Pond5, the world’s leading online marketplace for video footage and stock media, announced today that it has raised $61 million in equity financing from Accel Partners and Stripes Group. The funding is the first institutional investment for the company and will be used to fuel global growth, hiring, and product development.
Artists from around the world use Pond5 to upload video clips and other media, including music, photos and special effects. Those creating media projects, like films, mobile applications and video games, can then buy the royalty-free content for their own use.
“Our mission since day one has been to build the world’s most vibrant, artist-friendly marketplace for creativity,” said Pond5 CEO and co-founder Tom Bennett. “We thought very carefully about the kind of partners we wanted to join us, and we couldn’t be more excited to team up with Accel and Stripes for the next phase of our adventure.”
Pond5’s fast-growing collection of more than 15 million media clips is sourced from 30,000 artists in 127 countries and serves as a key creative resource for the global media production industry. The company’s 2.7 million videos compose the largest royalty-free video collection on the Web.
Pond5 footage has found its way into blockbuster films like Iron Man, Thor and Dallas Buyer’s Club, and hit television series like AMC’s The Walking Dead and NBC’s Saturday Night Live. Media clients include BBC, NBC, and CBS, advertising agencies like Leo Burnett and Wieden & Kennedy and a growing roster of emerging video artists on sites like YouTube and Vimeo.
“Pond5 has organically built a community of artists and creators that is as passionate about the site as some of the best marketplaces we’ve backed, including Etsy,” said John Locke, Partner at Accel Partners who will join the company’s board. “We’re thrilled to be a part of this team going forward.”
“True marketplace businesses are rarely created,” said Dan Marriott, Managing Partner of Stripes Group, who will also join the company’s board. “They are built brick by brick to serve all of their constituents equally well and have the opportunity to redefine their industries globally. We couldn’t be more proud to support such a great story and global team headquartered here in New York City.”
Based in New York, with offices in Geneva, Switzerland and Prague, Czech Republic, Pond5 has been cash-flow positive since its founding in 2006 and is doubling sales annually. The company raised a seed round of $500,000 from the New York Angels in 2008. In 2013, Pond5 acquired Pixmac, an international network of stock photos sites based in Czech Republic. It currently employs a global team of 70 people.