Tappa
Tappa, Inc. is a mobile technology company that provides a keyboard SDK for Android, iOS, Flutter, and React Native apps, enabling contextual brand interactions, cashback rewards, and AI-powered features for app developers and enterprise brand partners.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Tappa does
Tappa, Inc. is a Delaware-incorporated mobile technology company headquartered in Dover that builds a keyboard Software Development Kit (SDK) for integration into third-party applications across Android, iOS, Flutter, and React Native. The platform embeds contextual suggestions, brand interactions (cited at 80 daily brand interactions per user), cashback rewards, and an AI-powered feature layer branded TappaAI (which includes TappaText, TappaBot, Fix with AI grammar assistance, and Speech to Text) within the host app's keyboard surface. The company holds patents on its keyboard technology and operates under a GDPR and CCPA compliant privacy posture with a named Data Protection Officer. Leadership comprises CEO Leo Giel and CTO Jon Vaughan, with a disclosed headcount of 51-100.
Tappa's technology stack centers on a cross-platform SDK with a privacy-first architecture, leveraging OpenAI's ChatGPT as the underlying model for its AI features. The keyboard layer is designed to function as an engagement surface that host apps can monetize, with third-party brands able to surface offers, content, and cashback incentives inside the input experience.
The business model operates through three monetization channels: (1) SDK licensing to application developers and enterprises that integrate the keyboard into their apps; (2) a Brand Solutions / advertising placement module where brands pay for contextual presence inside the keyboard experience; and (3) cashback and rewards with transaction-fee economics on completed purchases. Disclosed flagship brand customers include Real Madrid and Liverpool FC, indicating an enterprise motion into global sports. The company raised $4.9 million in seed funding in 2024 led by Alicorn Venture Partners, funding platform expansion and product roadmap execution.
Tappa firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Tappa
- Legal name
- Tappa, Inc.
- Website
- https://tappa.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Tappa, Inc. is a mobile technology company that provides a keyboard SDK for Android, iOS, Flutter, and React Native apps, enabling contextual brand interactions, cashback rewards, and AI-powered features for app developers and enterprise brand partners.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Tappa industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Mobile SDK / Developer Tools
- NAICS
- Credit Card Issuing (52221), Sales Financing (52222)
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Digital Wallet Platforms (Consumer & Merchant) (BPAMAFAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- BNPL Consumer Apps & Wallets (Discovery, Management) (FSAGAIAG), Voice Calling (VoIP) Apps (BPAMACAC)
Keywords
Where Tappa is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Tappa business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- SDK Licensing: Tappa licenses its keyboard SDK to mobile app developers and brands who want to embed branded keyboard experiences with cashback rewards into their applications.
- Brand Solutions: Monetization through branded keyboard solutions where brands pay for custom content, engagement banners, and direct access to users through the keyboard interface.
- Cashback/Rewards: Revenue generated through cashback rewards model where users earn rewards while shopping, browsing, or playing games through keyboard interactions.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | — | Enterprise/Custom SDK Licensing |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
Tappa product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Tappa develops and licenses a mobile Keyboard SDK that integrates cashback rewards, branded content, and AI-powered text assistance into third-party mobile applications for iOS and Android. The platform enables consumer brands to deliver customized keyboard experiences and rewards directly within partner apps, with supporting reporting APIs for analytics.
Product overview
Tappa is a mobile technology company offering a human-first keyboard ecosystem. The core product is the Tappa Keyboard SDK, a software development kit that enables brands to integrate a custom branded keyboard into their mobile applications. The platform consists of the Tappa Keyboard itself (a consumer-facing mobile keyboard with cashback rewards, stickers, GIFs, and AI assistance) and the Tappa Keyboard SDK for developers (available for Android, iOS, Flutter, and React Native platforms). Brand Solutions allow partners to customize keyboard themes, colors, logos, and content including stickers and GIFs, while also providing engagement features like deep linking, engagement banners, and social hub integration. The TappaAI feature, powered by ChatGPT, provides in-keyboard conversational AI assistance for grammar, spelling, and translation. Supporting infrastructure includes Overview and Content Reporting APIs for analytics. Tappa raised $4.9 million in seed funding in 2024.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Tappa Keyboard SDK: A software development kit enabling integration of Tappa's custom keyboard with cashback rewards into mobile applications for iOS and Android
- TappaAI
- TappaBot
- TappaText
Products and services
- Tappa Keyboard SDK
Quantifiable outcome
- 80 daily brand interactions per user through branded keyboard
Companies that use Tappa
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Tappa technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability2 records
Feature6 records
Tappa partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Real MadridcoreReal Madrid utilizes Tappa's patented keyboard technology for fan engagement. The football club leverages Tappa's branded keyboard solution to connect with fans through their mobile keyboards.
- Liverpool FCcoreLiverpool FC utilizes Tappa's patented keyboard technology for fan engagement. The football club leverages Tappa's branded keyboard solution to connect with fans through their mobile keyboards.
- SDK Integration PartnerscoreMobile app developers integrating Tappa Keyboard SDK into their applications. Partners receive SDK access, technical documentation, and Partner Success manager support for integration. Integration available for Android, iOS, Flutter, and React Native platforms.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Tappa competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Bobble AI: Bobble AI operates an AI-powered mobile keyboard with stickers, GIFs, themes, and personalization features. It is the closest direct competitor to Tappa's keyboard-plus-content-plus-AI proposition, particularly on Android.
- Grammarly: Grammarly's mobile keyboard provides AI-driven grammar, spelling, and tone corrections integrated into the system keyboard. It competes directly with TappaAI's in-keyboard writing assistance use case.
Broad incumbents
- Microsoft SwiftKey: SwiftKey is a leading third-party mobile keyboard with built-in AI prediction, translation, and personalization. As a Microsoft-owned incumbent, it is the dominant free alternative in the keyboard category Tappa competes in.
- Gboard (Google): Gboard is the default Android keyboard with integrated search, translation, and AI features. As a platform-owned keyboard, it represents the largest incumbent distribution threat to any third-party keyboard SDK.
- Branch Metrics: Branch provides mobile linking, attribution, and engagement infrastructure used by large apps to measure and re-engage users. It is a broad incumbent in the same post-IDFA re-engagement category Tappa targets with its keyboard channel.
- Rakuten (cashback): Rakuten is a leading cashback and loyalty marketplace that monetizes through merchant-funded rewards. It is a broad incumbent reference point for the cashback/rewards model that underpins Tappa's consumer value proposition.
Emerging players
- CleverType: CleverType is an AI-powered keyboard app offering grammar correction, tone adjustment, and translation. It is an emerging direct competitor targeting the same AI-keyboard niche as TappaAI.
- Button: Button is a mobile commerce deep-linking and engagement platform that helps brands drive app re-engagement and attributed conversions. It competes with Tappa's deep-linking and banner engagement surfaces on the brand-solutions side.
- Ibotta: Ibotta is a mobile cashback rewards app offering rebates across grocery and online shopping. It is an emerging player that demonstrates the standalone cashback-app model against which Tappa's keyboard-embedded cashback must justify incremental value.
Regional players
- Zoomin (Branded Keyboards): Zoomin and similar regional vendors offer branded keyboard apps for sports teams and publishers in EMEA and APAC. They overlap with Tappa's branded keyboard offering for marquee sports customers like Real Madrid and Liverpool FC.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks1 record
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Tappa social profiles
Digital presenceTappa compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Tappa financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Tappa leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Tappa funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Tappa M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Tappa
What does Tappa do?
Tappa develops and licenses a mobile Keyboard SDK that integrates cashback rewards, branded content, and AI-powered text assistance into third-party mobile applications for iOS and Android. The platform enables consumer brands to deliver customized keyboard experiences and rewards directly within partner apps, with supporting reporting APIs for analytics.
Is Tappa a public or private company?
Tappa is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Tappa founded?
Tappa was founded in 2012. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Tappa based?
Tappa is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does Tappa make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. SDK Licensing is the primary driver. The others are brand Solutions and cashback/Rewards.
Who are Tappa's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Bobble AI and Grammarly. Broad incumbents are Microsoft SwiftKey, Gboard (Google), Branch Metrics and Rakuten (cashback). Emerging players are CleverType, Button and Ibotta. Zoomin (Branded Keyboards) is listed as a regional player.
Does Tappa have an API?
Yes. Tappa provides aggregate reporting APIs for tracking Cashback Keyboard SDK integration performance. Two API endpoints are available: Overview Reporting API (GET https://api.[reporting host]/sdk/v1/overviewReporting) returns daily/weekly/monthly event data including first_run, onboarding_started, keyboard_activated, keyboard_open, search_suggestion_impression/click, quicklink_impression/click, content_impression/click, and estimated_revenue; Content Reporting API (GET https://api.[reporting host]/sdk/v1/contentReporting) returns impression and click level data for content types (stickers, gifs, wallpapers, themes, videos, sounds, polls). Authentication requires partnerID and apiKey provided by Tappa representatives. Both APIs require appropriate reporting host to be obtained from Tappa customer representatives. Developer documentation is at developers.tappa.com/docs/analytics-reportingasf.
What industry is Tappa in?
Tappa's product category is Mobile SDK / Developer Tools. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAMAFAC, Digital Wallet Platforms (Consumer & Merchant), with a secondary code of FSAGAIAG, BNPL Consumer Apps & Wallets (Discovery, Management). Its NAICS code is 52221 and its SIC code is 7372.