This is issue 2023.51 of the API Changelog, a mix of API news, commentary, and opinion. In this issue, you'll get to know the most relevant API-related information from the week of December 11, 2023. Subscribe now, so you never miss an issue of the API Changelog.
This issue of the API Changelog was crafted with the help of Zuplo. Make your business API-first with the first-ever edge API Gateway that's multi-cloud ready.
Zuplo is the only API Gateway that runs your OpenAPI definition directly. If you care about high-quality developer documentation, API analytics, and zero configuration deployments, give Zuplo a try today.
Announcements
Google Analytics 4 is adding enhanced conversions and fast-tracking its Protected Audiences API to adapt to the loss of third-party cookies. See additional coverage on Search Engine Journal.
Postman expands into Japan, supporting over 400,000 developers and 82% of the Nikkei 225 firms with their API platform. See additional coverage on Yahoo!finance and businesswire.
Bloomreach partners with Spryker to enhance its e-commerce API offerings. The collaboration aims to boost B2B, marketplaces, and Thing Commerce capabilities.
Cloudinary's enhanced Video API now supports long-form content with advanced encoding and streaming optimizations for various platforms. See additional coverage on Martechcube and Yahoo!finance.
Kong attributes its revenue surge past $100 million to the growing demand for its API management solutions. The co-founder's foresight on API popularity is validated by this financial milestone.
Rapid Enterprise introduces an API-backed SMB Disclosure Service to help lenders comply with new commercial financing laws in Georgia and Florida. See additional coverage on businesswire.
AWS launched a Free Tier API, accessed via CLI or SDK, for monitoring usage and staying within free limits. The API returns JSON data on current and forecasted usage, assisting developers in avoiding unexpected charges.
Funding
Mistral AI raised $415 million in Series A funding, valuing the company at $2 billion, and launched a commercial API platform. The startup offers the Mistral 7B model for free download and a superior Mistral-medium via a paid API.
OurSky launched its telescope network's API-connected beta after securing $10 million for amateurs to join and enhance star scans. The firm invites developers to use their APIs, advancing open-source astronomy and the potential for AI integration.
Terminal secured $3.1M to expand its Unified API, positioning itself as the trucking industry's equivalent of Plaid. Their API fosters integration among trucking telematics, streamlining data sharing and improving fleet management.
Inverted AI secures $4 million to enhance its API-driven simulation tech for autonomous vehicles with AI-generated human behavior.
AI
Pluto 5000 launched the Genesis API, pioneering AI Brains that evolve with a company's operations, transforming core business assets.
D-ID introduces an API for enterprises to create customizable digital agents for natural, AI-driven interactions on their platforms.
Google Cloud introduces Gemini Pro API as part of its AI platform Vertex AI, enabling developers to integrate API-supported language and vision model capabilities. See additional coverage on Google Cloud, TechTarget, and Medium.
NEC Corporation plans to launch its improved LLM in the spring of 2024, providing industry-specific AI services via specialized APIs. See additional coverage on Medium.
ByteDance used OpenAI's API for its chatbot, violating terms of service, as revealed by The Verge. OpenAI suspended ByteDance's API access for reportedly using it to train a competing LLM. See additional coverage on itechpost, Business Insider, NewsBytes, /.slashdot, ETTelecom.com, and LatestLY.
Fintech
HitPay introduces Payout APIs for businesses to manage mass payouts in Southeast Asia, with support for local payment networks.
Priority Technology Holdings partners with Treasure Financial to integrate their embedded yield API, enhancing cash management for clients.
Bloom Credit launches an API service for reporting business tradelines, enhancing credit profiles, and aiding credit access.
TD Bank's new API-based agreement with Plaid enhances customer data security by avoiding shared login credentials with apps. See additional coverage on The Fintech Times, TD, and The Paypers.
Cashfree Payments launched FlowWise, an API-centric, self-hosted payment orchestration platform that enhances payment security and reduces costs.
Security
Cequence's API security outperforms others by natively blocking API attacks with a low false positive rate and without overburdening CDNs or WAFs.
Salt Security's API Protection Platform was honored as a Gold Winner for "Enterprise Product of the Year" in security by Best in Biz Awards 2023. See additional coverage on nocamels.
API flaws in Edulog's Parent Portal exposed the personal data of 6 million K-12 students, including geolocation.
Data Theorem's API-centric Cloud Secure won the 2023 Cyber Security Excellence Award for its full-stack, ML-enhanced security analysis.
Box experienced a major outage, impacting the API and user access, and disrupting file sharing and logins for several hours.