What are the apps owned by Mark Zuckerberg?

Mark Zuckerberg is one of the most influential technology entrepreneurs of the 21st century. As the co-founder and CEO of Facebook, Zuckerberg has built one of the world’s largest and most powerful social media platforms. However, Facebook is not the only company that Zuckerberg has founded or acquired. Over the years, he has expanded his tech empire by acquiring dozens of apps and services. Here is an overview of some of the major apps and platforms owned by Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook.

Facebook

Facebook is by far Zuckerberg’s most famous and influential company. Launched in 2004 as a social networking site for college students, Facebook has grown into a global phenomenon with over 2.8 billion monthly active users as of the third quarter of 2020. Key facts about Facebook:

Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg along with fellow Harvard students.

Initial target audience was university/college students.
Opened registration to everyone in 2006.
Acquired Instagram in 2012 for $1 billion.

Acquired WhatsApp in 2014 for $19 billion.
Other acquisitions include Oculus VR and Onavo.
Main products are the Facebook website & app, as well as Facebook Messenger.

Owns other apps like Workplace, Portal, Threads, and more.
Revenue of $85.96 billion in 2020, primarily through advertising.

Facebook has faced controversies around issues like privacy, fake news, election interference, and hate speech. However, it remains the undisputed leader in social networking and a hugely profitable business under Zuckerberg’s leadership.

Instagram

Instagram is a hugely popular photo and video sharing app that allows users to edit and upload media, follow other users, use hashtags, geotag posts, and share content across other social platforms. Key facts about Instagram:

Founded in 2010 by Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger.
Acquired by Facebook in 2012 for $1 billion.

Over 1 billion monthly active users as of 2020.
Popular features like Instagram Stories, Explore page, and IGTV.
Provides a platform for influencers, celebrities, brands and businesses.

Drives product discovery through viral hashtags and influencer marketing.
Monetized through advertising and affiliate marketing.

Under Facebook, Instagram has consolidated its position as the top social app for sharing visual content and creating/discovering influencer brands. It’s estimated to deliver over $20 billion in revenue for Facebook annually.

WhatsApp is a hugely popular instant messaging and voice over IP platform. Key facts about WhatsApp:

Founded in 2009 by Brian Acton and Jan Koum, former Yahoo employees.
Acquired by Facebook in 2014 for $19 billion.

Over 2 billion monthly active users across 180 countries.
Messaging app with features like end-to-end encryption, group chats, media sharing, voice/video calls.
Most popular messaging app in countries like India, Brazil, Mexico, and Russia.

Monetized through a small subscription fee after first year and business accounts.

The WhatsApp acquisition gave Facebook a strong presence in international messaging and calling services. WhatsApp is now interlinked with Facebook’s other messaging apps like Messenger and Instagram.

Oculus

Oculus is Facebook’s virtual reality brand, producing VR headsets and platforms. Key information about Oculus:

Founded in 2012 by Palmer Luckey.
Facebook acquired Oculus in 2014 for $2 billion.
Produces the Oculus Rift and Oculus Quest headset lines.

Owns the VR content platforms Oculus Store and Oculus Home.
Has partnered with companies like Microsoft, Samsung, Xiaomi, and others.
Aims to drive mass adoption of VR/AR technologies.

Facebook sees VR/AR as the next major computing platform after mobile.

Though still a nascent space, Facebook has made Oculus the leader in consumer virtual reality through large investments in content and hardware. This gives Facebook a potential head start in the emerging VR/AR industry.

Onavo

Onavo was an Israeli mobile web analytics company acquired by Facebook in 2013. Key facts about Onavo:

Founded in 2010 in Tel Aviv, Israel.
Created the Onavo app which provided data management and protection for mobile data.
Facebook acquired Onavo in October 2013 for $120 million.

Onavo provided Facebook with insights into mobile app usage and trends.
Allowed Facebook to gather data on competitor apps like WhatsApp and Snapchat.
Onavo Protect app was banned by Apple in 2018 over privacy violations.

Facebook shut down Onavo in 2019 after privacy-related backlash.

Though short-lived, the Onavo acquisition provided Facebook with valuable data on the mobile ecosystem and competitor activity. It exemplified Facebook’s “acquire, integrate, leverage” approach to new technologies and markets.

CrowdTangle

CrowdTangle is a social media analytics company that Facebook acquired in 2016. Key information about CrowdTangle:

Founded in 2011 by CEO Brandon Silverman.
Platform tracks public content across social networks like Facebook, Instagram, Reddit, Twitter, and YouTube.
Allows users to discover trending/viral content, analyze performance, and track rivals.

Acquired by Facebook in November 2016 for an undisclosed amount.
Used by media agencies, publishers, brands for social media tracking and optimization.
In 2020, Facebook integrated CrowdTangle data into its Analytics for Pages product.

The CrowdTangle acquisition boosted Facebook’s analytics capabilities and provided more data for Facebook to improve its products and target advertising. However, CrowdTangle has also faced criticism that it enables the spread of misinformation.

Giphy

Giphy is a popular online database and search engine for GIF files and animations. Key details on Giphy:

Founded in 2013 by Alex Chung and Jace Cooke.

Platform allows users to search for, share, and create GIFs.
Has content partnerships with social networks, media companies, advertisers.
Facebook acquired Giphy in May 2020 for a reported $400 million.

Giphy is integrated into Instagram and other Facebook apps.
Acquisition seen as a way for Facebook to boost visual content in its apps.

Giphy provides Facebook and its family of apps access to a vast library of animated visual content. It also adds creative tools for users to make and share visuals across networks.

Other Apps and Acquisitions

In addition to the major platforms above, Facebook has acquired dozens of other apps and services under Zuckerberg’s leadership. Some other notable acquisitions and products include:

Masquerade (MSQRD) – Face filter app for video selfies.
Moves – Fitness tracking app.

Otto – Artificial intelligence startup focused on AI assistants.
Wave – Audio hosting platform.
Atlas – Ad platform for cross-device campaigns.

Redkix – Email startup optimized for mobile devices.
Beluga – Group messaging app, merged into Facebook Messenger.
LiveRail – Video ad platform, merged into Facebook Audience Network.

Facebook has made dozens of acquisitions in social media, messaging, apps, advertising, AI, VR/AR and other areas. This buying spree indicates Zuckerberg’s strategy of aggressively acquiring technology and talent to expand Facebook’s reach and capabilities in both consumer and enterprise markets.

Conclusion

Mark Zuckerberg has built an incredibly influential technology company in Facebook. But beyond just Facebook, he has acquired, launched and expanded a wide array of apps and platforms under his control. Apps like Instagram, WhatsApp, Oculus and Onavo exemplify Zuckerberg’s strategy of using M&A to enter new markets and absorb potential competitors into the Facebook ecosystem.

Zuckerberg stated that his goal is to have Facebook apps reach 3 billion users in the near future. With over 2.7 billion users already on Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger, he is well on his way to achieving this vision. Through aggressive acquisition and interlinking of apps, Mark Zuckerberg has consolidated an empire of social media, messaging and communication platforms that provide the foundation for Facebook’s future growth.