While handling backend data for mobile development is a challenge that many startups are addressing this year, content management systems are also a service that many developers would like to outsource to an easy-to-use third-party company. This is where cloud-based “backend as a service” startups branch, from either handling data, computing resources or managing content. If you need a backend service provided, there are a variety of startups lining up to take the job.

That is where a German startup called StorageRoom comes into play. The company has created a cloud-based CMS that devices can interact through with a RESTful JSON API. The idea is to cut programmers out of the content loop so they can do what they do best while editors handle content issues.
StorageRoom is trying to position itself in the middle of the backend as a service startups like Parse and Kinvey and more traditional CMS like Joomla, Drupal or Typo3.
“All the mobile backend services we found so far are focused on providing a database with added business logic and social plugins,” said co-founder of StorageRoom Sascha Konietzke. “They have an API, and so do we, but what’s really different is that, for the other services, all content is user-generated and written/read through the API. In our service – besides some small exceptions – content is generated and managed by editors of the app owner in an editing interface that we provide (the other services don’t have that, as content is coming from end-users).”
As Konietzke points out, most CMS are developed for the Web and not mobile and hence do not have APIs or have APIs that manage mobile poorly. With StorageRoom, developers create their data structures, enter content, manage the data within the editing interface and then query the StorageRoom API.
Konietzke says that 150 developers are now using the StorageRoom, including one very large game developer that they are not ready to reveal yet. The company is self-funded and operating on the “lean startup” principle.
“We are now looking into this as we think we really found a problem that is worth solving and received very good feedback when talking to other developers and our existing customers,” Konietzke said.