The widely-adopted strategy of content management nowadays is largely a centralized affair, where one party or institution manages the entirety of a digital asset. But this isn’t always ideal, and with the advent of technology that enables more granular management and consumption (think: Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality), new approaches to content management are becoming increasingly popular. Berlin-based startup Hygraph has developed a platform based around what it calls “federated” content management – meaning that multiple sources of data are combined and managed from one platform using composable architecture. This makes it possible for users to easily access all relevant content across all devices without having to manually input information into multiple different systems. The aim is to make managing digital assets easier for both brands and end users alike, with the belief being that by pooling data together in this way, organisational efficiencies can be attained without sacrificing user experience or control.
The round is significant as it shows continued investor interest in the space, even amid a slowdown in venture capital Activity. It also confirms that companies that focus on delivering software as a service (SaaS) can still attract top-tier investors.
Hygraph is a content management system specifically designed for ecommerce companies. It offers a more flexible and user-friendly toolkit than most competitors, as well as features that allow for more efficient data management. Hygraph’s platform is built on the assumption that ecommerce businesses operate on a massive scale, and that managing content needs to be approached with the same level of sophistication.
Armed with this new knowledge, we can see that traditional methods of content management don’t work as well anymore. Content needs to be managed in a more agile and transparent way, using technologies that allow the creation and management of content across multiple devices. This means relying on platforms like Google Docs and Sheets, which make it easy to share data between users withoutlessly sacrificing the security or permanence of that data.
By consolidating data management and back-and-forth sourcing challenges into one platform, Hygraph seeks to reduce fragmentation of the user experience while continuing to support individualized editorial content. Federated content would enable publishers to leverage data collected by other publishers in order to create a more complete picture of readers’ interests, which could then be used for targeting advertising. By bringing together disparate data sources and creating a unified user experience, Hygraph may well prove to be the solution that finally addresses the state of fragmentation within digital publishing.
Even as front-end technologies and design continue to evolve, many organizations find it more advantageous to use a centralized back-end that can quickly handle large amounts of data. With such an approach, updates and information can be sent out in real time across multiple platforms and streams, ultimately leading to a better experience for the user. This is where content APIs come into play – by providing an easy way for developers to integrate both the back-end and front-end into one system, businesses can optimize their content distribution while also maintaining flexibility should they need to change platforms or locations down the road.
GraphCMS is a GraphQL framework that has been built around the concept of composable architecture. This means that all of the different parts of GraphCMS can be reused and combined to create new applications and solutions. In addition to this, the company also released an API that supercharges where and how Hygraph can be used.
Hygraph is a federated content platform that aims to solve the customisation and integration challenges that continue to slow the creation of new or complex digital services at scale. One Peak is incredibly excited to back the excellent Hygraph team and its founders in their next phase of explosive growth. With its strong and capital efficient growth trajectory, Hygraph presents a sizeable market opportunity for companies looking to create innovative, innovative digital services.
