GroupMe

GroupMe
Type Private
Founded 2010
Headquarters New York City, USA
Key people Jared Hecht
Steve Martocci
Website groupme.com

GroupMe is a mobile group messaging app owned by Microsoft. It was launched in May 2010 by the private company GroupMe.[1][2] In August 2011, GroupMe delivered over 100 million messages each month.[3] By June 2012, that number had jumped to 550 million.[4]

History

GroupMe was conceived at TechCrunch Disrupt 2010.[5] Founders Jared Hecht and Steve Martocci raised US$10.6 million in venture capital from Khosla Ventures, General Catalyst Partners, angel investors, and others.[1][6] In August 2011, Skype acquired the one-year-old start-up for around $80 million.[7] Skype had itself been purchased by Microsoft in May 2011, with the purchase finalized in October 2011. In 2012 GroupMe co-founder, Steve Martocci took part in the White House’s summer jobs initiative.[8] The app underwent a redesign in late 2012.[9]

Usage

GroupMe has a web client as well as mobile apps for iOS, Android, and Windows Phone. Those who don’t want to use the app can still send and receive GroupMe messages through SMS. Users begin by creating a “group” and adding contacts. When someone sends a message, everyone in the group can see and respond to it. The app allows users to easily attach and send pictures as well. Users can also send private messages, but only to users who also have the GroupMe app.[10]

Advertising

GroupMe hired Robby Ayala, a full-time video creator on the video service Vine, to make a short commercial. Robby Ayala publishes several six-second comedy movies to his 2.6 million followers each day. Ayala acts as a conduit for GroupMe to reach audiences beyond traditional advertising and marketing schemes like television, radio, or magazines. Ayala made a short comedy skit using GroupMe to text his friends a selfie and was paid "several thousand dollars."[11]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "About GroupMe". Retrieved 18 August 2011.
  2. ↑ , (26 August 2010). "Inception: A Hackaday Dream (The Story Of GroupMe)". Tech Crunch. Retrieved 18 August 2011.
  3. ↑ Shontell, Alyson. "A Year In The Life Of An $11 Million Startup, GroupMe". Business Insider. Retrieved 18 August 2011.
  4. ↑ Wauters, Robin (July 18, 2012). "GroupMe has 4.6m users sending 550m messages per month, court documents show". The Next Web.
  5. ↑ Arrington, Michael (25 August 2011). "GroupMe, Born At TechCrunch Disrupt, Secures Funding And Launches". Retrieved 18 August 2011.
  6. ↑ Wortham, Jenna (10 March 2011). "Start-Ups Are in a Rush to Bring the Chat Room to the Smartphone". The New York Times. Retrieved 18 August 2011.
  7. ↑ Ante, Spencer E. (22 August 2011). "Skype to Acquire Start-Up GroupMe". The Wall Street Journal.
  8. ↑ Wednesday, March 7th, 2012 (2012-03-07). "GroupMe, Gilt Groupe, Jon Bon Jovi Launch SummerQAmp To Create More Quality Assurance Jobs". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2013-07-08.
  9. ↑ Megan Rose Dickey (2012-11-07). "GroupMe Chat App Gets A New Look". Business Insider. Retrieved 2013-07-08.
  10. ↑ Jacobsson, Sarah (2012-02-26). "GroupMe App Review: Perfect for Coordinating With Friends | TechHive". Pcworld.com. Retrieved 2013-07-08.
  11. ↑ Wortheim, Jenna (8 June 2014). "The Well-Followed on Social Media Cash In on Their Influence". The New York Times. Retrieved 9 June 2014.

External links