als ▁from ▁the ▁App ▁Store ▁for ▁Apple ▁users ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 8 . ▁The ▁App Gr atis ▁mobile ▁application ▁was ▁created ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 0 ▁while ▁still ▁using ▁the ▁news letter ▁model . ▁A ▁team ▁of ▁publish ers ▁pick ▁and ▁review ▁the ▁quality ▁of ▁potential ▁apps ▁that ▁want ▁to ▁be ▁featured ▁on ▁the ▁application . ▁App Gr atis ▁was ▁a ▁boot stra pped ▁company ▁until ▁January ▁ 2 0 1 3 , ▁where ▁App Gr atis ▁raised ▁$ 1 3 . 5 ▁million ▁from ▁I ris ▁Capital ▁and ▁the ▁Orange ▁Public is ▁fund ▁to ▁expand ▁the ▁application ▁on ▁an ▁international ▁level . ▁In ▁February ▁ 2 0 1 3 , ▁App Gr atis ▁passed ▁the ▁ 1 0 ▁million - user ▁mark . ▁Before ▁its ▁removal ▁from ▁the ▁App ▁Store , ▁App Gr atis ▁had ▁ 1 2 ▁million ▁iOS ▁users . ▁A ▁month ▁after ▁its ▁removal ▁from ▁the ▁Apple ▁App ▁Store , ▁App Gr atis ▁launched ▁the ▁Android ▁version ▁of ▁the ▁application ▁on ▁Google ▁Play . ▁The ▁Android ▁version ▁has ▁obtained ▁ 1 ▁million ▁to ▁ 5 ▁million ▁download s . ▁On ▁February ▁ 1 5 th , ▁ 2 0 1 7 , ▁ ▁App Gr atis ▁shut ▁down ▁its ▁business ▁with ▁a ▁post ▁for ▁their ▁users ▁entitled ▁' By e ▁App Gr atis '. ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 4 , ▁Simon ▁Daw lat ▁decided ▁to ▁shift ▁to ▁a ▁new ▁project , ▁B atch . ▁ ▁Cont ro vers y ▁with ▁Apple ▁store ▁In ▁November ▁