Going from API to an enterprise-ready platform
When Alexander Braunreuther and Andy Kaiser launched Ninetailed — a composable personalization and A/B testing tool acquired by Contentful — they started with a lean, high-speed API built to deliver tailored experiences without the performance drag of traditional testing tools. To succeed with personalization, Ninetailed (now Contentful Personalization) needed to be embedded directly in the content creation workflow. Building the content management features enterprise customers expect was a long and daunting process — until the co-founders discovered the Contentful App Framework.
“We realized we didn’t have to build the user interface ourselves,” Braunreuther, who also served as CTO, said. “With the Contentful App Framework, Ninetailed plugged directly into the content creation workflow. It accelerated everything.”
The foundation for a fast launch
Braunreuther, a longtime contributor to composable technologies like Next.js and Gatsby, had already embraced modular architecture. And, as demand grew from digital teams using headless CMSes, the benefits of working deeper with Contentful began to stack up.
The pair moved quickly, leveraging the Contentful App Framework — a serverless tool used to create new apps or add third-party integrations to modify or enhance the editorial experience of Contentful — to build an integration-ready version of its tool. With native integration spread across key areas of the UI, the Ninetailed team experienced fewer workarounds and less friction during the build, carving out a clear path to deliver real customer value. New features like workflows, automation, and AI Actions increase efficiency even further for organizations building with the App Framework today.
“By investing just a few weeks to build a Contentful app, we were able to create an enterprise-ready solution without reinventing foundational features,” Braunreuther said. “We didn’t have to compromise flexibility or speed, which let us focus entirely on the capabilities that made Ninetailed stand out.”
And while speed was important, the decision was also deeply strategic. Competing personalization platforms would have required building critical infrastructure — scheduling, publishing, content modeling — from scratch. That’s years of engineering time just to meet baseline expectations. With Contentful’s App Framework, Ninetailed had a fully integrated solution in less than 6 weeks, freeing its team to focus on performance and driving product value with new innovations.
Using Marketplace momentum to grow
Once the app was built, it launched in the Contentful Marketplace, giving Ninetailed immediate visibility to a qualified customer base already working with modern, composable tools. Its presence within the Marketplace — alongside hundreds of other apps — put Ninetailed on a path to quickly expand its reach.
“Being listed in the Contentful Marketplace was one of our biggest levers for growth,” Braunreuther said. “It gave us immediate access to qualified customers and validated our offering within the broader ecosystem.”
The Contentful Marketplace helped Ninetailed:
Reach the right audiences without scaling a massive sales team.
Receive real-world product feedback early.
Earn referrals from Contentful’s go-to-market teams for companies exploring personalization and testing.
Their integration was also featured in key high-visibility campaigns like Contentful’s global product launches and co-marketing programs with other solutions and technologies like Twilio Segment, increasing their exposure and boosting credibility.
Strong partnerships, big wins
Ninetailed’s use of Contentful didn’t just accelerate product development; it opened the door to real business growth by introducing the app to a diverse, global ecosystem of solution and technology partners with clientele that might be interested in its powerful capabilities. One of Ninetailed's most impressive deals — with multinational food and beverage company Kraft Heinz — was the outcome of a partnership with digital consultancy Apply Digital.
“Thanks to our presence in the Marketplace, we connected with system integrators who brought us into major global enterprise deals alongside Contentful,” Braunreuther said.
These kinds of relationships — often slow and difficult to build independently — came faster and more naturally within the Contentful Ecosystem. Through the Marketplace and its network of partners, Ninetailed was able to tap into high-value opportunities that aligned directly with its growth goals.
A blueprint for success
Ninetailed’s story demonstrates how building with Contentful can accelerate product development and open doors to new opportunities with clients of all sizes from various industries and regions.
“Our app was live in weeks, and the momentum we gained through the Marketplace was immediate,” Braunreuther said. “If you're serious about growing your business in the composable ecosystem, this is where you want to be.”
