Social media disrupter Chatloop has been awarded Apple default browser status and raised £2.1 million in fresh funding.
The growing startup, which moved into a new base in Manchester late last year, aims to reinvent how people browse the internet by enabling them to start conversations anywhere on the web.
Chatloop is the only UK app to receive the accreditation, which means it is now available on 4.2 billion devices globally. It now sits proudly alongside two other European browsers and eight others globally, including Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge and Mozilla’s Firefox, who also share this title.
The accreditation follows a £2.1m seed funding round from private investors as Chatloop announces its official UK rollout following a year of record growth.
The funds raised will allow Chatloop to drive user numbers and increase engagement, build out the internal team, and continue its fundraising ambitions. Launched in the UK in Beta in December 2022, the business has grown from 3 to 11 permanent employees in the past year and is set to pursue a wider Series A raise midway through 2024.
“Being awarded default browser status by Apple is a huge milestone for the Chatloop team, who have worked tirelessly for the last ten months to ensure our app meets Apple’s stringent integration requirements,” said Andy Barlow, CEO.
“Our world-class browser is faster than both Chrome and Safari and default browser status across Apple’s products means that billions of people across the world can now enjoy the benefits of Chatloop every time they go online.
“Chatloop is bridging the gap between brands and users by making it much easier to share the things you love as you browse. Apple’s endorsement and the generous backing of our investors will supercharge our mission to deliver a people-first web experience that works for everyone.”
The investment will also drive forward the implementation and delivery of Chatloop’s Open Innovation Programme for brands, which is partnering with notable brands across the retail, travel and hospitality sectors, to co-create the company’s business proposition.
Founded in 2021 by CEO Andrew Barlow, an experienced technology developer and former co-founder of digital adoption platform AppLearn, Chatloop combines a world-class browser that is faster than Chrome, Safari or Firefox with the best aspects of social sharing, allowing consumers to share as they browse give and get recommendations and loop in their friends, by creating shareable content ‘loops’ directly on the page.
With Chatloop, there is no need to copy and paste links, switch between multiple apps, or spend time writing online reviews that get lost in the noise. Chatloop allows consumers to instantly share valued experiences in the place where it matters the most – on the website itself.
Chatloop uses Face ID to verify its users, meaning every loop created is written and seen by real people – addressing concerns amongst consumers that the everyday web experience can’t be trusted.