Groupme
 |
|
| Type of business | Private |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2010 |
| Headquarters | New York City, USA |
| Owner | Skype Technologies S.A. |
| Key people |
Jared Hecht Steve Martocci |
| Parent | Microsoft Corporation |
| Website | groupme.com |
GroupMe is a mobile group messaging app owned by Microsoft. It was launched in May 2010 by the private company GroupMe. In August 2011, GroupMe delivered over 100 million messages each month and by June 2012, that number jumped to 550 million. In 2013, GroupMe had over 12 million registered users.
GroupMe was conceived at TechCrunch Disrupt 2010. Founders Jared Hecht and Steve Martocci raised US$10.6 million in venture capital from Khosla Ventures, General Catalyst Partners, angel investors, and others. In August 2011, Skype acquired the one-year-old start-up for around $80 million.Skype had itself been purchased by Microsoft in May 2011, with the purchase finalized in October 2011. The app underwent a redesign in late 2012.
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. 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.
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