What Zapplication does

Zapplication (ZAPP) is a Denver-based internet company that operates an online application collection and adjudication platform purpose-built for juried art fairs and festivals across the United States. Founded in 2004 and structured as ZAPP Software, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Colorado nonprofit Creative West (formerly the Western States Arts Federation), the platform serves a two-sided market: more than 300 event organizers license the software to collect artist applications, manage jury processes, assign booth space, and process payments, while thousands of individual artists and craftspeople use it to discover events, maintain portfolios, submit applications, and purchase booth products through a single self-service interface. The core product suite includes the ZAPPlication artist-facing platform, the ZAPP Admin portal for event organizers, the My Portfolio storage system, and a Notifications Center, with monetization augmented by paid add-on modules: ZAPP Onsite ($200 per event) for mobile at-festival jury scoring, ZAPP Gallery ($200 per event) for embeddable public artist galleries, Booth Management ($100 single / $50 multi-event), and a $250 Digital Package bundle combining Onsite and Gallery.

The business model blends B2B software licensing (event organizers pay recurring fees to license the platform) with transactional revenue (artists pay per-application jury fees that flow through ZAPP Shop and are remitted to event organizers, plus fees for booth and add-on purchases). Go-to-market is B2B2C: a small direct-sales motion licenses the platform to event organizers, who in turn make it the default application channel for their artist applicants, supported by bi-monthly administrator webinars, a content blog, and a comprehensive help-center ecosystem. The company holds registered trademarks for ZAPP, ZAPPLICATION, ZAPPlication, and the Jury Buddy sub-brand, and operates with a lean 1-10 person team, with no external venture funding, no acquisitions, no API program, and no disclosed integrations. Its competitive position rests on two decades of incumbency in a niche vertical, network effects between event organizers and artists, and the institutional backing of its nonprofit parent rather than on technology differentiation.

Name

Zapplication

Legal name

ZAPP Software, LLC

Website

https://zapplication.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Zapplication (ZAPP) operates a B2B2C online platform that enables U.S. art fairs and festivals to collect artist applications, run jury processes, and manage booth sales, serving 300+ event organizers and thousands of individual artists since 2004 as a subsidiary of Creative West.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Denver

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Software Licensing: Art fairs and festivals pay licensing fees to use the ZAPP platform for their event applications
2. Application Processing: Artists pay application/jury fees when submitting to events listed on ZAPP; fees are collected and remitted to event organizers
3. Booth and Product Sales: Artists can purchase booths, electricity, and other products through the platform after being accepted to events
4. Premium Add-ons: Additional fees for ZAPP Onsite ($200), ZAPP Gallery ($200), Booth Management ($100 single event or $50 for 2+ events), and Digital Package bundle ($250)

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

ZAPPlication is a web-based online application collection and adjudication platform licensed to art fairs and festivals across the United States. Event organizers use the platform to collect artist applications, manage jurying processes, handle communications, and process booth and product sales, while individual artists use the self-service portal to register, build portfolios, apply to events, and purchase booth space.

Product overview

ZAPPlication is a cloud-based online application collection and adjudication platform designed specifically for art fairs and festivals. The core ZAPPlication system serves as a unified platform where artists register, build portfolios, apply to events, and purchase booth space, while event organizers use the ZAPP Admin portal to build applications, manage submissions, run juries, communicate with artists, and process payments. The platform includes free core features (portfolio storage, application management, jurying tools) and premium add-ons: ZAPP Gallery ($200) for public artist galleries, ZAPP Onsite ($200) for at-event award scoring, Booth Management ($100 single/$50 multi-event) for booth space assignment, and a Digital Package bundle ($250) combining Onsite and Gallery. Supporting tools include a Notifications Center for artist communications, a ZAPP Shop for checkout, and the trademarked Jury Buddy™ tool. ZAPP is operated by ZAPP Software, LLC, a subsidiary of Creative West (formerly WESTAF), a Colorado-based nonprofit.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Jury Buddy: A trademarked tool/feature within the ZAPP platform used for jury evaluation processes.

Products and services

• ZAPPlication (Core Platform) The core online application collection and adjudication system that enables art fairs and festivals to collect artist applications, manage jurying processes, and handle booth purchases. Artists register, build portfolios, apply to events, and purchase booth space through the platform.
• ZAPP Admin The event management and jurying administration portal where festival organizers build applications, manage artist submissions, configure jury settings, create juror accounts, score applications, send communications, and process booth payments.
• My Portfolio A free storage and management system within ZAPP where artists upload and organize artwork images, booth shots, supplemental files, and saved statements of technique for use when applying to events.
• ZAPP Gallery A paid add-on ($200) that automatically generates a public-facing gallery view of participating artists and their work. Event organizers can embed the gallery directly into their websites or share via public URL.
• ZAPP Onsite A paid add-on ($200) providing mobile-responsive at-festival jury scoring for Best in Show and other awards. Jurors score from smartphones and award winners are tabulated in minutes.
• Booth Management A paid add-on ($100 for single event, $50 for 2+ events) that enables event organizers to collect booth requests and assign booth spaces visually using a booth map tool with customizable pins and site maps.
• Digital Package A bundled add-on ($250) combining ZAPP Onsite and ZAPP Gallery, offering savings of $150 compared to purchasing separately.
• ZAPP Shop The checkout system within ZAPP where artists complete applications, pay jury fees, purchase booth products, and apply coupon codes.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Creative West (formerly WESTAF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCreative West (Western States Arts Federation) is the parent organization that powers ZAPP. ZAPP Software, LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of WESTAF. Creative West is a regional arts organization supporting arts and culture in the western United States. The partnership provides ZAPP with organizational backing and industry credibility in the arts sector.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• CaFE (Call for Entry): CaFE is a sister platform also operated by Creative West/WESTAF, focused on online entry submissions for art calls, residencies, and exhibitions. It overlaps directly with ZAPP on juried entry workflows for artists, and both are housed under the same nonprofit parent — making it the most comparable peer.
• Submittable: Submittable is a leading online application management platform for contests, fellowships, grants, and calls for entry — directly competing with ZAPP's core application-collection functionality. It acquired SlideRoom in 2021, consolidating its position in the arts-application vertical and serving many of the same artist and organization customers.
• SlideRoom: SlideRoom is an application management platform widely used by arts organizations, galleries, and academic programs for portfolio submission and review. It was acquired by Submittable in 2021 but continues operating as a distinct brand, directly overlapping with ZAPP's portfolio-upload and jurying workflows.
• EntryThingy: EntryThingy is an online entry management system specifically designed for art shows, craft fairs, and photography competitions. It competes directly with ZAPP for the same art-fair organizer buyer with similar application-collection and jury-scoring features.
• FestivalNet: FestivalNet is an online directory and vendor-management platform connecting craft and art vendors with festivals and events. It overlaps with ZAPP's booth-management and event-discovery functionality on the artist/vendor side of the marketplace.

Broad incumbents

• Eventbrite: Eventbrite is a large, publicly traded event-management and ticketing platform serving a broad range of event organizers. While not focused on juried art fairs, it represents a much larger incumbent with capital to build vertical-specific modules that could pressure ZAPP's niche position over time.
• Artlogic: Artlogic is a software platform serving art galleries, art fairs, and artists with inventory, CRM, and online sales tools. While broader in scope than ZAPP, its art-fair management module directly competes for the same event-organizer buyer with overlapping feature sets.

Emerging players

• OpenCalls: OpenCalls is an emerging online platform aggregating open calls for artists, residencies, and exhibitions. It overlaps with ZAPP's event-calendar and artist-discovery functionality and represents a newer entrant attacking the same two-sided marketplace with a more modern UX.

Others

• Wild Apricot: Wild Apricot is membership-management software widely used by arts organizations and nonprofit associations. While not a direct competitor on application processing, it is an adjacent platform frequently purchased by the same event-organizer buyer ZAPP serves.
• Artsy: Artsy is a leading online art marketplace connecting collectors with galleries and auction houses. It does not directly compete with ZAPP's application-management functionality but operates in the broader art-industry software and marketplace space with overlapping artist and gallery customers.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/ZAPPlication
• Facebookfacebook.com/zapplication
• Instagraminstagram.com/zapplication

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Zapplication