A startup created as a result of the Next 36 program has been acquired by Purple Forge Corp.
Atlus is an app serving as a free, exclusive network of restaurant recommendations for foodies and their friends. It’s a social platform that enables users to build their own exclusive network of recommendations for restaurants and other locations. Atlus said it’s different than other apps through a more personal and elegant design.
Cofounders Alex Litoiu, Evan Williams, Michael Murchison issued this statement on their website this morning: “We are thrilled to announce that Atlus has been acquired by PurpleForge, a Canadian mobile pioneer. It has been a pleasure to help you record, share, and remember your memories in your favorite places throughout your city. Your memories will remain on Atlus for the foreseeable future.”
Purple Forge Group is a leading Canadian mobile company making award-winning apps for cities, governments, and large organizations. It claims in just 15 days it can deliver robust and proven mobile applications for Apple, Android, BlackBerry and Mobile Web. It uses a cloud-based software-as-a-service model.
The company has a strong international presence with plans to add a “deeper, more engaging” social layer to their offerings. In a release it said “Toronto-grown Atlus was the perfect fit.”
“The three of us know that Atlus is in good hands with Purple Forge, whose team has decades of technical experience,” said Murchison.
On his app, the Atlus cofounder Litoiu said that being personal helps deliver a compelling and engaging experience for our users while providing high-fidelity recommendations.
“Our users believe that recommendations from their closest friends are more meaningful than anonymous ones due to both their familiarity and the contextual information they offer. Our vision for Altus was to create a network that optimized for this type of information,” added Williams.
Atlus now joins Purple Forge CEO Brian Hurley, an experienced entrepreneur who raised over $40 million for Liquid Computing, the networking company he founded in 2003.
Litoiu called his experience building the app “hugely enriching” and credited the team’s success to strong team chemistry, “tremendous support” from many people, among them the Next 36.