Top 10 Startups using Objective C

Up until 2014, Objective C was the staple of software development in the Apple ecosystem. Although Apple switched to Swift, a vast majority of macOS and iOS code is written in Objective C and developers still code in the language in tandem with frameworks like Cocoa, GNUstep, or ObjFW.

Here, we take a detailed look at Objective C and the extensive examples of startups using the language to develop apps for the Apple ecosystem and other platforms supported by the GNU CC or LLVM/Clang.

Keep reading to discover ten of the best companies using Objective C.

What is Objective C?

Essentially a superset of C, Objective C is a general-purpose, type-safe, object-oriented programming language that is used primarily to develop apps for OS X and iOS.

It has been used by Apple since the late 90s when it took over NeXT and since then, it remained the first-choice language for iOS developers till 2014.

Objective C was primarily designed to add Smalltalk-like messaging to C. With Objective C, users can define a protocol by declaring the classes with default arguments.

It is a high-level language where variables can be declared anywhere in the program. It offers dynamic runtime and provides a “new” operator for memory allocation and a “delete” operator for de-allocation.

Despite the switch in 2014, the Objective C runtime is still a part of macOS and Swift. Several companies still maintain their legacy apps that were written in Objective C. Next, we take a look at the top startups that use Objective C in their tech stack.

Top notch iOS apps can now be developed using Objective C or Swift. Mobile applications can benefit from these two programming languages for native development.

Top 10 Start-ups Using Objective C

According to Stackshare, here are ten of the best startups using Objective C.

Uber

The mobility-as-a-service company Uber is one of the most popularly used services in the world. It is operational in over 900 metropolitan areas worldwide and provides various services including ride booking and sharing, food delivery, package delivery, and quick commerce.

Registered users can book or schedule a ride from the mobile app, which also shows additional information like the estimated journey time and how far the driver is from the user’s location.

Pinterest

Founded in 2009, Pinterest is one of the most popular image-sharing and social media platforms that allows users to discover information in the form of images, GIFs, and videos on pinboards.

It essentially serves as a digital “catalogue for ideas” and allows users to interact with “pins”, which are media items linked or uploaded from a website. Each user can create their own board and search for Pins to discover new ideas, people, and trends.

Instagram

Arguably the most popular social media platform in the world is Instagram, a photo and video sharing platform launched originally for iOS back in 2010.

The app allows registered users to upload media and edit them using a myriad of filters, and then post them publicly or to their followers. Instagram also added a messaging feature along with the ability to include multiple media items in one post.

Instacart

Instacart is a virtual shopping platform that allows users to purchase groceries and other essentials from their partner retailers via their website and mobile platforms.

It was launched in 2010 and now has more than 10 million active users in the United States and Canada. Orders on Instacart are fulfilled by a “personal shopper”, who picks, packs, and delivers the orders made by customers within the stipulated time.

Slack

Slack is a business communication app that offers IRC-style features like persistent topic-based chat rooms and direct messaging. It is used by businesses to connect their employees with the information they need at their convenience irrespective of the time and location.

Communicating in Slack essentially involves working in channels, which are topic-based dedicated chat rooms that allow users to connect and talk to anyone in the organization.

Tokopedia

The Indonesian tech company Tokopedia is one of the most visited local e-commerce websites in the country.

Founded in 2009 with a marketplace business, Tokopedia now has grown into a technology company with services in various sectors including fintech, payment solutions, logistics, and the new retail business. Tokopedia offers a free C2C business platform for buyers and merchants, offering millions of products in nearly 25 categories.

Snapchat

Snapchat is a multimedia instant messaging application that allows registered users to exchange media for a limited time only.

It has nearly 300 million daily active users exchanging media for a limited time that disappears after it has been viewed. Snapchat focuses primarily on using artificial intelligence features like filters and lenses. The “Stories” feature on other IMs like Instagram and WhatsApp are inspired by the media sharing model of Snapchat.

Glovo

The Spanish q-commerce giant Glovo was founded in 2015 and is now operational in over 23 countries all over the world.

It is primarily known for its food delivery service, which allows customers to find and order prepared food from their favorite restaurants, which is then delivered to their doorstep. In addition, it is also involved in delivering other essentials, which include groceries, pharmaceuticals, couriers, etc.

Square Pay

Square, now Block Inc., is an American digital payments and financial services company founded by the co-founder of Twitter Jack Dorsey and Jim McKelvey in 2009.

It is a payment platform that is targeted towards MSMEs and allows them to receive credit card payments and use tablet computers as payment registers for POS systems. It also runs Cash App, which is a mobile app that allows users and businesses to transfer money.

Plaid

Plaid is a financial services company that is primarily involved in building data transfer networks to power digital finance products.

The Plaid platform allows applications to connect with the user’s bank accounts. Users can then use these apps to check their account balances and make payments. It is active in 7 countries, including the US, Canada, UK, Netherlands, Ireland, France, and Spain.

Conclusion

Compared to other C supersets, Objective C is easier to learn and finds use in several legacy open-source projects on the internet. New developers looking to code some libraries or learn the underpinnings of Swift and other modern languages will find learning Objective C extremely helpful even in the current scenario.

If you are unsure about how to reap the full potential of Objective C, consider getting in touch with a leading app hosting company for more information on the same.

Please read iOS Programming Languages and Startups Programing Languages know more about this subject.

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