Highlights:

  • Most current applications use APIs, yet using them can be difficult for developers, according to WireMock.
  • To give developers a simple solution to simulate internal and external APIs fast, safely, and dependably, WireMock Cloud was created.

WireMock Inc., the creator of a productivity platform focusing on application programming interfaces, announced that it has secured USD 6.5 million in seed funding.

Scribble Ventures, First Rays Venture Partners, and other angel investors participated in the round, which Ridge Ventures led.

The startup is the developer of WireMock Cloud, a platform for software development and testing in API-dependent contexts. Apps can interface with external software, operating systems, and microservices, which are the building blocks of contemporary apps, using a set of operations known as APIs. In plainer terms, APIs are a messenger that passes information between various servers and applications.

Entering a URL into a web browser and pressing Enter is an example of an API. The browser then requests information from that website’s server through its API. Another illustration could be of an integrated service, like when a pizza delivery service incorporates Google Maps into its app so that customers can track their food while it is being delivered. The mobile application uses the Google Maps API in this situation.

Most current applications use APIs, yet using them can be difficult for developers, according to WireMock. For instance, building software that works with APIs can be challenging. It can be costly to use APIs, many don’t offer all the features developers need, and they typically can’t handle the load required for large-scale testing.

API providers rarely offer sandboxes for testing; when they do, they are frequently unstable and slow. Additionally, developers frequently run into obstacles when attempting to work in parallel with back-end developers since they need to interact with internal APIs that don’t yet exist.

Uri Maoz, Chief Executive and Co-founder of WireMock explained that developing integrated software these days is challenging without using several APIs. “But building, testing, and maintaining that software shouldn’t have to rely on live APIs or inadequate sandboxes from multiple companies, not to mention underdevelopment of internal APIs. That’s a terrible model, and it makes development slow, expensive, and frustrating,” he added.

In order to give developers a simple solution to simulate internal and external APIs fast, safely, and dependably, WireMock Cloud was created. It simulates APIs using the OpenAPI definition, a software development kit, and traffic logging. The business claimed that it can even imitate APIs that are not yet available but are being developed, enabling separate developer teams to keep up with one another.

Moaz said, “WireMock frees developers and QA teams from their dependence on live or unimplemented APIs, so they can build and test connected applications with freedom and confidence.”

The open-source API mocking tool WireMock, developed by the business’s other co-founder and Chief Technology Officer, Tom Akehurst, forms the foundation of WireMock Cloud. Over 3,000 other applications use the open-source WireMock, which currently has 200 contributors and 4 million monthly logged downloads.

Akehurst stated, “I built the WireMock OSS because I knew there had to be a better way for developers to develop in an environment where so many API dependencies were holding them back and slowing their delivery.”

With free, team and enterprise versions, WireMock Cloud combines the open-source WireMock with extra developer productivity benefits. The startup has already obtained “hundreds of paying customers,” including businesses like Bilt Technologies Inc., Jumia Group, OVO Energy Ltd., and Epay Global Ltd.

According to Akriti Dokania, a partner at Ridge Ventures, evaluating the market and its needs when investing in startups typically involves a lot of guessing. But she claimed that concerning WireMock, there was no reason to speculate.

“The impressive customer base proves they’re filling a growing need. With API use exploding, WireMock’s approach, allowing companies to simulate APIs robustly, accurately, and quickly, is the winning formula that software engineers need,” she added.

WireMock will use the funding from the round to grow its engineering team and create a dedicated go-to-market team for the United States. The goal is to broaden WireMock Cloud’s scope to include more of the API lifecycle.