API (Application Programming Interface)
A set of rules that lets different software systems talk to and share data with each other.
APIs enable integrations, allowing a product to connect with other tools, embed functionality or expose its own services to developers. A strong API can be a growth and moat driver, creating stickiness and platform effects.
Examples
A startup integrates a payments API to handle transactions. — A SaaS offers a public API so customers can build on it.
How it relates to The Startup Foundry
Technical capability supports Executability and Scalability — areas the Investability Report assesses.