Applied Predictive Technologies
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Software, Business analytics |
| Founded | December 1999 |
| Founder | Jim Manzi, Anthony Bruce, Scott Setrakian |
| Fate | Acquired by Mastercard |
| Headquarters | Arlington County, Virginia , United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
| Products | Test & Learn platform (business analytics software) |
| Owner | Mastercard |
| Website | www |
Applied Predictive Technologies (APT) is a software firm headquartered in the United States that focuses on providing test and learn solutions for business analytics. Established in 1999, the company became part of Mastercard through acquisition in 2015.
History
The inception of APT dates back to December 1999, when consulting professionals Jim Manzi (formerly of Oliver Wyman), Anthony Bruce (previously with McKinsey & Company), and Scott Setrakian (also from Oliver Wyman) co-founded the enterprise. The concept originated with Manzi in 1988, aiming to streamline repetitive consulting processes via software automation. The company secured its initial client by 2001 and experienced consistent growth thereafter. In 2006, Accel-KKR took a controlling interest by investing $54 million, followed by a $100 million injection from Goldman Sachs in 2013. Ultimately, Mastercard purchased APT for $600 million in 2015.
Software
APT, now operating under the Mastercard brand, specializes in developing test and learn analytical software tailored for business applications.
In February 2011, the company received a patent safeguarding its fundamental analytic methodology used to design market experiments and align test locations with control counterparts. However, one of these patents was invalidated by a U.S. district court ruling in 2020.
Commercially, APT's Test & Learn platform has been utilized by companies in the food sector to measure how new products affect current sales figures and to determine if promotional pricing strategies lead to increased overall revenue. Additionally, in 2021, the city of St. Louis, Missouri employed this software to evaluate a 911 diversion initiative targeting mental health-related emergency calls.
Litigation
In June 2018, APT initiated legal action against MarketDial, accusing its co-founders of misappropriating trade secrets and infringing on patents. By November 2020, allegations concerning patent violations, civil conspiracy, and fraud were dismissed by the court.
In April 2024, MarketDial was granted summary judgment after the court concluded that APT did not sufficiently specify its trade secrets nor prove their independent economic significance. The presiding judge criticized APT for relying on generalized evidence rather than presenting a precise case and expressed skepticism regarding whether any alleged trade secrets had been improperly obtained or utilized.
Subsequently, in March 2025, the court mandated that APT/Mastercard cover over $2.8 million in legal expenses due to pursuing what was characterized as an "objectively specious" trade secrets lawsuit. This decision is currently subject to appeal.