White label mobile app platform Appia has announced it picked up $10 million from Venrock in its latest round of investment, bringing the company's total funding to date to $28.5 million.

As a result of the investment, Dev Khare, vice president at Venrock – the Silicon Valley VC arm of the Rockefeller family - will join Appia's board of directors.

Appia days

Previously operating under the name PocketGear as a multi-platform app marketplace, Appia switched tack in February and now powers over 40 app stores for partners as diverse as Samsung, AT&T, and most recently Opera.

This strategic decision led the Wall Street Journal to rank Appia #15 on its 2011 list of the Top 50 venture-funded firms from a field of 5,743 businesses.

"Venrock's expertise working with entrepreneurs in the mobile and Internet space adds tremendous value to Appia as we continue to gain traction and momentum with our open app marketplace," said founder and CEO Jud Bowman.

Growing up, growing out

The Durham-based tech company will use Venrock's injection of capital to accelerate development of its distribution channels, expand its international presence, and hire additional staff.

Appia's global reach through its partnerships with carriers, portals, and handset vendors extends to more than 200 million mobile subscribers and 3,200 different devices, with the firm claiming it's in a formidable position amid an increasingly competitive landscape.

Studios interested in distributing their applications through Appia should visit its developer program on the company's website.