Blog

The mobile app landscape is undergoing a significant transformation. Once a realm of single-function tools, apps are now evolving into feature-rich “super apps” that offer a diverse range of services. By leveraging the power of these super apps, users can access a multitude of services within a single platform, making their lives easier and more convenient.

However, this shift also presents a challenge for app marketers, who must find ways to create engaging and personalised experiences that help users adopt new features and come back to the app regularly

Enter Plotline, a San Francisco and Bengaluru-based startup that helps product and marketing teams create dynamic app experiences to better engage and retain their users.

The challenges of the modern mobile landscape

Founded in 2022 by Shubham Jindal and Adarsh Tadimari, Plotline was born out of the founders’ firsthand experiences working with several leading B2C apps at their previous venture, HyperVerge.

“Through our work with customers over the past year, we see that influencing user behaviour by making apps dynamic can be extremely beneficial for the company and end user,” Jindal says. “As apps transition from single-function tools to vertical super apps that offer multiple complementary services, we realised there was untapped potential in helping marketers and users unlock their apps’ full value.“

The core problem Plotline set out to solve was the lack of effective tools for contextually guiding users within mobile apps and driving the adoption of newer features and offerings.

“Traditional app engagement tools have solved for off-app communication channels (push notifications, SMS, emails, WhatsApp) well, but fall short when it comes to creating dynamic experiences inside the app,” Jindal says. This challenge was further compounded by the fact that creating such experiences often required significant engineering resources, diverting focus from the core product roadmap.

Plotline’s innovative no-code platform

Plotline’s solution is a no-code platform that empowers product and marketing teams to build native, personalised app experiences without relying on engineering support. The platform offers a wide variety of UI/UX patterns, including stories, animations, videos, streaks, and more, all of which can be heavily customised to match the design language of the host app.

“We brought in Plotline to create app widgets effortlessly and scale in-app as a growth channel. This has helped us drive adoption and reduced the burden on internal teams,” says Minal Thukral, EVP, Head – Growth & Strategy, CoinDCX. Plotline’s design adaptability, combined with their ability to trigger experiences in real-time (within 100 milliseconds), ensures a seamless and non-disruptive user experience.

The platform has advanced features such as AI-powered content and suggestions, which leverage billions of data points to identify the most effective ways to engage users.

While most engagement platforms are limited to intrusive banners and off-app channels like push notifications, Plotline helps brands improve key metrics like feature adoption, activation, and conversions in a way that is not possible with other tools.

Driving growth across industries

Plotline’s impact has been felt across a wide range of industries, from fintech and gaming to ecommerce and travel. In the fintech space, the platform has helped companies like Upstox, BharatPe, Niyo, Khatabook, Step Banking to improve onboarding, drive the adoption of new offerings, and boost monetisation.

“We brought in Plotline to help increase onboarding and product adoption. Plotline has helped us create in-app experiences and reduce the burden on internal teams. We’re able to move faster and have seen strong conversions on early campaigns,” says Carter Hansen, Head of Marketing, Step.

In the media and entertainment sector, Plotline has enabled companies like A23 Games and OpenPlay Technologies see an uplift in users adding cash to wallet, playing multiple tables, and more.

Fueling the next generation of super apps

With its recent $2.6 million seed funding round led by Elevation Capital, Plotline is poised to accelerate its growth and expand its global footprint, targeting key markets like the US, Middle East, Africa, and Asia-Pacific.

“With the rise of vertical super apps, Plotline helps consumer apps cut through the noise and deliver the best in-app experiences,” says Poorvi Vijay, Vice President, Elevation Capital. “We’re eager to support Shubham Jindal and Adarsh Tadimari on this journey as they redefine the dynamics of user engagement and drive unparalleled growth in this industry.“

As the mobile app landscape continues to evolve, with consumers demanding more personalised and engaging experiences, Plotline’s innovative platform is well positioned to empower the next generation of super apps, driving user adoption, retention, and monetisation in the process.