Unified Remote recently announced on HackerNytt TV that they had achieved over 2.2 million downloads of their app, which so far is only available for Android. The startup, making a single app for remote-controlling many different apps by phone, tablet or computers, was originally launched as a just-for-fun project. Since then the downloads have grown steadily, and also the revenue.
“It started out as a free app. After a while we got so much positive feedback and downloads, so we decided to make a payed version as well. The free version has fewer remotes to choose from, and the payed version has support for widgets and voice commands [on android]” co-founder Philip Bergqvist said.
Unified Remote started already in 2010. The at that time 21 year-old Philip Bergqvist and his 19 year-old co-founder Jacob Berglund created the first version.
“In the beginning it was mostly a problem we wanted to solve for ourselves. I wanted to lie on the couch and control my media player with my mobile.” Philip Bergqvist says to InternetWorld.
A non-free, full version of the app was introduced in 2011. Philip says that roughly 5%, over 100 000, of the users have downloaded the full version so far, at $ 4.
“Most of our users tell us that the app ‘just works’. That is what makes our app great”.
With the success of the Android app and the revenue, Philip has now gone into working full time with the project, and making it a real business. With that came the plan to launch on iOS as well.
“An iOS launch is approaching. Most of the app is finished, and we are currently accepting Beta applications. Our plan right now is to release iOS app in late February / early March. We want to ensure that the app is as good as it can be and bug-free before we release it. We also have some other things in the pipe-line that need time to be completed, such as explainer video and media as well as marketing.” Philip says.
“Next step will be to get the software on all platforms. More then just to be on the iPhone and iPad, we are also looking at Linux and even for things like Raspberry Pi.”
We wish the team good luck, and hope they can grow the project into a thriving business in the future. Thoughts about working towards a global standard for remotes where mentioned on Hacker Nytt TV interview as well, something that has a large potential besides a single app.
