2016: APUS announced a fresh investment of US$44 million in India for its new research and development center, sales and business development office in Gurgaon, and startup incubator.[25]

September 2020: On 2 September 2020, the Government of India banned all APUS applications (among other Chinese apps), this came amid the 2020 China-India skirmish.[26][27]

See also

References
  1. Russell, Jon (27 January 2015). "China-Based Android Developer APUS Lands $100M For New Services And Global Focus". TechCrunch.
  2. "Official Website".
  3. "APUS Group nets $100 mln Series B". Archived from the original on 2015-12-08.
  4. "The Hottest Mobile App Startup in the World?".
  5. "APUS Launcher-Small, Fast, Boost - Android Apps on Google Play". play.google.com. Retrieved 2015-12-08.
  6. "Apus takes app market by storm - Xinhua | English.news.cn". news.xinhuanet.com. Archived from the original on October 14, 2015. Retrieved 2015-11-02.
  7. "APUS lands in top 10 global developers". Archived from the original on 2015-08-18.
  8. "APUS Launcher - A Perfect User System". YouTube.
  9. "Li Tao aims bigger with Apus Group following Qihoo success".
  10. "Chinese Internet sector has changed, says former-executive of Qihoo 360".
  11. "Surpassing 100 Million Users, APUS Becomes Youngest Company In Top 10 Global Developers". Archived from the original on 2015-12-08.
  12. "Worldwide App Annie Index for Apps March 2015". Archived from the original on 2015-07-01.
  13. "APUS Browser, a lightweight and fastest browser for Android". Archived from the original on 2015-06-22.
  14. "InMobi, China's APUS join hands for global growth".
  15. "InMobi signs a strategic partnership with APUS Group".
  16. "InMobi, China's APUS join hands for global growth".
  17. "Mobile Advertising Platform InMobi Partners with APUS Group For Global Growth".
  18. "China's Apus Joins Hands With InMobi, to Explore Possibilities of a Joint Venture in India". Archived from the original on 2015-12-01.
  19. "Chinese VC firms set aside Rs 300 crore to invest in Indian mobile internet companies". timesofindia-economictimes. Retrieved 2016-01-19.
  20. "APUS Group sets up Rs 300 crore fund in India - Times of India". The Times of India. 6 December 2015. Retrieved 2016-01-19.
  21. "China's Apus sets up Rs. 300 crore fund". The Hindu. 2015-12-05. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2016-01-19.
  22. "APUS Launcher Celebrating 2nd Anniversary, with 920 Million Users Globally". www.infinityredefined.com. Retrieved 2016-07-20.
  23. Group, APUS. "APUS User System, Android User System - APUS". www.apusapps.com. Retrieved 2016-07-20.
  24. Salz, Peggy Anne. "Life After Android: The Battle Of The Platforms Heats Up". Forbes. Retrieved 2016-11-29.
  25. "Tech in Asia - Connecting Asia's startup ecosystem". www.techinasia.com. Retrieved 2016-11-29.
  26. "Government Bans 118 mobile apps which are prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of state and public order". Press Information Bureau, Government of India. 2 September 2020. Retrieved 2 September 2020.
  27. Yasir, Sameer; Kumar, Hari (2020-09-02). "India Bans 118 Chinese Apps as Indian Soldier Is Killed on Disputed Border". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-04-27.
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