Startup Spotlight: Austin-based AppClose wants to streamline co-parenting

Even for the most level-headed individuals, communicating with an ex-spouse during or after a divorce can be a frustrating and tense process. But for divorcees with kids, the end of their marriage is not the end of communicating with their ex-spouse. That's where Austin-based co-parenting application AppClose comes in.

"Nobody wants to hear from each other or talk to each other so much after a divorce, but when you have kids you still have to have communication," said Igor Litinsky, founder and CEO of AppClose. "Life goes on and there's lots of things, birthday dinners, doctor visits, school activities, after school activities."The application, a play on the phrase "up close and personal," gives parents tools to help navigate the co-parenting world. It has about half a million active users and more than 1,000 people joining daily, according to the company

WHAT THEY DO:

AppClose is a free app designed to streamline communication between co-parents and other family members or friends who are involved in the care and custody of a child.

Litinsky said the platform is designed to give co-parents tools to help smooth out communication and make the co-parenting process less stressful.

Once a parent joins, users can exchange messages that are recorded and unchangeable with any person, on or off the app. All communication is also timestamped. Users can also put in requests to swap pick up, drop off or swap days completely while maintaining a record of it.

Other tools include a calendar that allows parents to add events and appointments, an integrated payment platform offers expense tracking, secure payment options, the ability to scan, save and send documents, and storage for important child-related information.

Communication on the app is recorded, in case it's needed later for legal reasons. Litinsky said this feature leads to more polite interactions between users, because they know anything they say is on the record.

"It creates this atmosphere where people think twice before saying something that could lead to tension," Litinsky said.

The app also allows family law professionals to join to share and oversee information and communication. AppClose also the company also has plans a complementary platform early next year specifically for family law professionals.

WHO THEY ARE:

Litinsky, who has a background in information technology, founded the app in 2015 while navigating his own divorce. He originally designed the app as a tool for him and his ex-wife to communicate civilly.

"It helped us a lot," Litinsky said. He said he and his ex-wife started using it more and more, and he realized that it could be a big help to other couples in the same situation.

AppClose now has about 20 employees. Litinsky said the team plans to hire another 20 people in the next six to eight months.

Litinsky said he has been surprised at the growth of the app, now used in over 10,000 cities in the U.S.

"I see how it's helping other people and it just makes me feel good," Litinsky said.

INVESTMENTS:

The platform has raised more than $3.9 million in seed financing to date.

"We're trying to find the right partners for bigger rounds," Litinsky said.

BIGGEST CHALLENGES:

Litinsky said the most challenging aspect of the creation of AppClose has been connecting the users themselves.

"We're trying to connect people who don't want to be connected in the first place," Litinsky said.

The app has been refined and updated as user feedback helps them figure out what components of the original application were most helpful, Litinsky said.

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