Apollo
Apollo provides a GraphQL API platform designed to unify disparate backend services and external APIs into a single composable graph architecture.
Profile
Provides an API orchestration platform that unifies backend services and REST APIs into a composable GraphQL architecture for enterprise developers.
Apollo provides a GraphQL API platform designed to unify disparate backend services and external APIs into a single composable graph architecture. Founded in 2016 by Geoff Schmidt and Matt DeBergalis—both previously co-founders of Meteor—Apollo has raised $130 million in Series D funding (August 2021, led by Insight Ventures) and is backed by Andreessen Horowitz, Matrix Partners, and other institutional investors. The company offers three core products: Apollo GraphOS (a cloud-native API orchestration runtime), GraphOS Router (an enterprise GraphQL runtime), and Apollo Connectors (declarative REST API orchestration).
As of 2024, Apollo reported $37.3 million in annual revenue with approximately 243 employees. In April 2026, co-founder Matt DeBergalis assumed the CEO role, with Geoff Schmidt transitioning to focus on technology advancement and GraphQL ecosystem initiatives. Apollo's customer base spans Zillow, Expedia, Wayfair, Cox Automotive, Sysco, Capital One, and Indeed.
The company has positioned itself as critical infrastructure for enterprise API management, particularly as organizations migrate from monolithic backends to distributed service architectures. A major 2025–2026 strategic shift centers on AI integration: Apollo launched the Apollo MCP (Model Context Protocol) Server in May 2025 to enable AI agents to securely access GraphQL APIs, and in February 2026 joined the Agentic AI Foundation (AAIF) as a Silver member. In April 2026, Apollo earned its first Gartner Peer Insights recognition, rated 4.7 out of 5 stars from 55 verified customer reviews with 98% recommending the platform. The company previously navigated a workforce reduction of approximately 15% in December 2022, when headcount had grown 2.5x in a year without proportional productivity gains.
Who buys this
- Large-scale e-commerce and travel platforms integrating multiple internal services (Zillow, Expedia, Wayfair)
- Enterprise data teams building internal API marketplaces and data governance (Capital One, Sysco)
- SaaS and fintech firms modernizing monolithic backends with federated graph architecture (Indeed, Block)
- Infrastructure-heavy organizations deploying GraphQL at the API gateway layer (Cox Automotive, N-able)
Publicly disclosed clients
- Zillow
- Expedia
- Wayfair
- Capital One
- Indeed
- Sysco
- Cox Automotive
- Block
Strengths and what to watch
Strengths
- First Gartner Peer Insights recognition (April 2026) with 4.7/5 rating and 98% recommendation rate from 55 verified customers, placing Apollo as a Strong Performer in API Management
- Early-mover advantage in AI-to-API integration via Apollo MCP Server; member of Agentic AI Foundation steering open standards for agent-to-API security and observability
- Established enterprise customer base with public case studies demonstrating federated graph adoption at scale (Zillow's 70-system migration, Expedia's 3x faster deployment cycles)
Watch for
- 2022 layoff (15% reduction after aggressive headcount growth) signals prior operational challenges; company shifted focus to profitability without further outside capital after that round
- Leadership transition in April 2026 with CEO change from Geoff Schmidt to Matt DeBergalis; founder retained in technology role, but operational changes under new leadership merit monitoring
- Customer concentration risk: named wins are concentrated in large enterprise segments; growth dependency on GraphQL adoption curve and competitive dynamics with REST-centric API platforms
Recent moves
- 3mo ago Apollo Recognized as Strong Performer in 2026 Gartner Peer Insights for API Management, Achieves 4.7/5 Rating
- 3mo ago Matt DeBergalis Becomes CEO of Apollo GraphQL; Geoff Schmidt Moves to Technology Leadership Role
- 5mo ago Apollo GraphQL Joins Agentic AI Foundation as Silver Member to Advance Open Standards for Agent-to-API Integration
- 10mo ago Apollo Announces Apollo MCP Server 1.0, GraphOS MCP Tools, and Enhanced AI Integration at GraphQL Summit 2025
Key Information
- Industry
- People/Entities
- Founded
- 2016
- Employees
- 173
- Country
- United States
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Apollo GraphQL?
Apollo is a GraphQL API orchestration platform that unifies disparate backend services and REST APIs into a single composable graph architecture. Founded in 2016 by Geoff Schmidt and Matt DeBergalis, Apollo serves enterprise organizations modernizing from monolithic backends to distributed service architectures through its GraphOS cloud platform.
What does Apollo's platform include?
Apollo offers three core products: GraphOS—a cloud-native API orchestration runtime; GraphOS Router—an enterprise GraphQL runtime; and Apollo Connectors for declarative REST API orchestration. Together, they enable organizations to build federated graph architectures that unify multiple backend systems into a single composable API.
Who uses Apollo GraphQL?
Apollo powers major enterprises including Zillow, Expedia, Wayfair, Capital One, Indeed, Sysco, Cox Automotive, and Block. These organizations use Apollo to integrate multiple internal services, build API marketplaces, modernize monolithic backends, and deploy GraphQL at the API gateway layer, with case studies demonstrating scaled adoption across 70+ system migrations.
How does Apollo work with AI agents?
Apollo launched the Apollo MCP Server in May 2025 to enable AI agents to securely access GraphQL APIs. In February 2026, Apollo joined the Agentic AI Foundation to advance open standards for agent-to-API integration. This makes Apollo critical infrastructure for enterprises deploying AI agents with secure, reliable API access.
Is Apollo recognized in the industry?
Yes. In April 2026, Apollo earned its first Gartner Peer Insights recognition as a Strong Performer in API Management, with a 4.7 out of 5-star rating from 55 verified customer reviews. Ninety-eight percent of customers recommend the platform, validating Apollo's position as critical enterprise API infrastructure.
How is Apollo structured as a company?
Founded in 2016 by Geoff Schmidt and Matt DeBergalis—former Meteor co-founders—Apollo raised $130 million in Series D from Insight Ventures in August 2021. As of 2024, Apollo reported $37.3 million in annual revenue with 243 employees. Matt DeBergalis became CEO in April 2026, with Schmidt focusing on technology.
How Apollo compares
Direct head-to-head against 3 competitors. Picked by 7wData.
Apollo
- Positioning
- Provides an API orchestration platform that unifies backend services and REST APIs into a composable GraphQL architecture for enterprise developers.
- Customer segments
- Large-scale e-commerce and travel platforms integrating multiple internal services (Zillow, Expedia, Wayfair)
- Strengths
- First Gartner Peer Insights recognition (April 2026) with 4.7/5 rating and 98% recommendation rate from 55 verified customers, placing Apollo as a Strong Performer in API Management
- Watch for
- 2022 layoff (15% reduction after aggressive headcount growth) signals prior operational challenges; company shifted focus to profitability without further outside capital after that round
- Recent moves
- Apollo Recognized as Strong Performer in 2026 Gartner Peer Insights for API Management, Achieves 4.7/5 Rating
Hasura
- Positioning
- GraphQL API and AI data access platform; pivoted in 2025 to PromptQL for natural-language enterprise data queries.
- Customer segments
- Enterprise data and engineering teams at Fortune 100 firms (Airbus, Walmart, Atlassian) building automated API layers over existing databases.
- Strengths
- Auto-generates GraphQL APIs from database schemas without manual mapping; DDN federation layer extends this to multi-source composite access.
- Watch for
- PromptQL still in beta while closing seven-figure deals; v3 DDN architecture breaks from v2, requiring re-implementation for existing deployments.
- Recent moves
- Launched PromptQL in June 2025, pivoting from GraphQL tooling to AI natural-language data-access platform; product remains in enterprise beta.
Kong
- Positioning
- API connectivity platform spanning REST, microservices, and AI agent traffic; self-described infrastructure layer for the agentic era.
- Customer segments
- Platform engineering and infrastructure teams at mid-market and enterprise firms managing heterogeneous API environments and AI agent workloads.
- Strengths
- Open-source Kong Gateway with broad developer adoption handles REST, gRPC, and GraphQL from one runtime; free tier drives enterprise land-and-expand.
- Watch for
- Customers cite OSS and commercial boundary ambiguity; free Kong Gateway self-management vs. paid Konnect SaaS creates unclear support scope.
- Recent moves
- Raised $175M Series E at $2B valuation in November 2024, led by Tiger Global, bringing total capital raised to $345M.
Apigee
- Positioning
- Full lifecycle API management natively embedded in Google Cloud; Gartner Magic Quadrant Leader targeting GCP-committed enterprises in regulated industries.
- Customer segments
- GCP-committed large enterprises in financial services, insurance, and retail requiring API security, compliance, and full lifecycle governance tooling.
- Strengths
- 10 consecutive years as Gartner Magic Quadrant Leader for Full Lifecycle API Management, with highest Ability to Execute score in 2025.
- Watch for
- Apigee Edge to Apigee X is not an in-place upgrade; enterprises report costly re-implementation and months of disruption during forced migration.
- Recent moves
- Apigee Classic UI shut down November 2, 2025, completing forced migration of all users from legacy Apigee Edge to Apigee X.
Sources
- www.apollographql.com — Company mission, product portfolio (GraphOS, Router, Connectors, Client), and positioning
- www.apollographql.com — Named customers including Zillow, Expedia, Wayfair, Cox Automotive, Sysco, Capital One, Indeed, Block, N-able
- www.apollographql.com — Founder information (Geoff Schmidt, Matt DeBergalis), current leadership team composition
- www.apollographql.com — Series D funding round details: $130M from Insight Ventures in August 2021, over $1.5B valuation
- getlatka.com — 2024 revenue ($37.3M), employee count (243), funding history
- www.apollographql.com — CEO transition on April 29, 2026: Matt DeBergalis to CEO, Geoff Schmidt to technology focus
- www.apollographql.com — April 2026 Gartner Peer Insights recognition: 4.7/5 rating, 98% recommendation, Strong Performer classification
- www.prnewswire.com — GraphQL Summit 2025 announcements (October 7, 2025): Apollo MCP Server 1.0, GraphOS MCP Tools, Router 2.0 GA
- www.prnewswire.com — Agentic AI Foundation membership (February 24, 2026), MCP standardization role, partnership with Anthropic, Block, OpenAI