Business of Apps

What Business of Apps does

Business of Apps, operated by Soko Media Ltd, is a privately held UK-based B2B media and events company founded in 2014 and headquartered in London. The platform serves professionals across the global app economy — spanning user acquisition, product, CRM, retention, monetization, and revenue roles — in verticals including ecommerce, fintech, health and fitness, games, entertainment, AI, productivity, and travel. Its core product is a content-and-data media platform comprising news, insights, written guides, on-demand video, podcasts, and downloadable resources (ebooks, whitepapers), supplemented by an app data and benchmarks product that references large datasets such as 115,000+ apps and $16B in tracked subscription revenue (via partner RevenueCat). The company also operates a vendor marketplace and affiliate directory spanning app marketing, user acquisition, ASO, engagement, analytics, monetization, mobile advertising, and app developers.

The business model is multi-stream: primary revenue comes from paid attendance and corporate sponsorships at three annual in-person conferences (BOA London in April, BOA NYC in September, BOA Berlin in November), with Gold, Silver, Bronze, Exhibiting, and Networking sponsorship tiers and sponsored content channel partnerships (e.g., Branch, Verve, Liftoff, Designli, Tatari, Mintegral, Paddle, CleverTap, Similarweb, RevenueCat). Secondary revenue derives from advertising and sponsored content placements on the website and a B2B vendor marketplace, plus affiliate referral commissions from a directory covering dozens of vertical-specific networks and programs. GTM is event-driven and community-led, distributing content across owned web, LinkedIn, YouTube, X/Twitter, email newsletter, and gated download channels. Pricing is quote-based for sponsorship packages and not publicly disclosed.

Name

Business of Apps

Legal name

Soko Media Ltd

Website

https://businessofapps.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Business of Apps is a London-based B2B media and events platform serving app-economy professionals through news, insights, video, vendor marketplace, and three annual conferences in London, NYC, and Berlin.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

B2B Media and Events

NAICS

Publishing Industries (513)

SIC

Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)

akta.pro primary industry

B2B / Industrial Market Research (MPAAALAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

B2B Marketplaces & Wholesale Platforms (BPAMAGAD), Technology & B2B PR (MPAAADAC)

Keywords

• App industry media
• B2B events platform
• App marketing insights
• Industry conferences
• Vendor marketplace directory

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Event Tickets and Sponsorships: The company generates primary revenue through paid event attendance tickets and corporate sponsorships at its BOA NYC, Berlin, and London conferences. Sponsorship tiers include Gold, Silver, Bronze, Exhibiting, and Networking partner levels.
2. Advertising and Sponsored Content: The platform monetizes its audience through advertising placements, sponsored content, and partner content integrations. The privacy policy notes sharing data with sponsors when users engage with sponsor content.
3. Affiliate Referrals: Business of Apps operates affiliate programs and directories connecting publishers with affiliate networks and programs, earning referral commissions for qualified leads or sales.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Business of Apps is a B2B media and events platform serving the global app industry, providing news, written insights, data, benchmark reports, on-demand video, podcasts, and downloadable resources through its website. It complements this with a curated vendor marketplace directory and an annual conference series in NYC (September), Berlin (November), and London (April), connecting app growth, marketing, product, CRM, retention, and revenue leaders with insights, networking, and sponsorship opportunities.

Product overview

Business of Apps is a B2B media and events company operating a platform-plus-content model. The core offering consists of its media platform (news, insights, data, video library, downloads) that serves as an authority on the app industry, complemented by its events business (conferences in NYC, London, and Berlin). The platform also includes an affiliate directory marketplace listing networks and programs across software, gaming, and other verticals. The company is quoted as an authority by the Financial Times, Bloomberg, New York Times, BBC, and The Economist.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Business of Apps Media Platform A B2B media platform providing news, insights, data, video content, podcasts, and downloadable resources (ebooks, whitepapers, guides) for the app industry, serving as a directory and resource hub for app professionals.
• Business of Apps Events (BOA NYC, BOA Berlin, BOA London) Annual conference series (formerly App Promotion Summit) held in NYC (September), London (April), and Berlin (November), connecting app growth, marketing, product, CRM, retention, and revenue leaders with insights, networking, and exhibition/sponsorship opportunities.
• Business of Apps Video Library On-demand video talks, workshops, interviews, and sessions covering user acquisition, ASO, app engagement, retention, and subscription revenue growth, including event recordings and expert interviews.
• App Marketplace Directory Online directory connecting app professionals with vendors across categories including app marketing, user acquisition, app analytics, app engagement, app monetization, influencer marketing, app development, and mobile advertising, with categorized listings and filtering.
• Affiliate Directory A marketplace directory listing affiliate networks and programs across multiple verticals including software, sweepstakes, social media, poker, casino, dating, crypto, ecommerce, betting, CBD, coupons, esports, gambling, and games.
• App Data & Benchmarks Data products providing download, usage, user, and demographic statistics for apps, including SDK rankings, localization benchmarks, and subscription trial benchmarks (drawing on datasets covering 115,000+ apps and $16 billion in tracked subscription revenue).

Quantifiable outcome

• 78% of 2026 apps have under 1,000 downloads
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered gold, silver, exhibiting, networking and core.

• PaddlegoldGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Gold sponsor at BOA NYC 2026. Paddle is a commerce platform for SaaS businesses. Representatives including VP of Product Lucas Lovell speak at events and present on web monetization topics.
• RevenueCatgoldGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Gold sponsor at BOA NYC 2026. RevenueCat provides in-app subscription infrastructure. VP of Growth Rik Haandrikman presents subscription benchmark data at events.
• CleverTapgoldGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Gold sponsor at BOA NYC 2026. CleverTap provides customer engagement and retention platform for apps.
• SimilarwebgoldGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Gold sponsor at BOA NYC 2026. Similarweb provides digital intelligence and app analytics. VP of App Intelligence Andrea Girardello presents on cross-platform market intelligence.
• AdaptysilverGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Silver sponsor at BOA NYC 2026. Adapty provides no-code paywall and subscription management solution for mobile apps.
• AsaptysilverGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Silver sponsor at BOA NYC 2026. Asapty is a mobile app support and maintenance platform. CEO Viktor Orlov speaks at events.
• SuperwallsilverGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Silver sponsor at BOA NYC 2026. Superwall provides paywall platform for mobile apps.
• Tatam DigitalsilverGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Silver sponsor at BOA NYC 2026. Mobile growth agency. Lucia Aguilar represents Tatam Digital at events.
• Yodel MobilesilverGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Silver sponsor at BOA NYC 2026. Mobile growth consultancy. Strategic Growth Director Megan Dean speaks at events.
• OneSignalexhibitingGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Exhibitor at BOA NYC 2026. OneSignal provides customer engagement and push notification platform for mobile apps.
• MintegralexhibitingGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Exhibitor at BOA NYC 2026. Mintegral provides mobile advertising and monetization platform. Powers the Inside App Scaling channel on Business of Apps.
• AppTweaknetworkingGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Networking partner at BOA NYC 2026. AppTweak provides ASO (App Store Optimization) platform.
• BranchcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Branch powers the How I Grew This channel on Business of Apps, featuring case studies and growth stories from industry practitioners.
• VervecoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Verve powers the Mobile Growth channel on Business of Apps, providing location-based mobile advertising insights.
• LiftoffcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Liftoff powers the Women in Mobile channel on Business of Apps, featuring content focused on female leadership in the app industry.
• DesignlicoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Designli powers the App Development channel on Business of Apps, providing insights on mobile app development.
• TataricoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Tatari powers the TV channel on Business of Apps, covering CTV and TV advertising for app user acquisition.
• GPTBots.aicoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026GPTBots.ai publishes partner content on Business of Apps about AI agents in app customer support. Article series explaining AI-powered support automation benefits.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Steel Media (PocketGamer.biz): Steel Media operates PocketGamer.biz, a B2B media and events platform focused on the mobile games industry. It is the closest direct competitor to Business of Apps, running dual-vertical B2B media and conferences (PG Connects) for app professionals.
• App Growth Summit: App Growth Summit runs multi-city conferences (SF, NYC, London, Berlin) targeting app growth, UA, and retention leaders. Overlaps directly with BoA's event proposition and audience, and is a real substitute for BoA's flagship conferences.

Broad incumbents

• Sensor Tower: Sensor Tower is a leading app market intelligence platform providing download, revenue, and usage data. It is comparable to BoA in that it publishes app industry data, reports, and insights, but operates a far larger paid SaaS data business rather than an events-first model.
• Insider Intelligence (eMarketer): eMarketer / Insider Intelligence produces digital and mobile market research, reports, and forecasts. It is comparable to BoA's research and data business at a broader digital/mobile level, with subscription research and analyst content rather than events.
• AdExchanger: AdExchanger is a media and events brand covering digital advertising, including mobile, CTV, and programmatic. It is comparable to BoA in its B2B media-plus-events model for the advertising ecosystem that surrounds app monetization and user acquisition.

Emerging players

• Apptopia: Apptopia provides app intelligence, download estimates, and competitive benchmarks for the app economy. It overlaps with BoA's data and benchmarks offerings but is a more focused data product, with less emphasis on events and editorial content.
• MobileGroove (Shelly Palmer): MobileGroove is a B2B media and advisory brand focused on mobile marketing, monetization, and emerging tech. It overlaps with BoA's editorial coverage of the app economy and serves a similar app-marketing leadership audience.

Others

• Digiday: Digiday operates a B2B media platform and conference series covering digital media, marketing, and advertising. It shares BoA's media-plus-events business model and audience overlap in the digital advertising and app marketing ecosystem, but at a much broader vertical scope.
• MarTech.org: MarTech.org is a publication and community for marketing technology buyers, covering tools, vendors, and trends. It is adjacent to BoA's marketplace and editorial coverage of app marketing, engagement, and analytics tools.
• AppsFlyer: AppsFlyer is a leading mobile attribution and marketing analytics platform and a frequent exhibitor/sponsor across the app-marketing events circuit. It is comparable as a recurring event sponsor and ecosystem participant that shapes the agenda BoA covers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/businessofapps
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/business-of-apps
• YouTubeyoutube.com/businessofapps
• Facebookfacebook.com/thebusinessofapps

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Business of Apps