Heroku builds a Ruby on Rails development and hosting environment delivered as a cloud platform-as-a-service. Its offering includes a browser-based programming environment and an application management platform that combines runtime technology for cloud scalability with developer tools and automation. The company aims to make software development more accessible by cutting steps traditionally required to produce RoR applications. Heroku has seen traction with about 60,000 apps running on the platform, including apps for the iPad, Facebook, Twitter and the iPhone, and customers such as Shopify, Comcast and BestBuy. Founded in 2007 and backed by Y Combinator, the startup will use new funding to further product development and expand the platform. Heroku faces competition from Engine Yard. Heroku provides a browser-based Ruby on Rails development and hosting environment that cuts out traditional steps to produce RoR applications. The platform aims to make software development more accessible by enabling developers to actualize ideas quickly and by helping deploy and scale web applications. Heroku is a Y Combinator startup currently in private beta and has a waitlist for developers ahead of a public launch. Co-founder James Lindenbaum said the platform already supports over 10,000 developers and more than 12,000 applications, though most are non-critical sites as the team works on stability. The company raised $3 million from Redpoint Ventures and other angel investors.

Total raised

$13M

Funding rounds

2

Latest round

Series B

Latest activity

May 2010