{"687058":{"#nid":"687058","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Student\u2019s Fishing App Catchr Becomes Global Hit Before Acquisition","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA mobile fishing app created by Georgia Tech graduate Matthew Steele, CS 2025, has become an international success story, reaching the top of App Store charts in multiple countries before being acquired earlier this year.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe app, Catchr, uses image recognition and gamified features to help anglers identify fish, estimate size, track catches, and compete on global leaderboards. The app climbed as high as No. 13 on the U.S. App Store sports charts and reached No. 1 in France and Croatia, with nearly 200,000 downloads in more than 170 countries.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe idea was to make fishing feel like a real-life version of Pok\u00e9mon, something fun, soxacial, and competitive,\u201d said Steele. \u201cWe launched with just a few basic features, and it grew far faster than I expected.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBefore developing Catchr, Steele had already experimented with several products, including HairMatch, an AI-powered app that won $25,000 as a global finalist in Microsoft\u2019s Imagine Cup competition, and UPic, Purrpulse, and Better Call Santa (now known as \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/9to5mac.com\/2024\/12\/13\/better-call-santa-talk-to-santa-ai\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESantaCalls\u003C\/a\u003E). Those experiences gave him insight into customer behavior, app deployment, and business operations \u2014 lessons he brought with him into Georgia Tech\u2019s CREATE-X Startup Launch program.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECREATE-X provided him with seed funding, mentorship, and a framework for validating ideas through real-world feedback. For Steele, those resources made it possible to move from experimentation to a scalable product.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cCREATE-X was a time of innovation and exploration,\u201d he said. \u201cIt gave me the structure and confidence to test assumptions, get real feedback, and pivot quickly \u2014 all critical steps in developing Catchr.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThose earlier products helped Steele learn how to test assumptions about customers, navigate App Store requirements, manage support requests, and handle the operational demands of running a small software business.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cBy the time I started Catchr, I knew what level of product quality was needed, how many hours support would take, and what the revenue expectations might be,\u201d he said. \u201cEven so, the speed at which Catchr captured users and grew in revenue was unbelievably fast compared to my expectations.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAfter Catchr\u2019s explosive growth, Steele faced another challenge: deciding whether to sell the company. While many startup founders view acquisition as a goal, Steele said selling Catchr was one of the hardest decisions he has made. \u201cMonetizing something you built is appealing, but selling is different,\u201d he said. \u201cYour creation becomes someone else\u2019s job. You spend so much time with it that it becomes an extension of yourself.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESteele said he spoke with multiple interested buyers, asking each about their long-term plans for the app before moving forward. \u201cI wanted to make sure the buyer\u2019s vision would improve the product and be positive for users,\u201d he said. \u201cI wouldn\u2019t have sold if I didn\u2019t trust them.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe ultimately found a buyer who committed to expanding Catchr\u2019s capabilities and investing in its continued growth. \u201cI don\u2019t think I\u2019d change anything about the decision,\u201d Steele said. \u201cCatchr is in capable hands, and I can return to what I enjoy most, which is building things I believe will be part of a better future for consumers.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWith the sale complete, Steele says he is returning to new ideas and the early-stage development process he prefers.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIf there\u2019s one thing I\u2019d tell other Georgia Tech students,\u201d he said, \u201cit\u2019s that you\u2019re already in one of the best places in the world to build something meaningful. Don\u2019t wait until you feel ready. Just start.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EApply to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/airtable.com\/appaTqlTL2zQkXBBR\/pagdkIvjQbvDbSD2F\/form\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EStartup Launch\u003C\/a\u003E by March 17. Limited spots available.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech graduate \u003Cstrong\u003EMatthew Steele (CS 2025)\u003C\/strong\u003E turned his mobile fishing app \u003Cstrong\u003ECatchr\u003C\/strong\u003E into a global phenomenon before selling it. The app uses \u003Cstrong\u003Eimage recognition\u003C\/strong\u003E and \u003Cstrong\u003Egamified features\u003C\/strong\u003E to help users identify fish, estimate size, log catches, and compete on worldwide leaderboards. It surged to \u003Cstrong\u003ENo. 13 on the U.S. App Store sports charts\u003C\/strong\u003E and hit \u003Cstrong\u003ENo. 1 in France and Croatia\u003C\/strong\u003E, ultimately reaching \u003Cstrong\u003Enearly 200,000 downloads across 170+ countries\u003C\/strong\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech graduate Matthew Steele\u2019s fishing app Catchr became a global chart\u2011topping hit with nearly 200,000 downloads before he sold it to a buyer committed to expanding its future."}],"uid":"36810","created_gmt":"2026-01-05 15:26:31","changed_gmt":"2026-01-05 15:38:30","author":"zzhang860","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-01-05T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-01-05T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"678903":{"id":"678903","type":"image","title":"Catchr","body":"\u003Cp\u003ECatchr\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1767118246","gmt_created":"2025-12-30 18:10:46","changed":"1767118374","gmt_changed":"2025-12-30 18:12:54","alt":"Catchr","file":{"fid":"262996","name":"CatchrLandscapeImage--1-.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/30\/CatchrLandscapeImage--1-.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/30\/CatchrLandscapeImage--1-.png","mime":"image\/png","size":664611,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/12\/30\/CatchrLandscapeImage--1-.png?itok=oQRqfiGc"}}},"media_ids":["678903"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/airtable.com\/appaTqlTL2zQkXBBR\/pagdkIvjQbvDbSD2F\/form","title":"Apply to Startup Launch"}],"groups":[{"id":"583966","name":"CREATE-X"},{"id":"655285","name":"GT Commercialization"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"139","name":"Business"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192255","name":"go-commercializationnews"},{"id":"193593","name":"gt-commercialization"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193658","name":"Commercialization"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWritten by Amanda Dudley\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EInternal Contact:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBreanna Durham\u003Cbr\u003EMarketing Strategist\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["bdurham31@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}