GroupMe

GroupMe
Type of business 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] and by June 2012, that number jumped to 550 million.[4] In 2013, GroupMe had over 12 million registered users.[5]

History

GroupMe was conceived at TechCrunch Disrupt 2010.[6] 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][7] In August 2011, Skype acquired the one-year-old start-up for around $80 million.[8] Skype had itself been purchased by Microsoft in May 2011, with the purchase finalized in October 2011.[9] The app underwent a redesign in late 2012.[10]

Usage

Groupme works by downloading the app or accessing the service online, and then forming an account by providing your name, cell phone number and a password, or you can connect through your Facebook or Twitter account.[11] The service then syncs with your contacts and from that point forward the user can make groups of any size. Each group is given a label and assigned a unique number. Some of the features on the app include the ability to share photos, videos, locations, create events, and personalized emojis.

GroupMe has a web client as well as apps for iOS, Android, and Windows. 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, videos and web-links as well. Users can also send private messages, but only to users who also have the GroupMe app.[12]

References

  1. 1 2 "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. ↑ "GroupMe compared to competitors". Retrieved 22 October 2016.
  6. ↑ Arrington, Michael (25 August 2011). "GroupMe, Born At TechCrunch Disrupt, Secures Funding And Launches". Retrieved 18 August 2011.
  7. ↑ 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.
  8. ↑ Ante, Spencer E. (22 August 2011). "Skype to Acquire Start-Up GroupMe". The Wall Street Journal.
  9. ↑ 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.
  10. ↑ Megan Rose Dickey (2012-11-07). "GroupMe Chat App Gets A New Look". Business Insider. Retrieved 2013-07-08.
  11. ↑ "GroupMe - Group text messaging with GroupMe".
  12. ↑ Jacobsson, Sarah (2012-02-26). "GroupMe App Review: Perfect for Coordinating With Friends | TechHive". Pcworld.com. Retrieved 2013-07-08.


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