A/B testing company Optimizely raises a massive $57M

Yes, testing all those websites you’ve been building is just as important as throwing together the code. As if you needed any proof, here’s another data point: Optimizely has just scooped up a new bag of cash.

The company helps website owners do A/B tests to find out, for instance, if a yellow button or a blue one gets people to click more. Today, Optimizely is announcing that it has a closed its second round of institutional funding, bringing in a new $57 million. Andreessen Horowitz led the round, with additional participation from Benchmark Capital and Bain Capital Ventures. Andreessen Horowitz general partner Scott Weiss is joining the company’s board.

“Our vision is to enable the world to turn data into action. We think website and mobile optimization are just the first steps on that journey,” said Optimizely chief executive Dan Siroker in an official statement.

This news comes at the heels of Optimizely’s launch of testing tools for iOS, its developer platform, and its first optimization-focused conference, Opticon, only two weeks ago.

“Optimizely is the clear leader in the new—and incredibly crucial—software category of website and mobile optimization,” said Weiss in a official statement.

“Testing and personalization powered by Optimizely gives businesses the ability to use data-driven decisions to provide users with a better experience. Optimizely represents the future of highly efficient product and business development, enabling users without technical expertise to run tests and achieve immediate results,” Weiss added.

Weiss also pointed to the company’s iOS testing tool as an important element of the firm’s interest in Optimizely. This is not surprising, however, given the recent activity in this space. Just this morning, mobile app testing company uTest announced not only a new name, Applause, but also that is has acquired German competitor Testhub to expand its European presence.

Back in March, German company Testbirds grabbed $2.9 million in funding for its crowdtesting services, and in February, Apple reportedly acquired Testflight’s parent company, Burstly. Testflight, which Burstly acquired in 2012, offered services such as beta testing, crash reporting, and analytics.

Optimizely also shared that it now has over 7,000 customers located in 101 countries, and that on average, they have achieved improved their sites by 13 to 29 percent across various metrics.

The company was part of Y Combinator’s Winter 2010 batch, and this round brings its total funding to $88 million.