Ask HN: API-only startups?

[patkai]

Are there any API-only startups, or other businesses that are either successful or have good prospects?

[noveltysystems]

Sendgrid is a great example of an API-only startup. They've sent 45 Billion transactional emails for over 60,000 customers.

[JayNeely]

Along similar lines:

http://www.mailgun.com/

http://postmarkapp.com/

And a couple of non-mail-related ones:

http://www.fliptop.com/ - social intelligence API

http://www.twilio.com - SMS & IP Telephony API

[__ingrid__]

The Echo Nest (http://the.echonest.com/)

[jaredsohn]

Mashery would be another example.

Often companies that have a strong business case for developers using their APIs will sponsor hackathons, so you could find more such companies by looking at lists of hackathon sponsors.

[rabidonrails]

http://phaxio.com

[Concours]

http://www.feedsapi.com fits well in this category

[shafqat]

NewsCred (http://www.newscred.com)

[rdegges]

https://www.opencnam.com/

[rcavezza]

I think Kinvey fits into this category. Backend as a Service.

[dtsingletary]

Urban Airship. Parse.

[richf]

Twilio?

[skram]

Tropo

[joeschindel]

Zapier?

[rhomboss]

Love Zapier, but I'd say they're basically the opposite... They have a product based almost exclusively on external APIs.

[mdhayes]

Pusher?

[dawson]

apiary.io

[hisabness]

janrain?