Several years ago, Daniil Bratchenko, a key early team member at DataRobot, an AI and data science platform, identified a persistent challenge faced by enterprises that adopt software-as-a-service (SaaS) applications. Despite the availability of numerous tools for establishing integrations between SaaS applications and services, compatibility issues between various SaaS applications and services remained a prevalent concern.
In an email interview with TechCrunch, Bratchenko emphasized the pivotal role of integrations within a company’s IT infrastructure. “When organizations contemplate the acquisition of new software, a critical consideration is the seamless integration of the system with existing applications,” he explained. “However, the task of building the multitude of integrations demanded by our customer base consumes valuable engineering resources that could otherwise be dedicated to developing core functionalities.”
Bratchenko’s assertions are substantiated by findings from a recent survey conducted by Salesforce’s MuleSoft, a provider of application integration tools. Nearly 90% of the surveyed companies acknowledged encountering challenges related to integrating new systems with their current infrastructure. A significant proportion, 20%, viewed integration efforts as highly time-consuming, while 44% reported instances where certain applications could not be effectively integrated with their existing systems.
Considering that the average enterprise employs approximately 130 applications, as reported by Statista, the magnitude of the issue becomes evident, with potential implications for the efficient functioning of businesses.
Bratchenko’s determination to address this integration predicament led to the establishment of Integration.app. Leveraging his prior experience, which included the successful sale of Kionobaza.tv, a movie recommendation engine, to the Russian technology giant Yandex, Bratchenko founded Integration.app with the aim of facilitating smoother integration processes for engineering teams linking their company’s products with external SaaS applications.
The recent public emergence of Integration.app, following a successful stealth period, has been supported by a substantial investment of $3.5 million, led by Crew Capital, with additional contributions from Seedcamp and Cortical Ventures. Bratchenko outlined the strategic allocation of these funds toward bolstering the startup’s go-to-market initiatives, sales and marketing efforts, and a projected expansion of Integration’s workforce from 12 to 24 full-time employees within the next 12 months.
In essence, Integration.app operates as an integration platform as a service (iPaaS) provider, furnishing a suite of tools for connecting both applications and data. Notably, the iPaaS market is robust, with several notable players such as Digibee, Boomi, and MuleSoft competing in a sector valued at over $3.7 billion. A study from TeamDynamix in 2021 highlighted that 27% of companies had already invested in iPaaS, and an additional 66% planned to do so within the next one to two years.
Bratchenko emphasized the distinct technological edge of Integration.app compared to its competitors. Integration.app’s utilization of large language models, akin to ChatGPT, allows for the automation of certain aspects of the software integration process. Notably, the “connector builder” tool harnesses these language models to interpret API documentation, expediting the process of integrating with specific applications. This capability enables Integration.app’s customers to rapidly develop numerous connectors, streamlining the integration process.
Bratchenko emphasized the value proposition of Integration.app, stating, “We assist engineering teams in seamlessly integrating their products with a diverse array of SaaS applications. Our platform offers universal integration capabilities with application-specific customization, significantly reducing the time and effort required to maintain a multitude of integrations.”
While Integration.app is not the sole iPaaS provider exploring the integration of generative AI features, competitors such as Zapier have also introduced AI-powered tools like Canvas, enabling users to map out comprehensive app-to-app workflows from a centralized interface. Additionally, industry giant Amazon plans to introduce AI-driven functionalities in its AWS AppFabric iPaaS offering to facilitate various tasks across interconnected SaaS applications and services.
Despite the competitive landscape, Bratchenko remains confident in Integration.app’s trajectory. “Our commercial operations commenced just four months ago, and we have already secured a substantial client base,” he remarked. “While stimulating a shift in mindset among engineering teams to adopt embedded integration technology may pose challenges, the marked efficiency and customization advantages offered by Integration.app relative to traditional incumbents are expected to drive widespread adoption among developers.”
