Mobile App Development Companies That Are Shaking Up the App Landscape

Every entrepreneur's aim is to be the captain of a ship that completely transforms an industry or the way people interact with a product or service. When it comes to mobile app creation, you'll need a few uncommon ingredients: a unique idea that fills a need or solves an issue for your consumers, a skilled team of designers and developers, and a strategy for getting that app to market and making an impact.

Then, if your cards are dealt well, you could be the next Airbnb. The Tinder of the future. The Angry Birds sequel.

We spoke with six entrepreneurs and developers who are looking to disrupt the status quo in their respective fields, with some even putting new mobile raisons d'être on the map. We asked them which mobile app development firms inspire them and stand out as game-changers in the market.

What we discovered is that entrepreneurs with a sharp eye for what people need and a strong vision can change the world one mobile app at a time.

GlamSquad (@GlamSquad) brings beauty straight to your door, offering you simple access to hair and makeup professionals for your next event, or simply for everyday splendour, in a world where Michelle Phan and Desi Perkins climb to celebrity status.

However, the GlamSquad tale is about more than just a wonderful idea, sharp market insight, and gorgeous app design — it's also about commercial acumen and a solid platform, built on Applico. Erik Zambrano explained how Applico works and why it's important to the GlamSquad story: "GlamSquad was conceived as a hair blowout Uber by Columbia Business School alumni. It was a brilliant idea, but we turned it into a business by consulting on the business plan ahead of time, developing the software, and then building it."

So, what's the bottom line for mobile app development firms? While exceptional design and development will go you a long way, having the entrepreneurial acumen to form the proper business alliances will lead you to the promised land. Applico was the ideal choice for GlamSquad in this circumstance. "Within six months of launching its MVP, GlamSquad raised a $7MM Series A," Zambrano says.

While GlamSquad is a rising star among mobile app development firms, Applico is an industry disruptor in its own right, since it adds smart business to existing smart apps.

2. Kiip (@kiip) transforms mobile ads into gamified prizes.

Kiip is a mobile incentive platform that connects app creators, advertisers, and consumers. Kiip provides a mechanism for mobile app developers to monetize their apps by providing mobile rewards and relevant information that solves real-time user needs. For example, if a user reports a completed workout in RunKeeper or another popular fitness app, Kiip may surprise them with prizes like free Propel Fitness Water samples or Nike merchandise discounts.

When developers notice that obtrusive adverts are causing them to lose customers, they turn to Kiip for rewards that people genuinely want.

Because he helps developers and designers sell their ideas, Kiip's CEO, Brian Wong (@brian wong), knows a lot about the mobile app landscape. He told us about some of his favourite mobile app development companies:

"We've recently teamed with three excellent disruptors in the industry: Breathometer, SafeDrive, and RunKeeper. Breathometer provides a smart breath analysis platform that notifies users when their blood alcohol concentration (BAC) levels exceed the legal limit for driving. SafeDrive turns safe driving into a game, encouraging you to focus on the road rather than your phone.

Finally, RunKeeper (@RunKeeper) is a huge player in the fitness industry. Their approach to keeping users engaged in their health is nothing short of brilliant. All three of these apps are designed to help people improve their personal wellness in unique ways. I'm delighted that Kiip has had the opportunity to collaborate with such exceptional partners."

Finding the proper partners and establishing ties that enable you to disrupt the landscape is one of the most crucial components of entrepreneurship, whether you're in mobile development or any other industry. Kiip is doing just that, and it's an essential part of their plan to change the way mobile app development businesses advertise.

3. Keeper Security (@keepersecurity) makes mobile security elegant.

Darren Guccione founded Keeper in 2008 during a 40-hour flight to China with Craig Lurey, his co-founder and CTO. They were aware that the iPhone 3G will be released and that the App Store would be launched, but no password management app for mobile devices was available. They believed that the world was shifting toward mobile, therefore they designed the app with that in mind.

But who has the most impact on Keeper Security in that more mobile world? We asked Guccione which mobile app development companies he thought were actual industry leaders. We expected something high-tech from him because he's a security fanatic, but his response was actually rather shocking.

"Uber and Fandango are two of the best mobile app development firms that inspire me and produce products that I personally enjoy using," Darren explains. Both of these apps are favourites of mine for the same reason. They're simple, sleek, frictionless, and intuitive at the same time. You don't have to think too hard to utilise them, and you can tell the UI/UX design was done with excellent care."

That's because a decent user experience should be one of your top goals no matter what kind of software you're creating or producing. It's crucial not to pigeonhole your product by thinking of it solely in terms of aesthetics or functionality. "I'd say my biggest influence outside of the app realm is Leonardo da Vinci," Guccione continues, "because he was able to combine philosophy, art, and science to produce exquisite answers for humanity." Steve Jobs is also an inspiration to me since he was tireless in his pursuit of perfection and prioritised design and humanity over technology."