Platforms like Zapier have been connecting apps that don’t normally talk to each other for a while. But they haven’t become much easier to use for non-technical people. Generative AI has made it a bit simpler, but you still need some programming know-how to get the most out of these platforms and fix things when they go wrong.
Sam Brashears and Edward Frazer, software developers who interned at companies like Meta and Stripe, faced the same challenges. They struggled to get automations working with popular app-linking tools.
“Designing integrations and automations from scratch was painful,” said Frazer. “And Sam thought that generative AI models could solve the biggest problem in integrations — transforming data between APIs.”
So, Brashears and Frazer, who had been friends since elementary school and built software together, decided to create an easy-to-use app-to-app integration platform called DryMerge.
DryMerge is a chatbot that helps you build workflows by describing the automation you want between apps. It handles all the technical work for you.
Currently, IT departments use complex no-code tools to automate workflows for non-IT teams. But a natural language interface like DryMerge makes automation accessible to everyone.
DryMerge’s user interface is simple and clean, similar to ChatGPT. It connects with a variety of apps and displays automations in a dedicated window.
I tried setting up some automations, but I faced a few issues. DryMerge chatbot stopped responding at times, and it misunderstood some of my requests.
Despite the setbacks, DryMerge is useful when it works. For example, I successfully set up an automation that copies posts from one account to another, which will save me time.
The bugs in DryMerge will be fixed over time. Frazer and Brashears are the only employees working on DryMerge, so there is a lot on their to-do list.
Assuming DryMerge becomes reliable, the challenge will be staying competitive in the growing integration-platform-as-a-service (iPaaS) market. Frazer believes DryMerge’s ease of use will set it apart.
DryMerge has potential in the iPaaS market, as many companies are looking to invest in automation and data integration tools. Frazer sees an opportunity in simplifying automation for non-technical users.
DryMerge, with around 2,000 users, was accepted into Y Combinator’s Winter 2024 batch and closed a $2.2 million seed round. The funds will go towards adding new app integrations and expanding the DryMerge team.
Other Stories
Port of Seattle reveals ransomware attack specifics